“To optimize the environmental review process for Central Valley Project permits, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section requires environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and ESA §7(a) consultations for federally issued permits for Central Valley Project (CVP) enhancement projects—defined as projects primarily supporting, enhancing, or maintaining CVP infrastructure (e.g., groundwater recharge, aquifer storage, and water source substitution projects)—to be completed within one year of permit application submission, notwithstanding any other provision of law. (As background, CVP is a Bureau of Reclamation water project in California that provides irrigation, municipal, and industrial water supplies, hydroelectric power, and flood control.) If the responsible agency fails to meet the deadline, the agency head must either grant an extension with the applicant's approval or deny the permit; permit applicants denied under this section may reapply at any time, with the agency providing prior review information (to the extent permitted by law) to facilitate an expedited process for the new application.