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National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). By : Christian Calkins and Sierra Copeland. EPA!!!!. NEPA 1969. One of the first laws ever c reated to protect the environment
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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 • 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
NEPA chart CEQ process chart
Works Cited • EPA. (n.d.). National Environmental Policy Act. US EPA. Retrieved August 24, 2011. Fromhttp://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