ABSTRACT
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires that actions (such as construction projects) that may signi„cantly impact the quality of the environment undergo a thorough evaluation of potential impacts. The NEPA process is triggered by any major federal action. There are also state and sometimes local NEPA equivalents of this process that are triggered by public and even private actions that exceed certain impact thresholds. The following is a brief list of projects that typically trigger the NEPA process:
• New bridges and tunnels • New or major modi„cations to existing roadways or rail lines • New or expanded airports • Construction or relocation of government buildings and complexes • Closure and reuse of military facilities • New energy source exploration and distribution
The main thrust of NEPA is the evaluation of the environmental effects of the proposed action and its alternatives. The NEPA process is highly comprehensive in that it addresses socioeconomic and cultural resources in addition to natural resources that could be affected by a project. This chapter outlines the NEPA process and provides brief descriptions of the technical elements that are considered in the evaluation process.
