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LINCOLN — Federal officials announced Monday that Nebraska is the latest state to assume full responsibility for environmental reviews related to federally funded transportation projects, a move they said will accelerate big infrastructure projects such as the Lincoln East Beltway.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in a statement said the new agreement between Nebraska and the Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration would streamline the environmental review process, giving Nebraska responsibilities previously handled by the federal government.
“Today’s agreement removes unnecessary federal red tape — ensuring more major infrastructure projects are built on time and on budget,” Duffy said.
Gov. Jim Pillen said President Donald Trump and Duffy are empowering states by allowing decisions at the local level, “cutting through layers of over-the-top, environment regulation.”
FHWA Administrator Sean McMaster said “burdensome reviews and approvals by Washington have slowed progress on road and highway improvements in Nebraska and elsewhere. He said the Nebraska Department of Transportation now will take on additional responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Assignment Program.
He contends the arrangement, in addition to giving states more decision-making authority, should shorten completion time and taxpayer expense for projects such as the Lincoln East Beltway and the City of Beatrice’s “Court Street Access and Safety Transformation Project.”
The DOT press release said nine states now have assumed full NEPA responsibility — and liability for compliance decisions — under the NEPA Assignment Program.
Nebraska in 2018 had obtained a more limited responsibility for certain environmental reviews, while Monday’s pact expands responsibility for environmental assessments and impact statements related to transportation projects in the state.
Vicki Kramer, director of the Nebraska DOT, called it a “milestone” and reflection of Trump’s focus on streamlining project delivery.
Texas has had a similar arrangement since 2014, and critics have described it as “the fox guarding the hen house,” according to a Houston Public Media report in late 2024 when the agreement was close to renewal.
Critics said the self-certification process doesn’t result in the rigorous reviews intended under federal law and that the federal government doesn’t have the same vested interest in pushing through projects that a state does.
A Texas transportation official countered by saying the agency is still subject to the same statutory and regulatory requirements that would apply without the NEPA Assignment Program.
The media statement named projects that would benefit from the streamlined arrangement:
- Lincoln East Beltway, including the final segment of a beltway around the city planned since the 1970s. It is to be a four-lane freeway from the eastern end of the South Bypass (Nebraska Highway 2) that connects to Interstate 80 near the city of Waverly.
- U.S. 75 Corridor Study, improving about six miles of U.S. 75 from Interstate 80 in Omaha south to Nebraska Highway 370 in Bellevue. Plans include reconstruction of mainline pavement and structures, enhanced traffic operations and safety and improvements to seven interchanges.
- Interstate 480 Corridor Study, Interstate 80 to Harney Street, improving mobility, safety and delays on I-480, where travelers in the central Omaha metro region experience high traffic volumes, collisions and recurring operational problems.
- Beatrice’s Court Street Access and Safety Transformation Project, rerouting U.S. 136 one block south to Market Street from its current location on Court Street. Moving through traffic and trucks south of Market will lead to increased safety in the downtown business area and allow Court Street to be redeveloped into a more pedestrian-focused corridor. The Department executed a $21 million grant agreement for the Beatrice project today as part of its efforts to move cut red tape and projects forward as quickly as possible.
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