Public Policy Paper

National Environmental Policy Act Outline

Introduction

signed into law on January 1, 1970

broke new ground as the first major Federal legislative effort to incorporate environmental considerations into all government decision-making

While the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) has made great strides in protecting the environment and forcing business to do the same, research does show that some wait times are extreme, and can take years to be approved. Throughout this paper I will discuss the implementation of NAPA, why it was created, and how it can be improved.

Public policy and the agenda setting

1. NEPA established the Council on Environmental Quality to compile information on environmental conditions and trends

1. advise the President and federal agencies by appraising programs and activities of the federal government in light of NEPA’s policies

1. NEPA provides a source of goals and policies for federal agencies that is “supplementary” to those set forth in their own authorizing legislation.

How the policy was implemented and the target audience

A. The Council on Environmental Quality’s 1978 regulations remain a key source of procedural protections,

1. including public participation, cumulative impact assessment, and alternatives analysis.

B. NEPA have profoundly affected the evolution of today’s U.S. environmental protection regime.

Different contexts that drive the public policy and government involvement.

A. Federal agencies are required to systematically assess the environmental impacts of their proposed actions and consider alternative ways of accomplishing their missions

1. less damaging to and protective of the environment

B. NEPA Section 101(b) states "it is the continuing responsibility of the federal government to use all practicable means, consistent with other essential considerations of national policy"

The Impact of the policy and changes that could be made for improvement

A. NEPA ensures agencies consider the significant environmental consequences of their proposed actions and inform the public about their decision making.

B. EO 11514, Protection and Enhancement of Environmental Quality (March 5, 1970), as amended by EO 11991 (May 24, 1977)

Public relations techniques that were used to promote this public policy.

· The United States Forest Service

· The National Park Service

· The Natural Resources Conservation Service

· The National Capital Planning Commission

Forces and dynamics at play in the policy formulation, adoption, and implementation process

A. NEPA established a supplemental mandate for Federal agencies to consider the potential environmental consequences of their proposals, document the analysis, and make this information available to the public for comment prior to implementation.

B. The FHWA NEPA project development process is an approach to balanced transportation decision making that considers those potential impacts.

References:

National Environmental Policy Act. (2017, August 13). Retrieved from https://www.gsa.gov/real-estate/environmental-programs/national-environmental-policy-act

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). (2012, March 19). Retrieved from https://www.eli.org/land-biodiversity/national-environmental-policy-act-nepa?gclid=Cj0KCQiA7OnxBRCNARIsAIW53B9wxad71oDIuLS9i237AvZYp3OAsCfZ-ijFnAvG8fzSuaoNPzBo9ToaAhx8EALw_wcB

NEPA: Environmental Review Toolkit. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.environment.fhwa.dot.gov/nepa/nepa_projDev.aspx

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