National Environmental Policy Act

National Environmental Policy Act was passed in 1970. Explain the formal process for an Environmental Impact Statement and detail the impact NEPA has had on the field of environmental science.

The National Environmental Policy Act imposes environmentally safe practices among different agencies inside the federal government. To enforce these provisions the law requires that environmental assessments and impact statements are conducted. These are measuring the total environmental effects from the activities of various federal agencies. This applies to all departments that are operating under the Executives branch. However, exemptions have been granted when it comes to the Office of the President, Congress and the courts. ("National Environmental Policy Act," 1970) ("National Environmental Policy Act," 2012) ("A Citizen's Guide to the NEPA," 2007)

The environmental impact statement (EIS) will be conducted whenever any federal agency is proposing some kind of project. That could have adverse implications on the environment. To determine the long-term affects, the EIS requires that they post a Notice of Intent inside the Federal Register. This is explaining the project, possible actions and any kind of alternatives that are being considered. At the same time, it is providing the general public with a point of contact and the dates / times of any meetings. ("National Environmental Policy Act," 2012) ("A Citizen's Guide to the NEPA," 2007)

This is known as the scoping process. During these meetings, the agency is concentrating on understanding critical issues, costs and listening to other solutions for addressing possible challenges. Anyone who is interested is invited to become a part of these proceedings. This helps administrators to incorporate different views into the EIS. It is at this point that it will take into account these ideas and create solutions which are minimizing any kind of negative impacts. ("National Environmental Policy Act," 2012) ("A Citizen's Guide to the NEPA," 2007)

Overall, the National Environmental Policy Act is having positive effects on the activities of federal agencies and the different stakeholders they are working with. The way that this is occurring is to force everyone to look at the long-term impacts of the project (from contrasting viewpoints). This helps to create policies that are taking into consideration these ideas. ("Guidelines and Principles," 1994)

The way that this has transformed the field of environmental science is to create practices that are more flexible. This allows researchers to understand the impact of specific activities and how it will affect different stakeholders. Evidence of this can be seen with observations from a study that was conducted by the federal government which is measuring the influence of the National Environmental Policy Act. It said, "Overall, what we found is that NEPA is a success -- it has made agencies take a hard look at the potential environmental consequences of their actions, and it has brought the public into the agency decision-making process like no other statute. To that end, NEPA charges CEQ and all federal agencies with achieving 'productive harmony' among our environmental, economic, and social objectives. It directs federal agencies to open their doors, bring the public in, and offer genuine opportunities for participation and collaboration in decision-making." ("A Study of its Effectiveness," 1997)