[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 35 (Tuesday, February 23, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8046-8047]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-3535]
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COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Draft Guidance, ``NEPA
Mitigation and Monitoring.''
AGENCY: Council On Environmental Quality.
ACTION: Notice of Availability, Draft Guidance, ``NEPA Mitigation and
Monitoring.''
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SUMMARY: On February 18, 2010, the Council on Environmental Quality
(CEQ) announced four steps to modernize, reinvigorate, and ease the use
and increase the transparency of implementation of the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Enacted in 1970, NEPA is a fundamental
tool used to harmonize our economic, environmental, and social
aspirations and is a cornerstone of our Nation's efforts to protect the
environment. NEPA recognizes that many Federal activities affect the
environment and mandates that Federal agencies consider the
environmental impacts of their proposed actions before acting.
Additionally, NEPA emphasizes public involvement in government actions
affecting the environment by requiring that the benefits and the risks
associated with proposed actions be assessed and publicly disclosed.
CEQ, which is charged with implementing NEPA, recognizes that it is
a visionary and versatile law that can be used effectively to address
new environmental challenges facing our nation and also to engage the
public widely and effectively. Furthermore, CEQ wants to develop more
effective and accessible tools for citizen involvement in government
decision-making. These actions are designed to provide carefully-
tailored new assessment and reporting requirements, facilitate agency
compliance with NEPA, and enhance the quality of public involvement in
governmental decisions relating to the environment.
DATES: Comments should be submitted on or before May 24, 2010.
ADDRESSES: The NEPA Draft Guidance documents are available at http://www.nepa.gov.
Comments on the NEPA Draft Guidance ``NEPA Mitigation and
Monitoring'' should be submitted electronically to
[email protected], or in writing to The Council on
Environmental Quality, Attn: Ted Boling, 722 Jackson Place, NW.,
Washington, DC 20503.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ted Boling, Senior Counsel, at (202)
395-5750.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Draft Guidance Clarifying (1) the
Appropriateness of ``Findings of No Significant Impact'' and (2)
Specifying the Need for Ongoing Monitoring of Environmental Mitigation
Commitments: Many Federal actions receive an environmental review,
known as an Environmental Assessment. In those instances, NEPA
compliance is usually completed with a ``Finding of No Significant
Impact'' (FONSI) on the environment and a more
[[Page 8047]]
detailed Environmental Impact Statement is not required. The draft
guidance clarifies that the environmental impacts of a proposed action
may be mitigated to the point when the agency may make a FONSI
determination, and thereby ease the NEPA review requirements. When the
FONSI depends on successful mitigation, however, such mitigation
requirements should be made public and be accompanied by monitoring and
reporting. The draft guidance reinforces and also applies to monitoring
and reporting of mitigation commitments agencies make in an EIS and the
Record of Decision that follows. CEQ has issued this draft guidance for
90 days of public comment. Draft guidance documents are now available
at the Council on Environmental Quality Web site at http://www.nepa.gov.
Public comments are requested on or before May 24, 2010.
February 18, 2010.
Nancy Sutley,
Chair, Council on Environmental Quality.
[FR Doc. 2010-3535 Filed 2-22-10; 8:45 am]
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