Final Guidance on NEPA Efficiencies
On March 6, 2012, CEQ released final guidance for Federal agencies on improving the efficiency and timeliness of their environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NEPA and the CEQ NEPA Regulations provide for a number of techniques for preparing efficient and timely environmental reviews. The guidance highlights and clarifies these opportunities to encourage efficient, thorough environmental reviews and quicker and better informed Federal decisions.
Currently, CEQ's NEPA regulations describe efficiencies that can be applied when preparing Environmental Impact Statements, the most intensive type of NEPA environmental review. The guidance clarifies that these efficiencies can and should be applied to all types of environmental reviews, including Environmental Assessments. The guidance also outlines principles for agencies to follow when performing NEPA environmental reviews.
The draft guidance was available for 45 days of public comment. CEQ reviewed and considered all public input before finalizing the guidance.