The Council on Environmental Quality issued an ICBA-supported final rule to exempt USDA and SBA guaranteed loans from proposed environmental impact statement requirements under the National Environmental Protection Act.
In a comment letter earlier this year, ICBA said this exclusion is important because the private sector provides the funds for these programs, not the government. ICBA also noted environmental regulations should not unnecessarily impede the normal activities of borrowers and community banks seeking to improve their agricultural and small-business enterprises.