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21 <br />and alternatives and shall reduce paperwork and the accumulation of extraneous background <br />data. Statements shall be concise, clear, and to the point, and shall be supported by evidence <br />that the agency has made the necessary environmental analyses. An environmental impact <br />statement is more than a disclosure document. It shall be used by Federal officials in con- <br />junction with other relevant material to plan actions and make decisions. <br />1502.2 Implementation. <br />To achieve the purposes set forth in SS 1502.1 agencies shall prepare environmental impact <br />statements in the following manner: <br />(a) Environmental impact statements shall be analytic rather than encyclopedic. <br />(b) Impacts shall be discussed in proportion to their significance. There shall be only <br />brief discussion of other than significant issues. As in a fording of no significant impact, <br />there should be only enough discussion to show why more study is not warranted. <br />(c) Environmental impact statements shall be kept concise and shall be no longer than <br />absolutely necessary to comply with NEPA and with these regulations. Length should vary <br />first with potential environmental problems and then with project size. <br />(d) Environmental impact statements shall state how alternatives considered in it and <br />decisions based on it will or will not achieve the requirements of sections 101 and 102(1) of <br />the Act and other environmental laws and policies. <br />(e) The range of alternatives discussed in environmental impact statements shall <br />encompass those to be considered by the ultimate agency decisionmaker. <br />(f) Agencies shall not commit resources prejudicing selection of alternatives before <br />making a final decision (SS 1506.1). <br />(g) Environmental impact statements shall serve as the means of assessing the <br />environmental impact of proposed agency actions, rather than justifying decisions already <br />made. <br />1502.3 Statutory requirements for statements. <br />As required by sec. 102(2)(C) of NEPA environmental impact statements (SS 1508.11) are <br />to be included in every recommendation or report <br />On proposals (SS 1508.23) <br />For legislation and (SS 1508.17) <br />Other major Federal actions 1508.18) <br />Significantly (SS 1508.27) <br />Affecting (SS 1508.3, 1508.8) <br />The quality of the human environment (SS 1508.14). <br />1502.4 Major Federal actions requiring the preparation of environmental impact statements. <br />(a) Agencies shall make sure the proposal which is the subject of an environmental <br />impact statement is properly defined. Agencies shall use the criteria for scope (SS 1508.25) <br />to determine which proposal(s) shall be the subject of a particular statement. Proposals or <br />parts of proposals which are related to each other closely enough to be, in effect, a single <br />