By Nebraska Department of Transportation
LINCOLN, Neb. — The Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) is moving forward with its effort to take on additional environmental review responsibilities currently assigned to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). As a result, the agency is seeking public input.
In July 2025, Gov. Jim Pillen signed a letter of intent to pursue an agreement with the federal government to allow NDOT to assume more environmental review duties for federally funded transportation projects. Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), FHWA can assign NEPA environmental review and compliance responsibilities to individual states.
NDOT has now formally initiated the process of seeking a full NEPA assignment program. Currently, the agency has limited NEPA review authority. Full NEPA assignment would remove unnecessary bureaucracy and administrative burdens, while strengthening project-delivery consistency.
“Governor Pillen has made it clear that state agency leaders must continue to find more efficiency in government,” said NDOT Director Vicki Kramer. “For NDOT, this means looking for new ways to streamline and expedite the delivery of key transportation projects. Full NEPA assignment will allow Nebraska highway users to see a better return on investment, while federal environmental standards will continue to be upheld.”
As of September 2025, states with a full NEPA assignment program with the FHWA are Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Ohio, Texas and Utah. These states have reported significant benefits, including faster project delivery and cost savings.
NDOT’s draft application for full NEPA assignment is available for review and comment via the NDOT website at ndot.info/NEPA.