US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order designed to speed up environmental reviews and fast-track critical infrastructure projects. Under the order, if governors or Cabinet secretaries request that a project be designated as high-priority, the project moves to the top of any review queue if the White House Council on Environmental Quality approves.
Trump has said throughout his election campaign that he wants to invest up to $1 trillion in America’s infrastructure and put Americans back to work.
‘We intend to fix our country, our bridges, our roadways,’ he said at a press event. ‘We can’t be in an environmental process for 15 years if a bridge is going to be falling down or if a highway is crumbling. So we’re expediting environmental reviews and approvals.’