Preparing NEPA Environmental Assessments A User's Guide to Best Professional Practices

About this book

Although upwards of 50,000 Environmental Assessments (EA) are prepared annually, the focus of the National Environmental Policy Acts (NEPA) Regulations is clearly on defining requirements for preparing environmental impact statements. Surprisingly, until now, there has been no authoritative and comprehensive guide on how to prepare Environmental Assessments (EAs). Effective Environmental Assessments: How to Manage and Prepare NEPA EAs fills that gap. Authored by one of the nations leading experts, and recipient of the President's Award for Outstanding Performance by the National Association of Environmental Professionals, the book provides you with de facto direction and best professionals standards for preparing publicly defensible EAs. The result is an indispensable source of practical information. No other book available come close to providing the wealth of information provided in Effective Environmental Assessments: How to Manage and Prepare NEPA EAs.

Contents

An Overview of NEPA NEPA's Purpose Overview of the NEPA Compliance Process General Concepts and Requirements NEPA is a Planning and Decisionmaking Process Interim Actions Integrating NEPA with Other Requirements Conducting an Early and Open Process Public Involvement Scoping Systematic and Interdisciplinary Planning Writing Documents in Plain English Incorporation by Reference NEPA's Concept of Environmental Impact Analysis Actions Environmental Disturbances Receptors and Resources Impacts Analysis Significance Mitigation and Monitoring Determining if an EA or EIS is Require? Proposals Legislation Major Federal Action Significantly Affecting Human Environment The Environmental Assessment Process Preparing the Environmental Assessment Performing the Analysis Streamlining the EA Compliance Process Issuing a Finding of No Significant Impact The Administrative Record Serving as and Expert Witness Writing the Environmental Assessment General Direction for Preparing an EA Required Outline for an Environmental Assessment Specific Documentation Requirements and Guidance Special Topics in Environmental Analysis Cumulative Effects Analysis in EAs Accident Analysis Incorporating Environmental Justice Assessing Significance - A Systematic Procedure Definitions and Use of the Term Significance General Procedure for Determining Significance The Finding of Nonsignificant Impact Reaching a Determination of Nonsignificance Preparing the FONSI Mitigated FONSIs Summary Appendix A: Reprint of the NEPA Act Appendix B: Reprint of the CEQ NEPA Regulations Appendix C: Environmental Assessment Checklists

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