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Thursday, September 19, 2002

Chamber Supports White House Efforts on Transportation-Improving Environmental Permit Process Vital to Economic Growth

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States Chamber of Commerce expressed its support for the White House and Department of Transportation initiative to improve the environmental permit process for transportation projects, in its Executive Order issued this week.

"Our nation's economy is based on the efficient and swift transportation of goods and people," said Bruce Josten, Chamber executive vice president.  "The years spent coping with red tape and duplications have created near gridlock in improvements to our system of roads, rails and waterways."

The Chamber supports efforts to accelerate the completion of transportation projects, while maintaining environmental safeguards, to decrease congestion, benefit the environment, improve safety and boost economic recovery and growth.

Preparing an environmental impact statement for a transportation project takes, on average, more than 5 years, according to a recent study for the Federal Highway Administration – almost half the 12-year time span to finish a highway project and a third of the 15-year time span to finish a new runway.

"U.S. business owners will work with Congress and the President to see that our nation improves our transportation network to meet the growing demands placed on it," said Josten.  "The status quo of red tape and inaction hurts the economy and the environment and leaves us ill-prepared to handle the ever increasing volumes of freight and people." 

The Chamber has launched Americans for Transportation Mobility – a coalition of more than 350 national, state and local organizations and government officials – to assist government and other stakeholders in building a safe and more efficient transportation system.  The coalition has undertaken a multi-year, national campaign highlighting the importance of an efficient national transportation network.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.

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