FLOOD04112

• County: Statewide
• Community: Nationwide
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Desk Reference
• Date: 10/1/1999
• Prepared By: FEMA
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Historic FEMA Regulatory Floodplain Information

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Compliance
With
Environ-
mental Laws
and
Regulations
and
Executive
Orders

What is the
National
Environ-
mental Policy
Act (NEPA)?

The
Environmental
Review
Process

Section 8: Environmental Review

For any project submitted for funding, prior to initiation of the project, FEMA must
undertake a review under the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA), as well as other applicable Federal environmental laws and Executive orders.
The FEMA project review process includes a number of steps; this section highlights
only the environmental review step.

In each FEMA region there is a Regional Environmental Officer (REO), who is the
primary point of contact for all matters regarding the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA), and environmental and historic compliance. The REO should be consu~ed
regarding specific documentation requirements, policies, and approval processes.

NEPA is a Federal law that establishes a national policy for the protection and
maintenance of the environment. It provides a broad planning process which all
Federal agencies must follow to ensure that:

. The Federal agency has considered the effects of their actions on the environment
before deciding to fund and implement a proposed action.

.

Environmental information is made available to other public officials and citizens
before agency decisions are made and before actions are taken.

.

For the NEPA administrative documentation process, FEMA will make a
determination if the project:

. Qualifies to be categorically excluded (CATEX) from a more detailed NEPA
review,

. Requires an Environmental Assessment (EA), or

. Requires an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

. The EA and EIS are the NEPA documents that record the Agency's evaluation of
the environmental impacts of the project and its viable altematives.

Projects require full compliance under other environmental laws regardless of the level
of NEPA review or documentation.

44 CFR Part 10 contains FEMA's regulations for implementing NEPA.
This section provides guidance for complying with NEPA, other
environmental laws and regulations, and Executive orders.

III

44 CFR Part 10
FEMA's NEPA review process is outlined in Job Aid 8-1. All projects that
are considered for Federal funding will be reviewed according to NEPA 'i'
and other environmental laws. The review for other environmental laws
is not depicted in Job Aid 8-1. The information and compliance process
for these other laws is incorporated into the NEPA review process and
document, so that it occurs simultaneously. Job Aid 8-1

Hazard MitigatIon Grant Program Desk Reference-Draft

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