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Summary

The Office of Inspector General is initiating an audit to determine whether the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has established an effective process for facilitating compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).  As construction begins on many High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program (HSIPR) projects, stakeholders have raised concerns about transparency in FRA’s NEPA application process and the extent to which it coordinates with other Departmental Operating Administrations.  The objective of this audit is to determine whether FRA has established an effective process that provides for coordinating with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and enables FRA staff and grantees to meet NEPA requirements.  Specifically, we will assess the effectiveness of FRA’s policies, procedures and guidance in providing grantees a path to meeting NEPA requirements.