Creating Confidence in Clean Water Permitting Act

HR 7023, titled the *Nationwide Permitting Improvement Act*, streamlines permitting for projects involving dredged or fill material under the Clean Water Act. It extends the term of nationwide permits from five to ten years, limits environmental reviews to only the direct effects of material discharge, and creates a new nationwide permit specifically for "linear infrastructure projects" (like pipelines, power lines, or water systems) that disturb no more than 0.5 acres of wetlands per project. The bill also removes requirements for federal consultations under the Endangered Species Act and simplifies National Environmental Policy Act reviews to an environmental assessment. This directly affects developers of infrastructure projects by reducing regulatory hurdles for certain permits.