ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS - COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY REGULATIONS CHECKLIST

Transcription

1 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS - COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY REGULATIONS CHECKLIST ETCI, INC. INTRODUCTION This checklist is based on the Council on Environmental Quality requirements for Environmental Impact Statements in 40 CFR , and those contained in the National Environmental Policy Act itself. It also includes space for customization to add agency-specific requirements for both content and format. Each requirement of NEPA or the CEQ regulations is cited in column 2. Therefore, this checklist can serve both as a tool for reviewers and a tool for document preparers who wish to ensure that each document complies with all the necessary CEQ regulatory requirements. The checklist is arranged by chapters in an EIS: Purpose and Need, Alternatives, Affected Environment, and Environmental Consequences. Sections also are provided to ensure that the cover sheet, summary, list of preparers, and Record of Decision meet regulatory requirements. Eis Checklist 1 v

2 Council on Environmental Quality Regulation EIS Checklist Project Name: Reviewed by: Date: Page of Documentation Requirement Cover Sheet: less than 1 page name of lead agency (a) names of any cooperating agencies (a) title of proposed action (b) location (state and county) of action (b) name, address, and phone of contact (c) type of document (draft, final, suppl) (d) one-paragraph abstract (e) date comments must be received (f) any agency-specific requirements [agency rules] Eis Checklist 2 v

3 Summary: Documentation Requirement less than 15 pages stress major conclusions stress areas of controversy stress issues raised by agencies stress issues raised by public stress issues to be resolved stress choice among alternatives Purpose and Need: brief description agency purpose and need related to alternatives including the proposed action Eis Checklist 3 v

4 Alternatives Incl. Proposed Action: based on information /analysis in sections on Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences presents impacts in comparative form sharply defines issues provides clear basis for choice among options rigorously explores all reasonable alternatives objectively evaluates all reasonable alternatives describes alternatives eliminated from detailed study, and states why devotes substantial treatment to each alternative examined in detail includes reasonable alternatives not within the jurisdiction of the agency (a) (a) (a) (b) (c) includes No Action (d) identifies the agency s preferred alternative, if one or more exists (e) optional in draft required in final, unless another law prohibits it Eis Checklist 4 v

5 range encompasses those to be considered by agency decision maker includes mitigation measures not described elsewhere (e) (f) Eis Checklist 5 v

6 Affected Environment: succinct description areas to be affected or created no longer than necessary to understand the effects of alternatives commensurate with importance of impacts summarize, consolidate, or reference less important material concentrates effort and attention on important issues Eis Checklist 6 v

7 Environmental Consequences: scientific and analytic basis for comparison of alternatives consolidates discussion of NEPA requirements: environmental impacts of proposed action 102(2)(C) i adverse effects which cannot be avoided 102(2)(C) ii relationship between short-term uses and long-term productivity irreversible and irretrievable commitments of resources 102(2)(C) iv 102(2)(C) v) alternatives as needed 102(2)(C) iii direct effects and their significance (a) indirect effects and significance (b) conflicts with other plans, policies (c) energy requirements and conservation potentials of alternatives and mitigation measures (e) natural or depletable resource requirements and conservation potentials of alternatives and mitigation measures urban quality, historic and cultural resources, and design of the built environment, including reuse and (f) (g) Eis Checklist 7 v

8 conservation potential of alternatives and mitigation measures mitigation measures (h) cumulative impacts Eis Checklist 8 v

9 List of Preparers: normally less than 2 pages names and qualifications of persons who: prepared EIS or sections prepared background papers include expertise, experience, and professional disciplines of each person Appendix: material prepared specifically for EIS substantiates fundamental analyses analytic and relevant to decision circulated with EIS or available on request Eis Checklist 9 v

10 Other CEQ Requirements: includes a detailed list of agencies, organizations, and persons to whom draft is sent normally less than 150 pages (300 pages for proposals of unusual scope or complexity) length proportional to potential environmental problems and to project size prepared using an inter-disciplinary approach disciplines of preparers appropriate to scope and issues identified in scoping process (c) written in plain language uses graphics for clarity includes incomplete information essential to making a reasoned choice among alternatives (a) if relevant information is missing: (b) state it is unavailable state its relevance summarize existing credible info Eis Checklist 10 v

11 evaluate impacts based on generally accepted data or methods cuts down on bulk by incorporating material by reference when possible avoids repetitive discussions by identifying other statement(s) it is tiered to is analytic, not encyclopedic (a) discusses impacts in proportion to their significance assesses impacts of proposed agency actions rather than justifying decisions already made prepared at the earliest possible planning stage cost-benefit analysis (if needed) included or incorporated by reference methodologies and scientific sources are identified and referenced prepared concurrently with other required surveys and analyses: (b) (g) (a) Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act National Historic Preservation Act Endangered Species Act other laws and executive orders Eis Checklist 11 v

12 lists all Federal permits, licenses, and other entitlements needed all substantive comments on DEIS are included in FEIS (b) (b) includes all agency-specific contents [agency rules] Eis Checklist 12 v

13 Record of Decision: concise, public states what the decision was (a) identifies all alternatives considered (b) specifies alternative(s) considered environmentally preferable includes relevant factors such as economic and technical considerations and agency statutory mission identifies all such factors balanced in making the decision includes any considerations of national policy balanced in making the decision states how these factors entered into the decision states whether all practicable means to avoid or minimize harm have been adopted, and if not, why they were not describes any applicable monitoring and enforcement program for mitigation (b) (b) (b) (b) (b) (c) (c) Eis Checklist 13 v