National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

By : Christian Calkins and Sierra Copeland

EPA!!!!

NEPA 1969

One of the first laws ever created to protect the environment

Came into effect due to public concern about the deteriorating human environment and the environmental impacts of major federal projects.

Intent

The intent of NEPA is to insure safe, healthful productive, and esthetically and culturally pleasing surroundings.

The basic policy is to assure that all branches of government give proper consideration to the environment prior to undertaking any major federal action.

History

The Santa Barbara Oil Spill was the leading catalyst for the act.

Another driving force were the Freeway Revolts that occurred in the ‘60’s when the interstate highway system was being built.

The law has since been applied to any project federal state or local that involves federal funding

History Continued

Introduced in the Senate by Henry M. Jackson on February 18, 1969

Agreed to by the Senate on December 20, 1969 and by the House of Representatives on December 23, 1969

Signed into law by Richard Nixon on January 1, 1970

Content

Three important sections:- The statement of national environmental policies and goals- The establishment of action-forcing provisions for federal agencies to enforce those policies and goals- The establishment of a Council of Environmental Quality in the Executive Office of the President

Council of Environmental Quality (CEQ)

Who are they?

- a division of the Executive Office of the President that organizes federal environmental efforts in the United States

What do they do?

- Work closely with agencies and other White House offices in the development of environmental and energy policies and initiatives

o Under NEPA, CEQ works to balance environmental, economic, and social objectives in pursuit of NEPA's goal of "productive harmony" between humans and the human environment

Terms to know

Categorical Exclusion (CE)- actions which do not have a significant effect on the human environment and do not need an environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement.

Environmental Assessment (EA)- When the significance of impacts of a transportation project proposal is unknown, an EA is made to help make this decision. If it is found that there will be significant impacts, there will be an EIS implemented.

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)- NEPA requires Federal agencies to prepare EISs for major Federal actions that affect the quality of the human environment. An EIS is a document that states the process through which a transportation project was developed. It includes a range of reasonable alternatives, analyzes the possible impacts resulting from the alternatives, and demonstrates cooperation with other environmental laws and executive orders

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CEQ process chart

Works Cited

EPA. (n.d.). National Environmental Policy Act. US EPA. Retrieved August 24, 2011. From http://www.epa.gov/region1/nepa/

FEMA. (n.d.). National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). FEMA. Retrieved August 24, 2011. From http://www.fema.gov/plan/ehp/ehplaws/nepa.shtm

http://www.nps.gov/history/local-law/fhpl_ntlenvirnpolcy.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Environmental_Policy_Act http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_on_Environmental_Quality http://environment.fhwa.dot.gov/projdev/docuce.asp

The End!