Indian Affairs National Environmental Policy Act (Nepa) Guidebook
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INDIAN AFFAIRS NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT (NEPA) GUIDEBOOK 59 IAM 3-H DIVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT AUGUST 2012 Office of the Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs Office of Facilities, Environmental and Cultural Resources Division of Environmental and Cultural Resources Management 12220 Sunrise Valley Drive Reston VA 20191 Release #12-32; replaces 2005 version TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................ 1 1.1 GENERAL ..................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 AUTHORITIES AND GUIDANCE ............................................................................................................. 1 SECTION 2 NEPA AND BIA DECISION-MAKING .................................... 2 2.1 NEPA PROCESS .......................................................................................................................................... 2 2.2 DOCUMENTS USED TO COMPLY WITH NEPA .................................................................................. 5 2.3 TRIBAL INVOLVEMENT .......................................................................................................................... 6 2.4 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT .......................................................................................................................... 7 2.5 SEQUENCING NEPA WITH OTHER RELATED LAWS ........................................................................ 7 SECTION 3 FEDERAL ACTIONS AND NEPA ............................................ 8 3.1 ACTIONS REQUIRING NEPA COMPLIANCE ........................................................................................ 8 3.2 ACTIONS NOT REQUIRING NEPA COMPLIANCE .............................................................................. 9 3.3 ACTIONS EXEMPT FROM NEPA AND EMERGENCY ACTIONS ....................................................... 9 SECTION 4 CATEGORICAL EXCLUSIONS (CE) .................................... 11 4.1 GENERAL .................................................................................................................................................. 11 4.2 IDENTIFICATION .................................................................................................................................... 11 4.3 APPLICATION OF EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES............................................................... 11 4.4 ENDANGERED SPECIES AND HISTORIC PROPERTY CONSULTATION....................................... 13 SECTION 5 USING EXISTING ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTS .... 14 5.1 GENERAL .................................................................................................................................................. 14 5.2 INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE ..................................................................................................... 14 5.3 TIERING .................................................................................................................................................... 14 ii 5.4 SUPPLEMENTATION .............................................................................................................................. 15 5.5 ADOPTING ANOTHER AGENCY’S NEPA ANALYSIS ......................................................................... 15 5.6 COMBINING DOCUMENTS .................................................................................................................... 16 SECTION 6 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS (EA) ........................... 17 6.1 GENERAL .................................................................................................................................................. 17 6.2 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT ........................................................................................................................ 17 6.3 EA PREPARATION ................................................................................................................................... 17 6.4 CONTENTS AND FORMAT OF AN EA .................................................................................................. 18 6.5 EA PROCESSING ...................................................................................................................................... 22 6.6 PUBLIC REVIEW ...................................................................................................................................... 23 6.7 CONTENTS OF THE NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY (NOA) .................................................................. 23 6.8. CONTENTS OF THE FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT (FONSI) ........................................ 23 SECTION 7 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS AND SIGNIFICANCE ...... 25 7.1 GENERAL .................................................................................................................................................. 25 7.2 DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS ....................................................................................................... 25 7.3 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS ........................................................................................................................ 25 7.4 DISPROPORTIONATE EFFECTS (Environmental Justice) ................................................................... 26 7.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF EFFECTS ................................................................................................................ 26 SECTION 8 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS (EIS) .......... 28 8.1 GENERAL .................................................................................................................................................. 28 8.2 DEFINING RESPONSIBILITY.................................................................................................................. 28 8.3 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT ........................................................................................................................ 29 8.4 CONTENTS AND FORMAT OF AN EIS ................................................................................................. 31 8.5 REVIEW ..................................................................................................................................................... 35 8.6 THE RECORD OF DECISION (ROD)...................................................................................................... 37 8.7 FUNDING AND CONTRACTS ................................................................................................................. 39 iii SECTION 9 MONITORING AND ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT .............. 42 9.1 MONITORING ........................................................................................................................................... 42 9.2 ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT ................................................................................................................... 42 SECTION 10 THE ADMINISTRATIVE RECORD .................................... 44 10. 1 ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTS ...................................................................................................... 44 10.2 SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS ................................................................................................................ 44 SECTION 11 REVIEWING OTHER AGENCIES NEPA ACTIONS ......... 45 11.1 REVIEWING AND COMMENTING ON EISs ....................................................................................... 45 11.2 COOPERATING AGENCY ..................................................................................................................... 45 11.3 PRE-DECISION REFERRALS TO CEQ ................................................................................................ 45 11.4 POST-DECISION REFERRALS TO EPA .............................................................................................. 46 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Determining the Need for NEPA Documentation ..................................................... 2 Figure 2 The Steps in NEPA Documentation ............................................................................ 4 Figure 3 The Steps in Completing a Categorical Exclusion Exception Review ................... 12 Figure 4 Components of the Human Environment ................................................................ 20 Figure 5 The Steps in Completing an Environmental Assessment........................................ 24 Figure 6 The Steps in Completing an Environmental Impact Statement............................. 41 iv APPENDICES 1 List of Acronyms 2 Categorical Exclusion Exception Review (CEER) Checklist (Example) 3 FONSI (Example) 4 NOI (Example) 5 DEIS NOA (Example) 6 FEIS NOA (Example) 7 Notice of Correction (Example) 8 Notice of Cancellation (Example) 9 Record of Decision (Example) 10 Scoping Package (Example) 11 Disclosure Statement (Example) 12 National Environmental Policy Act 13 Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR Part 1500) 14 Department of Interior Regulations (43 CFR Part 46) 15 Departmental Manual 516 DM 10 16 Indian Affairs Manual 59 IAM 3 17 NEPA 40 Most Asked Questions 18 Environmental Justice Guidance 19 Cumulative Impact Guidance 20 Other Relevant Environmental Laws 21 CEQ Guidance for Appropriate Use of Mitigation and Monitoring 22 CEQ Guidance for Categorical Exclusions v SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 GENERAL This document provides guidance to Indian Affairs (IA) to help comply with the National Environmental Policy