FEMA Mitigation Directorate
Environmental Responsibilities 
Spring/Summer 2008

Integrating Environmental Compliance into FEMA’s Mission 
FEMA integrates environmental considerations into its mission of disaster 
response and recovery, mitigation, and preparedness. FEMA provides guidance 
to local, State and Federal partners on environmental requirements, and 
engages in a review process to ensure that FEMA-funded activities, such as 
the selection of temporary housing sites; debris management; repair, 
hardening, and construction of infrastructure; hazard mitigation projects, 
etc. comply with Federal environmental laws and executive orders, protect 
people, and avoid or minimize adverse impacts to the environment. The goal of 
these compliance requirements is to protect the nation’s water, air, coastal, 
fish and wildlife, and agricultural resources, as well as to minimize 
potential adverse impacts to children and to low-income and minority 
popula­tions. 

DISASTER AND NON-DISASTER PROJECTS 

The following types of activities typically trigger environmental review: 

[Begin table]
Disaster: 
Temporary housing  
Debris removal  
Repair of Public infrastructure  
Disaster-related hazard mitigation projects  

Non-Disaster: 
Infrastructure hardening (i.e. against natural disasters and acts of 
terrorism)  
Construction projects  
Non-disaster-related hazard mitigation projects  
[End table]

NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT 

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is a planning and decision-
making process whereby FEMA must evaluate and document the potential 
environmental consequences of a proposed project and alternatives, and share 
this information with the public and other agencies responsible for the 
protection and management of the nation’s natural resources. For complex 
projects or projects with the potential to have significant adverse affects 
on the environment, FEMA prepares analyses such as Environmental Assessments, 
which are posted for public comment on FEMA’s website at 
www.fema.gov/plan/ehp/envdocuments/index.

BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES 

FEMA-funded activities must comply with numerous laws intended to preserve 
and enhance biodiversity and protect wildlife and wildlife habitat, including 
the Endangered Species Act (ESA), Coastal Zone Management Act, Fish and 
Wildlife Coordination Act, and Migratory Bird Treaty Act. 

FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT & PROTECTION OF WETLANDS 

Executive Order (EO) 11988 (Floodplain Management) and EO 11990 (Protection 
of Wetlands) requires Federal agencies to avoid, to the extent possible, 
actions within or affecting the floodplain and adverse impacts of wetlands. 
If there is a practicable alternative, FEMA cannot fund a project located in 
a floodplain or wetland. Projects proposed to be located in a floodplain or 
wetland must follow a planning and decision-making process involving public 
notification, evaluation of project alternatives, and development of ways to 
avoid, minimize, or compensate for adverse impacts. 


EMERGENCY OPERATIONS 

Emergency provisions in most environmental laws and regulations allow FEMA to 
deliver timely disaster assis­tance, while still being in compliance. Such 
laws include NEPA, ESA, and the Clean Air Act.