National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
Related Information
WHAT IS NEPA?
Signed into law on January 1, 1970, the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (commonly referred to as NEPA) established a national policy, goals, and procedures for the protection, maintenance, and enhancement of the U.S. environment. NEPA is the U.S. law that applies to federal government actions and it requires all federal agencies to:
- Assess the environmental impacts of major federal projects or decisions such as issuing permits, spending federal money, or affecting federal lands
- Consider the environmental impacts when making decisions
- Disclose the environmental impacts to the public
NEPA also established the U.S. Council on Environmental Quality (commonly referred to as CEQ), which oversees NEPA for all federal agencies. CEQ developed regulations for implementing the law.
The principle objective of NEPA and the CEQ regulations is for the federal government, and those regulated by federal agencies, to design, locate, and operate projects in ways that reduce adverse and increase beneficial environmental impacts for existing and succeeding generation.
EPA's Role in NEPA
NEPA Compliance:
As are all federal agencies, EPA is required to comply with NEPA. EPA's
implementing regulations for NEPA are found at 40
CFR Part 6. However, many of EPA's actions are exempted from the requirements
of NEPA by law. Section 511(c) of the Clean Water Act (CWA) exempts most EPA CWA actions
and Section 7(c) of the Energy Supply and Environmental Coordination Act
of 1974 exempts actions under the Clean Air Act (CAA). Courts also consistently
have recognized that EPA procedures or environmental reviews under enabling
legislation are functionally equivalent to the NEPA process and thus exempt
from the procedural requirements of NEPA.
For its wastewater treatment construction grants under Title II of the CWA, EPA-issued National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for new sources, research and development activities, construction of EPA facilities, and for certain projects funded through EPA annual Appropriations Acts, EPA follows its NEPA implementing regulations and prepares the appropriate documentation.
Go to Region 2 's NEPA Documents
NEPA Reviews:
EPA has another role in the NEPA process. Under Section 309 of the Clean
Air Act (CAA), EPA is required to review and publicly comment on the environmental
impacts of major federal actions including actions which are the subject
of draft and final Environmental Impact Statements, proposed environmental
regulations, and other proposed major actions. If EPA determines that
the action is environmentally unsatisfactory, it is required by Section
309 to refer the matter to the CEQ.
Environmental Impact Assessment
This is the generic term used to describe analyses that are performed to determine the effects, beneficial and/or adverse, on the environment from the implementation of a project, including construction and ultimate usage. The term is also used to refer broadly to documents that record the analyses conducted for a project. The most commonly known documents are Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) or Environmental Assessments (EA).
Submitting an EIS or EA
Where should NEPA documents be sent for review?
Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) must be sent to both EPA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., and to the EPA region where the project is located. For information on how to officially file EISs with EPA Headquarters visit the Office of Federal Activities web site.
EISs for projects occurring in New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands should be sent to:
Environmental Review Section
EPA Region 2
290 Broadway
New York, NY 10007-1866
Generally, 3 copies of the EIS should be submitted for review to the Region 2 EPA office. At a minimum, one complete copy should be in hard copy; additional copies may be submitted on CD. All appendices should be included.
Should I send EPA Environmental Assessments?
Although not required to, EPA Region 2 does review many Environmental
Assessments (EAs). While interested in all EAs, Region 2 is particularly
involved with those projects where mitigation is used to achieve a finding
of no significant impact ("mitigated FNSI").
EAs should be submitted to the Environmental Review Section as listed
above.
EPA Region 2 NEPA Documents
Current NEPA documents are linked below.
NOTE: All documents below are Adobe Acrobat PDF files (about
PDF files).
Date | Project Originator |
Project Name | Location | Comment Period | Document Information |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
03/27/2009 | Village of Owego, NY | Village of Owego Wastewater Collection Facility Improvements Project | Tioga County, NY | N/A | CATEX |
02/12/2009 |
Village of Lyndonville, NY |
Orleans County, NY |
N/A |
CATEX, |
|
02/06/2009 |
Village of Briarcliff Manor, NY |
Westchester County, NY |
N/A |
CATEX, |
|
01/30/2009 |
Village of Woodridge, NY |
Sullivan County, NY |
01/30/2009 |
FNSI/EA, |
|
10/28/2008 |
------ |
Hudson County, NJ |
------ |
3 pages, 103K |
|
10/27/2008 |
------ |
Wayne County, NY |
------ |
26 pages, 2.1 MB |
|
10/10/2008 |
------ |
Newark, Essex County, NJ |
------ |
2 pages, 82K |
|
10/10/2008 |
------ |
Rye, Westchester County, NY |
------ |
2 pages, 70K |
|
09/26/2008 |
------ |
Wayne County, NY |
------ |
26 pages, 2.1 MB |
|
08/28/2008 |
------ |
Onondaga County, NY |
------ |
15 pages, 3.5 MB |
|
08/14/2008 |
------ |
Trujillo Alto, PR |
------ |
3 pages, 1 MB |
|
08/05/2008 |
------ |
Bolton, Warren County, NY |
------ |
3 pages, 98K |
|
08/05/2008 |
------ |
Rincón, PR |
------ |
129 pages, 12 MB |
|
07/25/2008 |
------ |
Buffalo, Erie County, NY |
------ |
3 pages, 109K |
|
06/25/2008 |
------ |
Clinton County, NY |
------ |
11 pages, 426K |
|
05/19/2008 |
------ |
Palmyra, Wayne County, NY |
------ |
14 pages, 909K |
|
03/31/2008 |
------ |
Onondaga County, NY |
------ |
21 pages, 1.52 MB |
|
02/29/2008 |
------ |
Bergen County, NJ |
------ |
14 pages, 1.82 MB |
|
01/25/2008 |
------ |
Syracuse, Onondaga County, NY |
------ |
13 pages, 2.1 MB |
|
12/26/2007 |
------ |
North Castle, Westchester County, NY |
------ |
32 pages, 4.5 MB |
|
12/26/2007 |
------ |
Sullivan County, NY |
------ |
12 pages, 2.9 MB |
|
12/19/2007 |
------ |
Dunkirk, Chautauqua County, NY |
------ |
3 pages, 483 KB |
|
12/19/2007 |
------ |
Cape May County, NJ |
------ |
3 pages, 7 KB |
|
12/18/2007 |
------ |
Marcellus, Otisco, Spafford, |
------ |
15 pages, 3 MB |
|
12/06/2007 |
------ |
Port Washington North, |
------ |
13 pages, 3.6 MB |
|
12/05/2007 |
------ |
Mt. Pleasant, |
------ |
3 pages, 95 KB |
|
10/12/2007 |
------ |
Onondaga County, NY |
------ |
22 pages, 997 KB |
|
08/27/2007 |
------ |
Hudson County, NJ |
------ |
26 pages, 2.7 MB |
|
08/17/2007 |
------ |
Steuben County, NY |
------ |
3 pages, 6.6 MB |
|
08/17/2007 |
------ |
Ocean Harvest Aquaculture, Inc., New Source NPDES Discharge Permit |
Humacao, PR |
------ |
119 pages, 9.3 MB |
07/13/2007 |
------ |
Warren County, NY |
------ |
11 pages, 2.2 MB |
|
07/13/2007 |
------ |
Erie County, NY |
------ |
3 pages, 74 KB |
|
06/06/2007 |
------ |
Saratoga County, NY |
------ |
24 pages, 10 MB |
|
01/29/2007 |
------ |
Morris County, NJ |
------ |
4 pages, 1.5 MB |
|
01/23/2007 |
------ |
Fair Haven & Sterling, Cayuga County, NY |
------ |
10 pages, 4 MB |
|
11/06/2006 |
------ |
New Castle, Westchester County, NY |
------ |
3 pages, 1 MB |
|
11/02/2006 |
------ |
Hewlett Harbor, Nassau County, NY |
------ |
3 pages, 1 MB |
|
10/18/2006 |
------ |
Tully, Onondaga County, NY |
------ |
3 pages, 1 MB |
|
09/29/2006 |
------ |
Oswego County, NY |
------ |
3 pages, 1.2 MB |
|
09/22/2006 |
------ |
Beacon, Dutchess County, NY |
------ |
51 pages, 14 MB |
|
09/22/2006 |
------ |
Sussex County, NJ |
------ |
13 pages, 6.9 MB |
|
07/12/2006 |
------ |
Broome County, NY |
------ |
22 pages, 11 MB |
|
07/01/2006 |
------ |
Comprehensive Port Improvement Plan Final EA Executive Summary, Table of Contents, & Response to Comments |
Port of NY and NJ |
------ |
14 pages, 185 KB |
04/17/2006 |
------ |
Woodbridge, Middlesex County, NJ |
------ |
28 pages, 9.8 MB |
|
03/31/2006 |
------ |
Onondaga County, NY |
------ |
13 pages, 4.8 MB |
|
03/23/2006 |
------ |
Deposit, Broome County, NY |
------ |
3 pages, 315 KB |
|
03/15/2006 |
------ |
Hempstead, Nassau County, NY |
------ |
3 pages, 287 KB |
|
03/07/2006 |
------ |
Erie County, NY |
------ |
7 pages, 2.3 MB |
|
02/03/2006 |
------ |
Oswego County, NY |
------ |
3 pages, 372 KB |
|
01/11/2006 |
------ |
Onondaga County, NY |
------ |
3 pages, 285 KB |
|
12/19/2005 |
------ |
Cayuga County, NY |
------ |
3 pages, 390 KB |
|
12/06/2005 |
------ |
Western Ramapo Sewer Extension and Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant |
Rockland County, NY |
------ |
39 pages, 909 KB |
11/21/2005 |
------ |
Huron/Rose, Wayne County, NY |
------ |
14 pages, 1,428 KB |
|
06/08/2005 |
------ |
Hempstead, Nassau County, NY |
------ |
3 pages, 108 KB |
|
05/25/2005 |
------ |
Cayuga County, NY |
------ |
3 pages, 104 KB |
|
05/25/2005 |
------ |
Syracuse, Onondaga County, NY |
------ |
3 pages, 1,565 KB |
|
05/20/2005 |
------ |
Morris County, NJ |
------ |
3 pages, 2,057 KB |
|
04/22/2005 |
------ |
Syracuse, Onondaga County, NY |
------ |
3 pages, 2,632 KB |
|
04/06/2005 |
------ |
Steuben County, NY |
------ |
1 pages, 111 KB |
|
03/18/2005 |
------ |
Carteret, Middlesex County, NJ |
------ |
3 pages, 98 KB |
|
03/18/2005 |
------ |
East Fishkill, Dutchess County, NY |
------ |
2 pages, 1,403 KB |
EPA Region 2 Comment Letters
Current comment letters are linked below.
NOTE: All documents below are Adobe Acrobat PDF files (about
PDF files).
Back to Top
Other Links
Other Agency Websites
- US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
- Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
- US Coast Guard (USCG)
- Department of Energy (DOE)
- Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
- Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
- Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
- Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
- Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
State/Local
- New York State Environmental Quality Review Act
- New York City Environmental Quality Review
- New Jersey Executive Order 215