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Trump to give agencies power to fast-track big infrastructure projects, sources say

Trump to give agencies power to fast-track big infrastructure projects, sources say

US President Donald Trump holds a Bible while visiting St. John's Church

USPresident Donald Trump on Thursday is expected to sign an executive order that would give federal agencies emergency powers to fast-track major infrastructure projects by overriding environmental permitting requirements, two sources familiar with the proposal said.

The order is billed as a way to "support and accelerate" the economic recovery from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and improve US energy and other infrastructure, according to bullet points summarizing the order seen by Reuters.

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It calls for public works and highway projects as well as energy projects like pipelines and terminals to be expedited, and instructs the Interior, Agriculture and Defense Departments to accelerate projects on federal lands.

White House spokesman Hogan Gidley told reporters earlier on Thursday that Trump would sign an order related to permitting for energy and other projects in the afternoon, but did not give details.

Trump has been a vocal advocate of fossil fuels as president and has sought to roll back regulations slowing their development and reduce state powers to block projects for environmental reasons.

Earlier this year, the Trump administration proposed to streamline the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), a bedrock environmental regulation that creates time-consuming environmental reviews and public feedback requirements for major infrastructure projects.

The proposal is currently going through a public comment and review period.