“They spent $29 million for an environmental report weighing 70 pounds and costing $24,000 per page,” Trump said.
...
That money goes in somebody’s politically connected pocket.
Indeed. Most of his money gets spent by environmental consulting companies and often their principals are former/retired senior managers of the government environmental agency requiring the EIR. The agency asks for more and more detail and the consulting outfit recommends additional work and so it goes on and on. Finishing the EIR process means the money stops flowing so why not keep milking it? They have nothing to gain from having the road built but everything to gain from endlessly evaluating the project.