Proposed bill would streamline permit process for Army Corps of Engineers

Rep. Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.) recently cosponsored a bipartisan bill aimed at reforming the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ permit process for site development throughout the United States.

The Commonsense Permitting for Jobs Act of 2013 would specify that the lack of a committed end-user is not a reason to deny an Army Corps permit.

Reps. Robert Hurt (R-Va.), Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), Dan Maffei (D-N.Y.) and Bill Owens (D-N.Y.) also sponsored the bill.

“The misguided policy of stalling growth and denying jobs to economically challenged communities because they do not already have end-users for sites lined up has unfortunately spread from the Mohawk Valley to Virginia and now threatens every jurisdiction in our nation,” Hanna said. “The Commonsense Permitting for Jobs Act would put an end to that practice and help speed up site development, bringing good-paying jobs back to the United States.”

In recent years, Mohawk Valley EDGE sought to acquire a permit for a nanotechnology project in Marcy, N.Y., but the Army Corps denied the permit requests because EDGE did not have an identified end-user. Economic development officials in Henry County, Va., are now experiencing similar impediments, with lawmakers noting that, “A company will not relocate to the site without an approved permit, but a permit cannot be approved without a company willing to relocate.”

The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) have introduced companion legislation in the Senate.