PSCI 3201 Environmental Policy 111507

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PSCI 3201 Environmental Policy11/15/07

• Research Paper overview
• National Environmental Policy Act, 1970 (NEPA)
• Historic importance
• Contemporary significance Environmental impact
  statements (EIS)

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Research PaperAn Analysis of Environmental
Policy Options

• Identifying the interests at stake
• Assessing where the issue stands in the policy
  process
• Evaluating the policy design elements

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Research PaperAn Analysis of Environmental
Policy Options

• Identifying the interests at stake the big
  picture, discussing the nature of the issue(s)

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Research Paper

• Identifying the interests at stake
• Brief description of the issue
• Who is interested (3 specific groups), and a
  brief statement of position
• e.g., Endangered Species Act, interested groups
• Environmental interests (Environmental Defense)
• Wildlife (World Wildlife Fund)
• Property rights
• Forestry
• Recreation
• Economists

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Research Paper

• Identifying the interests at stake
• 3. Competing perspectives
• Different ethical arguments (e.g., preservation
  versus conservation)?
• Assessments of the commons, sustainability
  concerns about diminishing resources?
• Economic is there agreement on the costs and
  benefits?
• Science is there agreement on the facts? Is
  the analysis completed?
• Justice concerns? Will some be unfairly
  affected?

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Research Paper

• Identifying the interests at stake
• 4. Is there common ground?
• Discussion from the same perspectives (e.g., all
  are using economic arguments) or at cross
  purposes (e.g., ethics versus economics)?
• Is there a point of compromise? Why or why not?

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Research PaperAn Analysis of Environmental
Policy Options

• B. Assessing where the issue stands in the
  policy process current status what is
  happening? who is involved?

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Research Paper

• B. Status of the issue in the policy process.
  Who is actively engaged depends on the policy
  status. Focus on one of the following that is
  relevant to your issue
• Agenda setting where being discussed?
• Policy formulation where?
• Congress
• President
• State level
• Policy formulation status?
• In committee, under discussion
• Actively being decided
• Implementation
• What particular agency?

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Research PaperAn Analysis of Environmental
Policy Options

• C. Evaluating the policy design elements
  discussing the actual policy or proposal. Will
  this solve the problem?

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Research Paper

• Policy design
• 1. Design elements (goals, targets, agents,
• linkages)
• 2. Critique and alternatives
• What specifically would you change?
• Is it politically feasible?
• With whom would you work to advance your
  preferred policy approach?

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The environment and uncertainty establishing
procedures for good decisions, taking into
account

• Science
• Justice/equity
• Approaches considered
• Risk assessment
• Precautionary principle
• Add in
• NEPA

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• National Environmental Policy Act
• of 1969 (NEPA)
• Public Law 91-190
• January 1, 1970

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• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
• Major Elements in the Historic Enactment
• Title I, Congressional Declaration of National
• Environmental Policy
• Sec. 101. Policy Statement
• Sec. 102. Environmental Impact Statement
• (EIS) required for all federal
• actions affecting the human
• environment
• Title II, Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)

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• NEPA Title I
• CONGRESSIONAL DECLARATION OF NATIONAL
  ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
• Sec. 101 42 USC 4331. Policy statement.
• (a) The Congress, recognizing the profound
  impact of man's activity on the interrelations of
  all components of the natural environment,
  particularly the profound influences of
  population growth, high-density urbanization,
  industrial expansion, resource exploitation, and
  new and expanding technological advances and
  recognizing further the critical importance of
  restoring and maintaining environmental quality
  to the overall welfare and development of man,
  declares that it is the continuing policy of the
  Federal Government, in cooperation with State and
  local governments, and other concerned public and
  private organizations, to use all practicable
  means and measures, including financial and
  technical assistance, in a manner calculated to
  foster and promote the general welfare, to create
  and maintain conditions under which man and
  nature can exist in productive harmony, and
  fulfill the social, economic, and other
  requirements of present and future generations of
  Americans.

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• NEPA Title I
• CONGRESSIONAL DECLARATION OF NATIONAL
  ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
• Sec. 102 42 USC 4331. Environmental Impact
  Statements.
• Required environmental assessments of all federal
  projects

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• NEPA Title I
• CONGRESSIONAL DECLARATION OF NATIONAL
  ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
• Sec. 102 42 USC 4331. Environmental Impact
  Statements.
• Required environmental assessments of all federal
  projects
• An EIS would
• utilize a systematic, interdisciplinary approach,
  including natural and social sciences
• consider presently unquantified environmental
  amenities and values (ie, qualitative in
  addition to quantitative)
• Consider a wide variety of impacts and
  alternatives to the proposed action

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• NEPA Title II
• COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
• Establishment of the CEQ
• Sec. 201 42 USC 4341. Environmental Quality
  Report
• Sec. 202 209. Established the CEQ in the
  Executive Office of the President

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NEPA Historically significant for

• National environmental policy statement
• Environmental Impact Statements (EIS)
• Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)