EPA Region 8 EJ: NEPA-EIS Projects

What is NEPA and EIS?

environmental assessment The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires federal agencies to integrate environmental values into their decision making processes by considering the environmental impacts of their proposed actions and reasonable alternatives to those actions. To meet this requirement, federal agencies prepare a detailed statement known as an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). EPA focuses on three main areas regarding NEPA compliance:

coordinating EPA's review of all Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) prepared by other federal agencies;
maintaining a national EIS filing system and publishing weekly notices of EISs available for review and summaries of EPA's comments; and
assuring that EPA's own actions comply with NEPA and other environmental requirements.

What's EPA's role in NEPA's EIS Review?

EPA has a unique role in the NEPA process. Section 309 of the Clean Air Act requires EPA to review and publicly comment on all EISs to determine if there are unacceptable levels of environmental impacts from the proposed project or decision. EPA is also required to review the adequacy of public disclosure in the EIS. EPA also optionally reviews other NEPA analyses such as some Environmental Assessments (EAs). All EISs need to be formally filed with EPA Headquarters so EPA can announce that the EIS is available for public comment on the Web and in the Federal Register. EPA also publishes a summary of Region 8 review and a rating for the EIS. EISs currently under review by the EPA are made available through the EPA Headquarters Office of Federal Activities.

Some Current NEPA-EIS Projects
I-70 East Corridor EIS Description: I-70 East Corridor EIS Type: Transportation Environmental Study Purpose: to implement a transportation solution that improves safety, access, and mobility and addresses congestion in the corridor. Location: I-70 between I-25 and Pena Boulevard and transit connections between Downtown Denver and Denver International Airport (DIA). Start Date: 07/2003 Decision Date: Projected 09/2005 Lead Agencies: Federal Highways Administration (FHWA), Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Regional Transit District -Denver (RTD) and the City & County of Denver. (Insert EJ Map of Study Area) I-70 Northwest Corridor EIS Description: Northwest Corridor EIS Type: Transportation Environmental Study Purpose: Will examine alternatives related to Hwy. System Connections, various forms of transportation including bicycle and mass transit, traffic demands & capacity, solutions to deteriorating roadways, and safety improvements. Location: Extends from the freeway system in the vicinity of US-36 in Broomfield County to the freeway system in the vicinity of State Hwy 58, I-70, and C-470 to the south in Jefferson County. Start Date: 12/2003 Decision Date: Projected 01/2005 Lead Agencies: Federal Highways Administration (FHWA), and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). (Insert EJ Map of Study Area) US-36 Corridor EIS Description: US-36 Corridor EIS Type: Transportation Environmental Study Purpose: to identify multi-modal transportation improvements between Denver and Boulder. The EIS will develop and evaluate alternatives such as highway improvements, bus rapid transit and commuter rail transit from Downtown Denver to Boulder. Location: 25 mile long Corridor between Boulder and Downtown Denver along US-36 Highway alignment, the burlington Northern & Santa Fe Rail Line, SH 157 / Foothills Parkway in Boulder & the area around the Northern entry of SH 119 Northeast of Boulder. Start Date: 10/2003 Decision Date: Projected Fall 2005 Lead Agencies: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) in cooperation with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Regional Transportation District (RTD).
NEPA-EJ Guidance and Resources
"Guidance for Incorporating Environmental Justice Concerns in EPA's NEPA Compliance Analyses", EPA #2251A, April 1998. (PDF - 304KB, About PDF files) "Environmental Justice: Guidance Under the National Environmental Policy Act", Council on Environmental Quality, December 1997. (PDF - 2,470KB, About PDF files) EPA's comments on Environmental Impact Statements (EIS)

What is NEPA and EIS?

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