BGCAPP EDT EA CDCAB NEPA and Army Decision Process 23 October 2013

Presented to:

Kentucky Chemical Demilitarization Citizens’ Advisory Commission

Presented by:

Jon Ware Environmental Scientist PEO ACWA HQ

A Partnership for Safe Chemical Weapons Destruction

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

Federal agencies are required to determine if their proposed actions have significant environmental effects, and to consider the environmental and related social and economic effects of their proposed actions.

Disclosure document that provides information to the public on major Federal actions.

Environmental impact statements shall be analytic rather than encyclopedic. (40 CFR 1502.2(a))

Army decisions must reflect consideration of other requirements such as Executive Orders and other non-statutory requirements, examples of which are enumerated in 40 CFR 651.14(e). (40 CFR 651.9(1) National Environmental Policy Act and the Decision Process)

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A Partnership for Safe Chemical Weapons Destruction

NEPA

NEPA requirements may be incorporated into other Army plans in accordance with 40 CFR 1506.4.– Integrated Natural Resource Management Plan– Integrated Cultural Resources Management Plan– Integrated Pest Management Plan

NEPA documentation works in parallel with other environmental laws and decision making activities, but does not take their place– Procurement considerations for the proposed action– Design considerations for the proposed action– Permitting considerations for the proposed action

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A Partnership for Safe Chemical Weapons Destruction

NEPA Terms

Significant: When used to describe potentially adverse impacts, the term “significant” should generally be interpreted to mean “above levels of concern.” Impacts that are characterized as not being significant would therefore be undetectable or would be sufficiently minor that they would not noticeably alter any important attribute of the resources.

FONSI (as a decision point): The draft FONSI publication is not a decision point of NEPA. The FONSI is a statement reporting that the environmental impact of the proposed action and its alternatives are not significant.

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A Partnership for Safe Chemical Weapons Destruction

NEPA Questions

Questions ?

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