Senator Graham should help pass bipartisan permitting reform

In his recent op-ed, Dr. Jeff Mulliken hit the nail on the head regarding the need for Congress to pass bipartisan permitting reform to help advance a range of critical energy and infrastructure projects more efficiently and maximize the impact of investments coming to our state through the bipartisan infrastructure law that Senator Lindsay Graham helped pass.

As a professional engineer with Insight Group—a geotechnical, environmental, and construction materials engineering consulting firm—I have witnessed firsthand the delays and bureaucratic friction that our overly complex, inefficient federal permitting process can create. These delays slow the deployment of critical infrastructure projects and prevent South Carolinians from realizing the myriad economic and employment benefits these projects create.

Senator Graham played a critical role in crafting and passing a strong infrastructure law ensuring South Carolina receives the investments necessary to strengthen our state’s critical infrastructure. Now, he should work with his colleagues on both sides of the aisle to maximize the impact of those investments by streamlining and simplifying the federal permitting process so engineering firms like ours can move critical infrastructure projects forward more efficiently and effectively.

-Bryan Shiver