News Release: January 9, 2020
Proposed NEPA Changes Costly, Threaten Community Safety
CHICAGO (January 9, 2020) — In response to the proposed overhaul of the NEPA regulations, the American Planning Association (APA) and Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) urge the Trump administration not to abandon review of development and infrastructure projects to protect the public from fiscal, environmental and health consequences of climate change and natural disasters.
APA President Kurt Christiansen, FAICP, and ASFPM Executive Director Chad Berginnis, CFM, cautioned that “ignoring the future impact of climate change as part of the nation’s core environmental review law will only increase costs of development and future disaster recovery on taxpayers and communities, while making us all more vulnerable to its already apparent effects.”
Members of both APA and ASFPM help residents and officials make decisions about resiliency and long-term prosperity of their communities. Last month, APA published Planning for Infrastructure Resilience, a report that provides guidance on helping communities consider new climate and flood realities.
The report includes data and tools to help understand the risks of future flooding, conduct vulnerability assessments, and integrate the information into plans and policies. Additionally, the report examines how capital improvement plans, local regulations, and funding sources can help ensure that public infrastructure is resilient to flood and climate impacts for decades to come. The report was co-authored by APA, ASFPM, and Michael Lauer Planning, LLC.
APA and ASFM will be providing comments to the proposed regulation changes during the public comment period on behalf of their members.
The American Planning Association is an independent, not-for-profit educational organization that provides vital leadership in creating communities of lasting value. APA and its professional institute, the American Institute of Certified Planners, are dedicated to advancing the profession of planning, offering better choices for where and how people work and live. The 45,000 APA members work in concert with community residents, civic leaders and business interests to create communities that enrich people's lives. Through its philanthropic work, APA's Foundation helps to reduce economic and social barriers to good planning. APA has offices in Washington, D.C., and Chicago. Learn more at www.planning.org.
The Association of State Floodplain Managers is the world's leading voice for sound floodplain management, science, and policy, with 37 U.S. chapters, and more than 19,000 members worldwide. ASFPM is an organization of professionals involved in floodplain management, flood hazard mitigation, the National Flood Insurance Program, and flood preparedness, warning and recovery. Learn more at floods.org.
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Contact
Roberta Rewers, APA, 312-786-6395; rrewers@planning.org
Eric Murtaugh, ASFPM, 608-828-6328; eric@floods.org