Nationwide Survey Shows A Majority Of U.S. Voters Believe Environmental Reviews Of Infrastructure Projects Could Be Shortened Without Harming The Environment

NEW YORK, Nov. 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- A new nationwide survey of U.S. voters finds that a solid majority of voters (61%) believe it would be possible to cut the amount of time it takes to do environmental reviews of infrastructure projects without harming the environment. Though Republicans are most likely to say this would be possible, a majority of every partisan group – Democrats (52%), Republicans (72%), and independents (59%) – agree.

"This is a very significant finding," said Philip K. Howard, Founder and Chair of Common Good, the nonpartisan reform coalition that sponsored the survey. "U.S. infrastructure is crumbling, yet infrastructure approvals can take a decade or longer. The public believes we can do better."

According to the survey, a majority of voters (55%) also favor passing a law that would limit the length of time it takes to conduct environmental reviews to one year. A slightly smaller majority (52%) would support a one-year limit on environmental reviews if it would allow extending the one-year time limit whenever the President specifically determines that more time is required.

"This survey points the way to breaking the logjam around infrastructure approvals," added Philip K. Howard. "Putting a time limit on the length of the environmental review would allow crucial projects and the jobs that they would generate to move forward."

The survey was conducted for Common Good by Clarus Research Group, a nonpartisan survey firm based in Washington, D.C., on November 5-11, 2013. The sample included 1,000 self-identified registered voters nationwide, who were interviewed by live telephone interviewing specialists via landlines and cells.

Common Good (www.commongood.org) is a nonpartisan government reform coalition dedicated to restoring common sense to America. The Founder and Chair of Common Good is Philip K. Howard, a lawyer and author of Life Without Lawyers and The Death of Common Sense. His new book, The Rule of Nobody (W. W. Norton), will be published in April.

SOURCE Common Good