ABSTRACT
Environmental impact analysis is not conducted in isolation but must be coordinated with other activities in order to meet the stated purpose and need. Following environmental analysis, including the selection of an alternative, the proposed action proceeds to detailed development that requires engineering (or policy formulation) details and environmental approvals. Acknowledging the need for these details and integrating them into the environmental analysis at an early stage in the process expedites the process and ensures successful implementation. The coordination with final development, such as engineering design or policy and plan details can often be simplified in the environmental analysis by specifying the commitment to environmental impact mitigation and requiring that they be fully included in project design and other implementing procedures, similar to the Section 61 Finding process in Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) described in Section 8.6.1. However, the environmental approvals are a different matter and must be fully integrated and addressed in the environmental analysis. The importance of this integration has been stressed in Chapters 4 and 5 but is revisited in this chapter, building on the approach and implementation of environmental impact analysis presented in the previous eight chapters.
