Region 8
Serving Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming and 27 Tribal Nations
What is NEPA and EIS?
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires federal agencies to integrate environmental values into their decision making processes by considering the environmental impacts of their proposed actions and reasonable alternatives to those actions. To meet this requirement, federal agencies prepare a detailed statement known as an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). EPA focuses on three main areas regarding NEPA compliance:
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What's EPA's role in NEPA's EIS Review?
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EPA has a unique role in the NEPA process. Section 309 of the Clean Air Act requires EPA to review and publicly comment on all EISs to determine if there are unacceptable levels of environmental impacts from the proposed project or decision. EPA is also required to review the adequacy of public disclosure in the EIS. EPA also optionally reviews other NEPA analyses such as some Environmental Assessments (EAs). All EISs need to be formally filed with EPA Headquarters so EPA can announce that the EIS is available for public comment on the Web and in the Federal Register. EPA also publishes a summary of Region 8 review and a rating for the EIS. EISs currently under review by the EPA are made available through the EPA Headquarters Office of Federal Activities. |
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