Environmental Impact Statements that were as once as short as 10 pages now average 600 pages, plus appendices that typically exceed 1,000 pages. Understaffed regulatory agencies often working across multiple jurisdictions and juggling input from the public, consultants and other stakeholders can become overwhelmed by the exhaustive review process.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) establishes an approach to reduce these delays, and other permitting reform efforts are being pursued by government to deliver needed highway, rail, water, energy, and utility projects more quickly.

At the same time, new cloud-based, interactive digital solutions can be influential to help reduce the cumulative review time and improve transparency and public engagement. In fact, lawmakers in Congress are considering policies to encourage the use of digital tools in the review process.

Download the white paper to learn about:

Root causes for NEPA delays:

1. Increased demand for public input
2. Lengthy and complex environmental documents
3. Time it takes regulatory agencies to complete reviews
4. Lack of transparency and accessibility
5. Threat of lawsuits
6. Understaffed regulatory agencies
7. Complexity of decisions involving multiple jurisdiction

How interactive cloud-based documents can help:

• Improve decision-making
• Increase equity and collaboration
• Build trust and decrease delays during the NEPA process