The purpose ofthis manual is to establish the procedures that the department of the treasury treasury shall use to comply with section 1022 of the national environmental policy act nepa of 1969, as amended 42. The national environmental policy act of 1969 nepa 42 u. National environmental policy act united states 1969. In order to set nepa in the proper context it was useful to describe. Scoop jackson 19121983, who conceived of the bill in 1968 and shepherded it through his senate interior and insular affairs committee and then through.
National historic preservation act of 1966, as amended, 16 u. National environmental policy act the national environmental policy act nepa of 1969 requires the preparation of an environmental impact statement eis for joint federal and state actions that may significantly affect the quality of the environment. National environmental policy act nepa, the first major u. The national environmental policy act nepa of 1969 p. The description of the act, as amended, tracks the language.
The national environmental policy act national environmental policy act of 1969 nepa signed into law january 1, 1970 42 u. The national environmental policy act of 1969 by douglas s. National environmental policy act nepa charles irvine. Indian affairs national environmental policy act nepa. Nepa, the environmental quality improvement act of. The nepa requires federal agencies to assess the potential. National environmental policy act national environmental policy act nepa requires agency and public participation in planning process requires disclosure about the action, alternatives, environmental effects,and mitigation brings out environmental concerns of the affected publics.
National environmental policy act nepa of 1969, 42 u. National environmental policy act national environmental. Overview of nepa as applied to transportation projects. The national environmental policy act of 1969 full text of the national environmental policy act nepa of 1969, as amended, available as a download. Nixon, nepa requires all federal agencies to go through a formal process before taking any action anticipated to have substantial impact on the environment. National environmental policy act of 1969 nepa agencies. To declare a national policy which will encourage productive and enjoyable harmony between man and his environment to promote efforts which will prevent or eliminate damage to the environment and. The national environmental policy act nepa is the foundation of modern american environmental protection. The finding of no significant impact is available for public inspection during regular business hours at the office of the rules docket clerk, office of the general counsel, room, 1q276, department of housing and. The national environmental policy act nepa, an iso international organization for standardization environmental management system ems, and the goal of sustainable development provide three. Barbara oil spill of january 1969 aroused considerable ire.
National environmental policy act implementing procedures chapter 1 general purpose. Aashto guidance on various aspects of the nepa process. Instructions for filling out the form are in the pdf file for the permit application. Federal agencies are required to systematically assess the environmental impacts of their proposed actions and consider alternative ways of accomplishing their missions, which are less. National environmental policy act of 1969 legal definition. Noaas nepa compliance is guided by the national environmental policy act of 1969, the white house council on environmental qualitys regulations for implementing nepa, and the revised noaa administrative order nao 2166a, and a companion manual to the nao entitled policy and procedures for compliance with the national environmental. Transportation research board and national research council. Federal law that mandates the consideration of environmental impacts before any federal action likely to significantly affect the environment is undertaken and establishes the environmental impact statement process. National environmental policy act nepa, the federal government is responsible for using all practicable means, consistent with. Regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of the national environmental policy act of 1969, 40 cfr 15001508, 29 november 1978, council on environmental quality. Summary of environmental legislation affecting transportation.
National environmental policy act of 1969, as amended clean water act of 1977, as amended freedom of information act, as amended 2002. The ceq regulations also allow agencies to combine nepa documents with other. National environmental policy act of 1969, as amended, 42 u. Congress enacted nepa in december, 1969, and president nixon signed it into law on january 1, 1970. The national environmental policy act nepa applies to the execution of many of the departments responsibilities with the goal of ensuring that information regarding environmental impacts is available to decision makers and the public before decisions are made. National environmental policy act signed into law by president richard nixon in 1970 although passed by congress at the end of 1969, the national environmental policy act of 1969 nepa created the council on environmental quality ceq and is generally considered to be the nations first modern environmental statute. National environmental policy act of 1969 portions, as amended this act became law on january 1, 1970 public law 91190, 42 u. The national environmental policy act of 1969 nepa was the first comprehensive environmental law enacted in the united states, and it established a broad national framework to. Enacted in 1969 and signed into law in 1970 by president richard m. The department of interior regulations 43 cfr part 46. A key legislative option to a ddress this concern was the declaration of a national environmental policy. Section 1022c of the national environmental policy act of 1969 requires. Policy brief national environmental policy act congress passed the national environmental policy act nepa in 1969 in response to increasing public concern in the 1950s and 1960s about the effects of human activity on the environment. The national environmental policy act of 1969 department.
At its top level, it divides the world of legislation into fifty topicallyorganized titles, and each title is further subdivided into any number of logical subtopics. The national environmental policy act of 1969, as amended. The national environmental policy act of 1969 department of energy. Nepa established a national policy for the environment and provided for the establishment of a council on environmental quality. Federal regulations covering environmental impact and related procedures. The department has broad responsibilities to manage federal lands and resources for the publics benefit. Merger process laws national environmental policy act of. Chapter 1 national environmental policy act policy and. The green boxes are nepa steps that are influenced by the merger01 process, or additional steps included in the merger01 process.
College of agricultural, consumer and environmental sciences agricultural experiment station cooperative extension service ritf 85 an introduction to nepa. Background and implementation summary beginning in the late 1950s and through the 1960s, congress reacted to increasing public concern about the impact that human activity could have on the environment. Department of the treasurys national environmental policy. The national environmental policy act of 1969, as amended pub. Time to repeal the obsolete national environmental policy act. Nepa was the first major environmental law in the united states and is often called the magna carta of environmental laws. Congressional declaration of national environmental policy, national environmental policy act of 1969. By the 1960s it had become clear that human activities were producing profound effects on the natural environment. Assessing and managing the ecological impacts of paved roads.
Council on environmental quality provides regulations for all federal agencies implementing nepa. The national environmental policy act of 1969 nepa was the. To declare a national policy which will encourage productive and enjoyable harmony between man and his environment. Be it enacted by the senate and house of representatives of the united states of america in congress assembled, that this act may be cited as the national environmental policy act of 1969. Council on environmental quality regulations40 cfr parts 15001508. Forty most asked questions concerning ceqs national. Read assessing and managing the ecological impacts of. Be it enacted in, the senate and house of representatives of the united states of america in congress assembled, that this act may be cited as the national environmental policy act. Department of transportation dot to discuss the national environmental policy act.
The human environment encompasses the following areas. The national environmental policy act nepa and ncdot. Pdf in 1969, the us congress passed the national environmental policy act nepa, which was the first act to focus on environmental concerns. The description of the act, as amended, tracks the language of the united states code except that following common usage we refer to the act. The national environmental policy act nepa of 1969 was created to ensure federal agencies consider the environmental impacts of their actions and decisions. An act to amend the national environmental policy act of 1969 in order to clarify the procedures therein with respect to the preparation of environmental impact statements, pub. National environmental policy act as amended 1 42 u. The national environmental policy act nepa is a united states environmental law that promotes the enhancement of the environment and established the presidents council on environmental quality ceq.
Importantly, nepa established this countrys national environmental policies. This codifies portions of chapters 16 of part 516 of the departmental manual departmental manual part 516. National policy that will encourage productive and enjoyable harmony between man and the. The blue boxes in the flow chart below are the steps that generally occur in the process of preparing an environmental impact statement eis under the national environmental policy act nepa. National environmental policy act of 1969 nepa signed into law january 1, 1970 42 u. Summary of the national environmental policy act laws. The national environmental policy act nepa, the magna carta of environmental law, requires all federal agencies to evaluate the environmental impacts of their actions, a duty that extends to. An act to establish a national policy for the environment, to provide for the establishment of a council on environmental quality, and for other purposes. The congress authorizes and directs that, to the fullest extent possible. Federal historic preservation laws 101 national environmental policy act portions, as amended this act became law on january 1, 1970 public law 91190, 42 u. Included among the federal statutes to follow and remaining in effect today are the clean air act, 42 u. Nepa established for the first time national policies and goals for the protection of the environment. Nepas basic policy is to assure that all branches of government give proper consideration to the environment prior to undertaking any major federal action. While united states conservation efforts began more than one hundred years ago, and continued throughout the twentieth century, nepa focused environmental concerns within a comprehensive national policy.
The stated purpose of nepa is to encourage productive and enjoyable harmony between man and his environment. In 1969, congress enacted the national environmental policy act nepa in response to public concern about the deteriorating quality of the human environment and the inadequate consideration of environmental impacts of major federal projects. The united states code is meant to be an organized, logical compilation of the laws passed by congress. The primary law governing the federal transit administrations fta environmental protection process is the national environmental policy act of 1969 42 u. Nepas basic policy is to assure that all branches of government give proper consideration to the environment prior to undertaking any major federal action that significantly affects the environment. National environmental policy act small business administration.