Save LBI Warns Against SPEED Act

Robert Stern (philosopher), President of Save Long Beach Island Advocacy and former manager of the Office of National Environmental Policy Act Affairs for the U.S. Department of Energy, issued a strong warning against the Senate's consideration of the Standardized Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act. Stern argues that while the bill is framed as 'permitting reform,' it is a dangerous overreach that threatens American environmental law and the constitutional separation of powers. Save Long Beach Island Advocacy, with attorney Thomas Stavola Jr., highlighted that the SPEED Act would limit the scope of environmental reviews, eliminate cumulative impact assessments, and conflict with established case law and the Administrative Procedure Act. They also noted that provisions in the bill conflict with the U.S. Supreme Court's Chevron deference reversal ruling and impinge on Article III judicial authority. The organization is urging Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Martin Heinrich to exercise caution and consider their markup of the bill to achieve permitting reform while preserving environmental protections.