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<br />20550, ,.
<br />
<br />Title 4O--Protection of the EnVlronmen
<br />CHAPTER V-COUNCIL ON
<br />ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
<br />PART 150C-PREPARATlON OF ENViRON-
<br />MENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS: GUIDE.
<br />LINES
<br />
<br />On Mar 2. 1913. the Council on En-
<br />....ironmental Qunlity published in the
<br />?t.:DER^L REGISTER, lor public comment. a
<br />;IToposed re~'i~ion of it~ guidelines for the
<br />!~Teparation of cm.'ironmentnl impact
<br />Et"!tements. Pursuant to the National
<br />E:wironmental Policy Act tP.L. 91-190.
<br />42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq,) and Executive
<br />Order 11514 (35 FR 4247) all Federal
<br />ctepartmencs, agencies. and establish-
<br />ments are required to prepare sue!1 state-
<br />ments in connection with tlleil' proposals
<br />for lcgl.slation and oWer major Federal
<br />actions significantly affect.ing tile quality
<br />of t.he Jnunan en\"iromnent. The author-
<br />ity for the Council's guidelines is set
<br />forth below in ~ 1500.1. TllC specific pol-
<br />icies to be impl~mented by the guideHnes
<br />js set forth below in ~ 1500.2.
<br />The Councit- received numerous com-
<br />ments on its proposed guidelines from
<br />environmental groups, Federal, Stale,
<br />and local agencies. industry, and private
<br />individuals. Two g('ncrnl tl1emes were
<br />presented in the majority of the com-
<br />ments. First, the Council should increase
<br />the opportunity for public lnvol\'ement
<br />in the imlxlct. statement proce5S. Second,
<br />the Council should prOVide more detailed
<br />guidance on the responSibilities of Fed-
<br />end agenCies in light, of recent court
<br />decisions interpreting the Act. The pro-
<br />posed guidelines have been revised in
<br />light of the speCific comments rClatlng
<br />to these general themes, as well as other
<br />coonmcnLs received, and rue now being
<br />issued in fi!"'.rd fm'm.
<br />The gUidelines will appear in the Code
<br />of Federal Regulations in Title 4.0, Chnp-
<br />ter V. at Part 1500. They are being coc1i-
<br />tied, in part, because they affect State
<br />and local gN'E'rr.menta.1 agencies, envi-
<br />ronmental groups, indtUitry, and private
<br />individuals. in addition to Federal ag(>n-
<br />cies, to which they are speciricalh. di~
<br />reeted, and the resultant need to make
<br />them widely and re3dily a\'ailable"
<br />Sec.
<br />1500.1
<br />1500.2
<br />1500.3
<br />1500.4
<br />
<br />1500.5
<br />1500.6
<br />
<br />1500.7
<br />
<br />1500.8
<br />
<br />1500.9
<br />
<br />1500.10
<br />1500.11.
<br />
<br />1500.12
<br />1500.13
<br />
<br />1500.14
<br />
<br />Purpose a.nd authDrlty.
<br />PoliCY.
<br />. Agency and OM8 procedures.
<br />FederaJ agencles iud uded; efrect or
<br />the act on exLsttng agency U1l1.n~
<br />dates.
<br />Types of actions eo~ered by the net.
<br />rc:entirytng major actlons signIfi-
<br />cantlY' affecUllg the ~n\'ironm.ent..
<br />Preparing draft environmental
<br />. statements; pllbHc henrLngs.
<br />Content of en~'lranmelltal state-
<br />ments.
<br />Revicw Q[ drart environmental
<br />sta.temcnts by Federal, Federnl.-
<br />State, nnd local agencies and by
<br />the public.
<br />Preparation Bud circulation of final
<br />environmental statements.
<br />Transmittal or statements to the
<br />Council; minimum periods tor re~
<br />view: requests by the Connell.
<br />Leglslllth'e actions.
<br />App[lcation or section 102(2) (C)
<br />procedure to existing projects
<br />and programs.
<br />Suppleroer..ta.ry gUldellnes.; evnlua..
<br />'Ion of procedures.
<br />
<br />RULES AND REGULA nONS
<br />
<br />Sec.
<br />AP?Cndtx I Summary .to ELCco:npany dm!t
<br />a.nd fmal statements.
<br />AppendiX II Arc3S of environmental im-
<br />pact and Federal (1.gencles and Federal SCl1te
<br />r:;encies wlf.h jurisdiction by law or specl~l
<br />eJ'pertl~ to comment thereon.
<br />ApPl"ndiX" III Offices within Federal agen-
<br />cJes and Federal-State (lgcncles ror Informa-
<br />tion regllrding We 3.gen<:~es' }:EPh ncL!\'1tles
<br />and tor recclnng Dth~r :lgencies' impact:.
<br />statements ft)r which comments arc
<br />reqllestE.'d.
<br />AppendiX IV Btau> and local agency revIew
<br />or impact stateme!lts.
<br />AU'Il"l.l)RITY: Natlonnl ELwironmentnl Act
<br />(P.L. 91-]90, 4.2 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and
<br />Executh'c Order 11514.
<br />~ 1500.J Purvose'aull lllllhoril:r.
<br />(aJ This djrecti\'c provides gUidelines
<br />to Federal departments, agencies, and
<br />establishment.s for preparing detailed
<br />environmental stateme-nts on proposals
<br />for legblation and other major Federal
<br />actions significantly affecting the Quality
<br />of the human em'ironment. as required hy
<br />section 102(21 <C) of the ;.h1.tional En-
<br />vlronmE'l1tal Folicy Act (P.L. 91-190. 42
<br />U.S.C. 4321 et. !'eq.) (hereafter "the
<br />Act"), Underlying the preparation of
<br />such environmclltnI statements is the
<br />mandate of both the Act and Executi\o'e
<br />Order 11514 (35 FR 4247) of March 5,
<br />1970, that all Ff"deral 8rJ'encies, t.o the
<br />fullest. extent possible. direct their poli-
<br />cies, plans and pl'ogrJ.ms to protect and
<br />enhance ennronmental Qualit~.. Agen-
<br />cies are required 1..0 \iel,\" their actions in
<br />a. manner calculated to cncoum~e pro~
<br />ductivc and enjoyable harmony between
<br />man and his environment. t(\ promote
<br />cfforts prcrenting or elimil1<lting- damage
<br />to Ule en\'ironment Hnd bifJspl\er\'. und
<br />stimulating tile he1.lth and welfare of
<br />man, and to enrich the understanding
<br />of the ecological systems and natural re-
<br />.sources important to the Nation. The
<br />Objective of section 102(2) (C) of the Act
<br />and of these guidelines is to assist ngen~
<br />cies in implen1enting these policies. This
<br />reqUires agencies to build into their de-
<br />cisionmaking process, beginning at the
<br />earliest possible point. an appropriate
<br />and careful consideration of the envi~
<br />Tonmental aspects of proposed action 111
<br />order that adverse environmental eITects
<br />may be avoided or minimized and em;i~
<br />ronmentaI QU3Hty previously lost may be
<br />restored. This directive also prc,\oides
<br />gUidance to Federal. State, and local
<br />agencies and the public in commenting
<br />on statements prepared under these
<br />guidel1nes. .
<br />(b~ Pursuant to section 204(3) of the
<br />Act the Council on Environmental Qual~
<br />ity <hereafter "the Council") is assigned
<br />the duty and function 01 re\'iewing and
<br />appraising the programs and activities
<br />of the Federal Go\'erzunent, in the light
<br />of the Act's DoHer, for the purpose oC de~
<br />termining the extent to which such pro~
<br />grams and activities are contributing to
<br />the achievement of such policy, and to
<br />make recommendations to the President
<br />with respect thereto, Section 102421 (B)
<br />0[' the Act dir~cts aU Federal agenCies to
<br />identify a.nd de\'elop methods and pro-
<br />cedures, in consultation trith the Coun.
<br />ell. to insure that unquantit1ed environ-
<br />D1ental values be given appropriate con~
<br />
<br />.iauon In de-ClSiO~making along with.
<br />economic al~d technicrIl considerations:
<br />section 102(2) (C) of th~ Act directf. that
<br />copie.~ of an environmental iml),1ct state-
<br />ments be fited with the Council: and sc-c-
<br />tion 102(2) IHI direct;,> all Federal agen-
<br />cie~ to assist tile Councll in the perform-
<br />ance of it.s .funCLions. These provisions
<br />have been sl1Pplemel~ted in sectIons 3th)
<br />and (i'I of Executive Order 11;;14 b.. di-
<br />rect.ions that the Council issue gllide-
<br />liues to Federal agenCies for prepJ.ra-
<br />tion of em'ironmental imp<lct st[!.tf'Illellts
<br />and such oLher instructions to agencICs
<br />and requests for reports and in[orm:l~
<br />tlon as may be required to carry out the
<br />Council's responsibilities under the Act.
<br />
<br />S ]500.2 PoJicJ'.
<br />
<br />(a) As early as possible and in all case's
<br />prior to agency deci,<;ion concerning rec-
<br />ommendations or f.H'orable reports on
<br />proposal::. for {11 lc.:sislation significantly
<br />affecting the quality of the hUm~n en-
<br />vimnment (:;ee ~~ 1500.5d) and 1500.12)
<br />(hereafter "legislative a{;tions") and (2)
<br />nIl otl1el' major Federal actions sjgnifi-
<br />cant.ly affecting t11C Qllality of the human
<br />enviromnell.t (here::1fter "adminlstritti\.e
<br />actions"). FCd<.>ral agencies \,,'ill, in con-
<br />sultation \nth oLher appropriate Federa!,
<br />St.ate and local agencies and the pUblic
<br />assess jn deta.il the po~ntial environ-
<br />mental imp:l.ct.
<br />(1)1 Ip.itio.l assessments of the environ-
<br />mental impacts of proposed action
<br />!'ihould be undertaken concurrently with
<br />initial teclll1ical and economic sLLidies
<br />and, where reQuired. a draft eJl\'irol1-
<br />mental imp:'l.ct statement prepared and
<br />circulated .for comment in time to acccm-
<br />pany the proposal through the existing
<br />agency review proecssE:s ior .such actIOn.
<br />In this process, Federal arJenCli:3 shall:
<br />q) Pro\'!de for c-irculation ot draft en-
<br />\'ironmenlal statements to other Federnl.
<br />State, and local agenCies and for their
<br />availability t.o the public in accordance
<br />with the provisions of these gUldchn€'s;
<br />(2) consider the comments of the agen-
<br />cies anet the pubHc; and l3) issue final
<br />em'ironmental iInp:lct statements re-
<br />sponsive to the comments receh'ed. The
<br />purpose of this nS3essment and consulta.
<br />tion process is to provide agencies and
<br />other decisionmakers as well as members
<br />of the public with an understanding of
<br />the potential environmental effects of
<br />proposed action.3, to :lvoid Of rt'.ll1.1mize
<br />adverse effects t\'herever possible, and to
<br />restore or enhance environmental Qual-
<br />ity to the fullest extent practicable. III
<br />particular, [lgencies should USE' the en-
<br />vironmental impact statement process tQ
<br />explore nlternath'e actions that will
<br />avoid or minimize ad\'erse impacts and
<br />to evaluate both t.he long. and short-
<br />range implications of proposed actions
<br />to man, his physical and social sUl'l'ound-
<br />ing~, and to nature. Agencies should con~
<br />. sider the results of their environmental
<br />assessments along \'I,"ith their assessments
<br />or the net economic, technical and other
<br />benefits of proposed actions and use all
<br />practkabte means, consistent with other
<br />essential consld~ratlOns of national
<br />policy. to restore environr.'lental Quality
<br />as well as to avoid or minimize undesir-
<br />able consequences for the. environment.
<br />
<br />fEDERAL REGiStER, VOL. 38, NO. 141-WEDNESDAY! AUGUST 1, 1973
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<br />0'542
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