National Environmental Policy Act

"NEPA" and "FONSI" redirect here. For other uses, see NEPA (disambiguation) and Fonsi (disambiguation).
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
Great Seal of the United States
Long titleNational Environmental Policy Act of 1969
Acronyms (colloquial)NEPA
Enacted bythe 91st United States Congress
EffectiveJanuary 1, 1970
Citations
Public lawPub. L. 91–190
Statutes at Large83 Stat. 852
Codification
Titles amended42 U.S.C.: Public Health and Welfare
U.S.C. sections created42 U.S.C. § 4321 et seq.
Legislative history
  • Introduced in the Senate as S. 1075 by Henry M. Jackson (D–WA) on February 18, 1969
  • Committee consideration by Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs
  • Passed the Senate on July 10, 1969 (Unanimous)
  • Passed the House of Representatives on September 23, 1969 (372-15[1])
  • Reported by the joint conference committee on December 17, 1969; agreed to by the Senate on December 20, 1969  and by the House of Representatives on December 23, 1969 
  • Signed into law by President Richard Nixon on January 1, 1970
Major amendments
Public Law 94-52, July 3, 1975; Public Law 94-83, Aug 9, 1975; Public Law 97-258, section 4(b), Sep 13, 1982; Public Law 118-5, June 3, 2024
United States Supreme Court cases

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is a United States environmental law designed to promote the enhancement of the environment. It created new laws requiring U.S. federal government agencies to evaluate the environmental impacts of their actions and decisions, and it established the President's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). The Act was passed by the U.S. Congress in December 1969 and signed into law by President Richard Nixon on January 1, 1970.[2] To date, more than 100 nations around the world have enacted national environmental policies modeled after NEPA.[3]

NEPA requires Federal agencies to evaluate the environmental effects of their actions.[4]: 2–3  NEPA's most significant outcome was the requirement that all executive Federal agencies prepare environmental assessments (EAs) and environmental impact statements (EISs). These reports state the potential environmental effects of proposed Federal agency actions.[5] Further, U.S. Congress recognizes that each person has a responsibility to preserve and enhance the environment as trustees for succeeding generations.[6] NEPA's procedural requirements do not apply to the President, Congress, or the Federal courts since they are not a "Federal agency" by definition.[5][7] However, a Federal agency taking action under authority ordered by the President may be a final agency action subject to NEPA's procedural requirements.[4]: 117–118 

  1. ^ "To Pass H.R. 12549, A Bill to amend the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act so as to provide for the establishment of a Council On Environmental Quality (Sep 23, 1969)". GovTrack. Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  2. ^ United States. National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. Pub. L. 91–190, Approved January 1, 1970. 42 U.S.C. § 4321 et seq.
  3. ^ Eccleston, Charles H. (2008). NEPA and Environmental Planning: Tools, Techniques, and Approaches for Practitioners. CRC Press. ISBN 9780849375590.
  4. ^ a b Mandelker, Daniel; Glickman, Robert; Aughey, Arianne; McGillivray, Donald; Doelle, Meinhard (2018). NEPA Law and Litigation. Thomson Reuters. ISBN 978-0-314-87759-8.
  5. ^ a b U.S. Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) (December 2007). A Citizen's Guide to the NEPA: Having Your Voice Heard. Washington, D.C. p. 2. Retrieved 2017-06-06 – via Office of NEPA Policy and Complicance, U.S. Department of Energy. energy.gov.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  6. ^ United States National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. Pub. L. 91–190 Sec. 101(b)(1),(c), Approved January 1, 1970. 42 U.S.C. § 4331(b)(1),(c)
  7. ^ CEQ. "Terminology: Federal agency." Code of Federal Regulations, 40 CFR 1508.12.