Preparing NEPA Environmental Assessments : A User’s Guide to Best Professional Practices (Paperback)

Section 1: The NEPA Environmental Assessment Process

Overview and Historical Development of NEPA
Introduction
Origin of Environmental Movement
The Historical Development of NEPA
Brief Overview of NEPA
The NEPA Regulations
Overview of the NEPA Planning Process
References

General Concepts and Requirements
Introduction
NEPA is a Planning and Decision-Making Process
Interim Actions
Integrating NEPA with Other Requirements
Conducting an Early and Open Process
Scoping
Systematic and Interdisciplinary Planning
Writing Documents in Plain English
Incorporation by Reference
Adopting Another Agency’s EA
Methodology
A Fair and Objective Analysis
Dealing with Incomplete and Unavailable Information
References

NEPA and Environmental Impact Analysis
Introduction
Actions
Environmental Disturbances
Receptors and Resources
Impact Analysis
Significance
Mitigation and Monitoring
References

The Threshold Question: Determining Whether an EA or an EIS is Required
Introduction
Proposals
Legislation
Major
Federal
Actions
Significantly
Affecting
Human Environment
Categorical Exclusions
Long Versus Short Environmental Assessments
References

The Environmental Assessment Process
Introduction
Planning the Environmental Assessment
The Analysis in an EA
Streamlining the EA Compliance Process
Issuing a Finding of No Significant Impact
The Administrative Record
Serving as an Expert Witness
References

The Environmental Impact Assessment
Introduction
Sliding-Scale Approach
Identifying Alternatives
Impacts
Human Health Effects
Accident Analyses
Considering Other Environmental Requirements
Environmental Justice
References

Writing the Environmental Assessment
Introduction
General Direction for Preparing an EA
Typical Contents of an Environmental Assessment
Performing the Analysis
Specific Documentation Requirements and Guidance
References

Assessing Significance
Introduction
Definitions and Use of the Term "Significance"
General Procedure for Determining Significance
Significant Beneficial Impacts
References

The Finding of No Significant Impacts
Introduction
Reaching a Determination of Nonsignificance
Preparing the FONSI
Mitigated FONSIs
References

Section 2: NEPA Case Law and Non-NEPA Environmental Assessment Documents

An Overview of NEPA Law and Litigation
Principles Underlying Legal Interpretations of NEPA
Process for Passing Laws and Regulations
Interpreting NEPA’s Regulatory Requirements
A Substantive Versus Procedural Process
Requirements for Bringing a Successful Environmental Lawsuit
The Litigation Process
Legal Standards Applied in Reviewing NEPA
Judicial Remedies in NEPA Suits
Recent Case Law Involving NEPA
EA Case Law and EAs
Study of Alternatives Analysis in NEPA Documents
Other Cases Reflecting on the Preparation of EAs
References

Specialized Non-NEPA Environmental Assessment Documents
Introduction
The Phase I Environmental Site Assessment
The Cell Tower NEPA Review
The Biological Assessment
Environmental Assessments and State NEPA Programs
References

Summary
Introduction