Chap11

1999CRCPressLLCPartIVEnvironmentalProtectionintheUnitedStatesdividers.fmPage56Sunday,August19,20011:41PM111999CRCPressLLCU.S.LawsandRegulationsCONTENTSNationalEnvironmentalPolicyAct(NEPA)of1969Historic,Scientific,andCulturalResourcesToxicSubstanceControlAct(TSCA)CleanAirActWaterResourcesResourceConservationandRecoveryAct(RCRA)SuperfundAmendmentsandReauthorizationAct(SARA)andEmergencyPlanningandCommunityRight-to-KnowActTITLEIIIFederalInsecticide,Fungicide,RodenticideAct(FIFRA)NATIONALENVIRONMENTALPOLICYACT(NEPA)OF1969NEPAistheworld’sfirstenvironmentalimpactstatuteandwasenactedJanuary1,1970.Thelawwaspassedinresponsetotheneedforthefederalgovernmenttoevaluatetheenvironmentaleffectsofitsactionsandestablishanationalpolicyfortheenvironment.Congressrecognizedtheeffectsofpopulationgrowth,high-densityurbanization,industrialexpansion,resourceexploitation,andnewandexpandingtechnologicaladvances.NEPAisabroadmandateforfederalagenciestocreateandmaintain“conditionsunderwhichmanandnaturecanexistinproductiveharmonyandfulfillthesocial,economic,andotherrequirementsofpresentandfuturegenerations.”NEPA’spurposewas•“todeclareanationalpolicywhichwillencourageproductiveandenjoyableharmonybetweenmanandhisenvironment;•topromoteeffortswhichwillpreventoreliminatedamagetotheenvironmentandbiosphereandstimulatethehealthandwelfareofman;•toenrichtheunderstandingoftheecologicalsystemsandnaturalresourcesimportanttotheNation;•andtoestablishaCouncilonEnvironmentalQuality(CEQ).”NEPAappliestoallagenciesofthefederalgovernmentandeverymajoractiontakenbytheagenciesthatsignificantlyaffectsthequalityofthehumanenvironment.TheapplicationofNEPAtofederalactionsisnotlimitedtoactionsoccurring,orhavingeffectsin,theUnitedStates.NEPAisdesignedtocontrolthedecisionmakingprocess,notthesubstanceoftheagencydecision.BecauseNEPAwassobroadlywritten,federalagencieshadadifficulttimecomplyingwiththerequirements.ThenewlycreatedCEQ(USCTitleII,CFRTitleV)waschargedwithoverseeingimplementationoftheact.TheCEQwasalsoresponsiblefortheanalysisanddevelopmentofnationalandinternationalenvironmentalpolicy;interagencycoordinationofenvironmentalqualityprograms;acquisitionandassessmentofenvironmentaldata,includingenvironmentalqualityreports;andenvironmentalconditionsandtrends.SinceNEPA’spassage,afewthousandjudicialdecisionshavedefinednearlyeverywordofthelawandprovidedguidanceforcompliance.Additionally,in1978,theCEQpromulgatedregulationsimplementingtheproceduralprovisionsChap11.fmPage229Sunday,August19,200112:53PM1999CRCPressLLCoftheact(40CFR1500-1508).Theseregulationsdefinethehumanenvironment(boththenaturalandphysicalenvironment)andtherelationshipofthepeoplewiththeirenvironment.Section101setsforththenation’senvironmentalgoalsandabroadnationalpolicytoachievethesegoalsandservesasablueprintforconsideringawiderangeofenvironmentaleffectsofproposedagencyactions.Section102providestheprocesstoensurethatthefederalagencydecisionmakersareawareofthepoliciesandproceduresrequiredinNEPA.Section102containstherequirementthatfederalagenciesprepare“detailedstatements”foractions“significantlyaffectingthequalityofthehumanenvironment.”These“detailedstatements”arenowknownasEnviron-mentalImpactStatements(EISs).AnEISisrequiredtoinclude•Environmentalimpactsoftheproposedaction,•Anyadverseenvironmentaleffectsthatcannotbeavoidedshouldtheproposalbeimple-mented,•Alternativestotheproposedaction,•Therelationshipbetweenlocalshort-termusesofman’senvironmentandthemainte-nanceandenhancementoflong-termproductivity,and•Anyirreversibleandirretrievablecommitmentsofresourcesthatwouldbeinvolvedintheproposedactionshoulditbeimplemented.Federalagenciesfiled513draft,final,andsupplementalEISsin1992withtheU.S.DepartmentsofTransportation,Agriculture,Interior,andtheArmyCorpsofEngineersaccountingfor393ofthem.SubjectsforwhichtheEISswerefiledincludeforestryandrangemanagement;naturalgasandoildrillingandexploration;watershedprotectionandfloodcontrol;parks,recreation,andwildernessareasandnationalseashores;mining;powerfacilities;transmissions;roadconstruction;airportimprovements;andbuildingsforfederaluse.Asameanstoevaluateaproposedactionandprovidesufficientevidencetodeterminethelevelofsignificanceoftheenvironmentalimpacts,anEnvironmentalAssessment(EA)maybeconducted.ResultsofanEAmaybeaFindingOfNoSignificantImpact(FONSI),whichexplainswhyanactionwillnothaveasignificantimpactonthequalityofthehumanenvironmentand,therefore,willnotrequirepreparationofanEISorwillindicatethat,indeed,anEISisrequired.TheRecordofDecision(ROD)statesthedecision,alternativesconsidered,theenvironmentallypreferablealternative(s),factorsconsideredintheagency’sdecision,mitigationmeasuresthatwillbeimplemented,andadescriptionofapplicableenforcementandmonitoringprograms.Someagencyactionsdonothaveasignificanteffectonthehumanenvironment(individuallyorcumu-latively);therefore,anEAorandEISisnotrequired.TheseactionsarecalledCategoricalExclu-sions(CEs).UponsubmissionofadraftEIS,theU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA)evaluatesthereportforenvironmentaleffectandadequacy.The“grade”forenvi