Both the state House and Senate agree that the law requiring government agencies to perform environmental reviews on projects that disturb public lands or spend public dollars should be narrowed to cover fewer activities.
The full Senate gave its final approval Tuesday to a measure scaling back use of the 1971 State Environmental Policy Act. Senators approved some amendments to bring the measure more in line with the House version passed last month.
A Senate amendment changed the thresholds to perform such reviews to when more than $10 million in state funds are being spent or more than 10 acres of public land disturbed. The House approved a 5-acre trigger.
House Republicans must next decide whether to accept the Senate changes. Otherwise, the chambers will work on a compromise.
