Schwarzenegger Sends Letter To Obama Asking For A Waiver On National Environmental Policy Act Requirements.
On Monday, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger asked President-Elect Barack Obama to waive the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements to help jump start the Nation’s flailing economy.
Schwarzenegger met with Obama last month in Philadelphia, where he urged the Federal government to invest in infrastructure. Something he’s been peddling alongside New York City’s Mayor Bloomberg since early 2008.
The Governor’s administration has identified four key areas where they “can work together” in stabilizing and expanding California’s economy: investment in infrastructure, energy security, stabilization of the housing market, and assistance to states to help meet the needs of the medically indigent.
>>More on Schwarzenegger’s environmental policy
During their meeting Schwarzenegger had identified $28 billion in infrastructure projects ready to break ground, that number is now $44 billion! The projects are in communities across California and include:
- $11.8 billion in energy efficiency projects
- $11 billion in investment of road, transit and rail construction
- $4 billion in health care investment
- $1.1 billion in schools
- More than $5 billion in parks and public safety
This would lead to an estimated 800,000 jobs for the Golden State. But there is a bit of a rub. The Governor’s office requested that the NEPA requirements be waived, or at the very least “streamlined,” such that the California Environment Quality Act (CEQA) requirements will satisfy NEPA.
From what I can find, it seems that the two acts are not that much different. But some of Arnold’s past environmental decisions have made me more than skeptical (see: Gov. Schwarzenegger Terminates California’s Endangered Fish).
But if he gets his way, Schwarzenegger claims major greenhouse gas emission reductions from these upgrades. He is also requesting tax credits for renewable energy projects. For projects placed in service in 2009, he is asking that accelerated depreciations be refundable.
Read the full press release here.
Photo: Governor Schwarzenegger’s website
About Jerry James Stone
Schwarzenegger is the only true hope for the GOP and he’s as big a loser as the former gov from texas.
No ideas, but a gaggle full pissed-off orange county fascists looking to their taxes lowered because they have suffered so much and lost so much money to their jewish bankers. They need help!!
Smoke and mirrors are alive and well in Sacramento.
Jerry, do you happen to know exactly California wants to streamline NEPA for transportation projects?
Since we don't know exactly what this letter is saying, I think the bigger transgression in this letter is that Gov. Schwarzenegger and/or his environmental policy advisers mistakenly believe there is such a thing called the National Environmental Protection Act. In actuality, NEPA stands for the National Environmental Policy Act. And while this is a fairly common mistake, I would expect it not be made at such high levels of authority.
I am a firm believer in NEPA. I have seen it fail, and I have seen it work. It has deterred many bad salvage logging sales in my neighborhood.