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An Overview of NEPA | |
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NEPA's Purpose | |
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Title I-Declaration of a National Environmental Policy Act | |
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Complying to the Fullest Extent Possible | |
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Overview of the NEPA Compliance Process | |
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When Must NEPA Begin? | |
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When Must NEPA Be Completed? | |
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Three Levels of NEPA Compliance | |
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Initiating the NEPA Process | |
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The Environmental Assessment | |
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The Environmental Impact Statement | |
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General Concepts and Requirements | |
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NEPA is a Planning and Decisionmaking Process | |
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Reasonable Alternatives | |
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Interim Actions | |
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Eligibility for Interim Action Status | |
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Integrating NEPA with Other Requirements | |
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Integrating Environmental Design Arts | |
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Conducting an Early and Open Process | |
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Public Involvement | |
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Public Notice | |
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Scoping | |
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Systematic and Interdisciplinary Planning | |
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Systematic | |
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Interdisciplinary | |
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Writing Documents in Plain English | |
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Incorporation by Reference | |
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Adopting Another Agency's EA | |
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Department of Energy's Adoption Process | |
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Methodology | |
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A Rigorous, Accurate, and Scientific Analysis | |
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A Fair and Objective Analysis | |
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Disclosing Opposing Points of View | |
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Dealing with Incomplete and Unavailable Information | |
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Incomplete Information | |
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Unavailable Information | |
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NEPA's Concept of Environmental Impact Analysis | |
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Actions | |
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Environmental Disturbances | |
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Receptors and Resources | |
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Impact Analysis | |
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Significance | |
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Mitigation and Monitoring | |
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Mitigation | |
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Monitoring | |
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Determining Whether an EA or EIS is Required | |
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Proposals | |
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Legislation | |
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Major | |
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Federal | |
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Action | |
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Significantly | |
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Context | |
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Intensity | |
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Affecting | |
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Human Environment | |
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The Environmental Assessment Process | |
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Preparing the Environmental Assessment | |
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Public Involvement | |
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Preparing the EA | |
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Determining the Potential for Significance | |
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The Three Purposes That an EA May Serve | |
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Timing | |
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EAs are Public Documents | |
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Applicants and Environmental Assessment Contractors | |
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The Analysis | |
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Decision-Based Scoping | |
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Analysis of Impacts | |
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Attention Centered on Proposed Action | |
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Significance Determinations are Reserved for the FONSI | |
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Streamlining the EA Compliance Process | |
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Reducing the Length of an EA | |
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Cooperating with Other Agencies | |
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Is Time Money? | |
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Tiering | |
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Issuing a Finding of No Significant Impact | |
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FONSI is a Public Document | |
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Waiting Period | |
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The Administrative Record | |
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Administrative Record and Case Law | |
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Serving as an Expert Witness | |
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Are You an Expert Witness? | |
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Discovery | |
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Depositions and Reports | |
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Trial | |
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Writing The Environmental Assessment | |
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General Direction for Preparing an EA | |
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"Will" Versus "Would" | |
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Readability | |
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How Long Should the EA Be? | |
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Required Outline for an Environmental Assessment | |
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Suggested EA Outline | |
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Performing the Analysis | |
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A Five-Step Methodology | |
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Specific Documentation Requirements and Guidance | |
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Need Section | |
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Affected Environment Section | |
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The Proposed Action and Alternatives Section | |
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Environmental Impact Section | |
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Listing Permits, Approvals, and Regulatory Requirements | |
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Listing of Agencies and Persons Consulted | |
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Special Topics In Environmental Analysis | |
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Cumulative Effects Analysis in EAs | |
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Cumulative Effects Analysis in EAs | |
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Purpose of the Analysis | |
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Performing the Analysis | |
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Considering Related Actions | |
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Considering Connected Actions | |
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Differences in Cumulative Impact Analyses Between EAs and EISs | |
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Accident Analyses | |
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Sliding Scale | |
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Overview | |
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Accident Scenarios and Probabilities | |
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Accident Consequences | |
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Intentionally Destructive Acts | |
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Incorporating Environmental Justice | |
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Background | |
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Determining the Appropriate Level of NEPA Review | |
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Analyzing Environmental Impacts | |
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Suggestions for Enhancing Public Participation | |
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Assessing Significance | |
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Definitions and Use of the Term Significance | |
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Significance Determines the Depth of Analysis | |
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Developing a Systematic Approach | |
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General Procedure for Determining Significance | |
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Description and Basis of the Tests | |
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Assessing the Seven Tests of Significance | |
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Additional Significance Considerations in Practice | |
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Evidence of Significance | |
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The Finding of No Significant Impact | |
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Reaching a Determination of Nonsignificance | |
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Principles Governing Sound Decisionmaking | |
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Criteria that Must be Met in Reaching a Decision to not Prepare an EIS | |
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The Agency's Administrative Record | |
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Preparing the FONSI | |
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Documentation Requirements | |
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A Checklist for Preparing the FONSI | |
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Mitigated FONSIs | |
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Mitigation and the Courts | |
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Criteria for Adopting Mitigation Measures | |
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Summary | |
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Appendices | |
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Reprint of the NEPA Act | |
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Reprint of the CEQ NEPA Regulations | |
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Environmental Assessment Checklists | |
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Tables | |
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Summary (Optional) | |
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Purpose and Need for Action | |
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Description of the Proposed Action and Alternatives | |
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Description of the Affected Environment | |
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Environmental Effects | |
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Overall Considerations | |
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Procedural Considerations | |
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Format, General Document Quality, User-Friendliness | |
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Key to Supplemental Topical Questions | |
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Water Resources and Water Quality | |
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Geology and Soils | |
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Air Quality | |
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Wildlife and Habitat | |
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Human Health Effects | |
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Transportation | |
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Waste Management and Waste Minimization | |
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Socioeconomic Considerations | |
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Cultural Considerations | |
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Examples and Critiques of Real EAs | |
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Example 1: Critique of the Environmental Assessment for Relocation of Station (Small) Ashtabula, Ashtabula, Ohio | |
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Environmental Assessment for the Relocation of Station (Small Ashtabula, Ashtabula, Ohio | |
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Example 2: Critique of the Sitewide Environmental Assessment for Continued Development of Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 3 | |
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Environmental Assessment for Continued Development of Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 3 | |
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Example 3: Environmental Assessment for the Transfer of the Department of Energy Grand Junction Office To Non-DOE Ownership (Preliminary Final) | |
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Environmental Assessment for the Transfer of the Department of Energy Grand Junction Office to Non-DOE Ownership | |
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Index | |