Washington, D.C. (April 22, 2022) – Terry O’Sullivan, General President of LIUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America – made the following statement today:

The rollback of updates to the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) reinstate burdensome requirements that will cause excessive permit delays and allow project adversaries to use frivolous lawsuits to disrupt or upend long overdue construction. Once again, communities in need of vital infrastructure and the hard-working men and women who build America will be waiting as project details are subjected to onerous reviews.

Americans will continue to bear the expense of NEPA-related delays, which cost taxpayers millions of dollars annually. Lengthy review processes and unpredictable legal challenges are also having a chilling impact on private investment in infrastructure.

Ultimately, the construction industry and the strong, proud, and united members of LIUNA pay the highest price when projects are canceled or delayed. LIUNA urges policymakers to act on needed reforms to NEPA that provide predictability and a more reasonable and timely framework for project permitting.

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The half-million members of LIUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America – are on the forefront of the construction industry, a powerhouse of workers who are proud to build the United States and Canada.