New surface water storage projects in the West would benefit from expedited permitting reviews under legislation introduced in the House of Representatives in early January.
Sponsored by Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.), the Guiding Responsibility on Water (GROW) Act (H.R. 23) would designate the Bureau of Reclamation as the lead agency for coordinating all environmental reviews, permits and other federal approvals required before construction may begin on a surface water storage project subject to the Reclamation Act. The Bureau would be charged with synchronizing all necessary federal agency reviews, coordinating the preparation of environmental documentation necessary to move the project forward, and serving as the point of contact for project applicants. The Bureau would be responsible for preparing a unified environmental review document for each qualifying project application, and ensuring that environmental reviews are carried out by cooperating federal agencies within specified timeframes.
Other parts of the bill would set deadlines by which the Bureau must complete final feasibility reports and environmental reviews for projects under its purview. According to a statement from Rep. Valadao, the reforms “will cut red tape holding back major water storage projects that have been authorized for over a decade.”
H.R. 23 also includes various modifications to water management standards in California, building on drought relief language approved by the 114th Congress in December as part of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act. It is unknown whether the House will take up H.R. 23 in the near future, but House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is among the bill’s original cosponsors.