The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is the granddaddy of federal environmental law. It requires federal agencies to look before they leap into a decision that could harm our environment. This simple but essential process is threatened by a rider to the “must pass” National Defense Authorization Act put forward by Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.).
The rider would allow federal agencies to forego NEPA compliance for virtually any type of mining operation based upon a bare assurance that the host state will address the environmental impacts of the project. The law would not require that the state offer any public process or otherwise provide meaningful public input regarding decisions about lands that are owned by all Americans...