National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Documents
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The Office of Science (SC) has NEPA Compliance Officers (NCOs) on staff to coordinate NEPA compliance for matters under its purview. Responsibilities are listed in DOE P 451.1 (or its successor version) and notably include managing the preparation, review, and approval of NEPA documentation. SC takes a proactive approach in meeting the environmental and decision-making goals of NEPA and associated Department of Energy and Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations by developing and implementing:
- Policy and management expectations
- NEPA guidance and procedures
Categorical Exclusion (CX) Determinations
CXs are categories of actions that DOE has determined, by regulation, do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment and for which, therefore, neither an environmental assessment nor an environmental impact statement normally is required. DOE's CXs are listed in Appendices A and B to Subpart D of its NEPA regulations,10 CFR Part 1021. A CX Determination is the formal documentation establishing that a proposed agency action fits within one or more CX categories.
Environmental Assessments (EA) / Environmental Impact Statements (EIS)
EAs are concise (i.e., screening level) documents that a Federal agency prepares under NEPA to provide sufficient evidence and analysis to determine whether a proposed agency action would require preparation of an environmental impact statement or support a finding of no significant impact.
EISs are detailed documents elaborating on proposed agency actions that could significantly affect the quality of the human environment.
