NEPA Overview

1

• NEPA Overview
• Energy and Environmental Sustainability in a
  Carbon Constrained Future
• September 11, 2008
• New York, New York
• John Filippelli, Chief
• Strategic Planning and Multi-Media Programs
  Branch
• EPA Region 2

2

• Summary of NEPA

• Section 101 Establishes national policy to
  foster and promote general welfare
  create/maintain conditions for man and nature to
  exist in productive harmony fulfill social,
  economic, and other requirements of present and
  future generations.
• Section 102 Section 102 Directs agencies to
  prepare EISs for major federal actions
  significantly affecting the
• Environment.
• Title II Establishes the Council on
  Environmental Quality (CEQ) to oversee
  implementation of NEPA, prepare environmental
  quality reports, develop environmental quality
  policies and document changes to the environment.
  

3

• EIS Review Process

• Section 102 of NEPA All federal agencies can
  review EISs
• Section 309 of the Clean Air Act EPA must
  review all EISs, and publish findings in the
  Federal Register
• Public input/review is a vital component of the
  EIS process
• Keep in mind
• - NEPA applies only to federal actions, and
• - imposes procedural, not substantive,
  requirements
• NEPA documents include Categorical Exclusion,
  Environmental Assessment (EA), Finding of No
  Significant Impact (FNSI), Notice of Intent, EIS,
  and Record of Decision

4

• Important Review Concerns

• Water quality
• Air quality
• Ground water/sole source aquifers
• Wetlands
• Hazardous waste management/site contamination
• Environmental Justice
• Cumulative Impacts
• Natural resources (ESA, coastal zone,
  floodplains, ag. lands)
• Historic preservation

5
Recent Section 309 Review Energy Activity in
Region 2

• LNG terminals (Crown Point, Broadwater, Safe
  Harbor, Liberty)
• Natural gas pipelines
• Offshore wind projects
• Nuclear power plant license renewals
• Underwater turbines
• Hydroelectric licensing actions

6
Energy Project Siting Issues Opportunities

• Issues
• Air quality
• Cooling water intake/discharge in sensitive
  ecosystems
• Wildlife concerns
• Contaminated sites and sediments
• Transportation of fuels and wastes
• Aesthetics / Local opposition
• Opportunities
• Efficiency of new sources versus old
• Bringing cleaner fuels to market
• Reducing ghg emissions (or emissions growth)
• Developing markets for waste fuels (e.g., flared
  gas, msw)
• Local jobs and economic benefits