The following are the basic concepts outlined in this paper. The draft has drawn the support of environmentalists. This 2017 update is consistent with the council on environmental quality s ceq final guidance for federal agencies on how to consider the impacts of their actions on global climate change in. The foundation of the nepa process described in the ceq regulations comes directly from nepa section 1022 and is summarized as follows. Congress enacted nepa to establish a national policy for the environment, provide for the establishment of the council on environmental quality ceq, and for other purposes. On august 1, the white house council on environmental quality released its final guidance on greenhouse gases and climate change. The national environmental policy act nepa staff supports the forest services compliance with the environmental laws and regulations that guide management of the lands and. The new draft guidance updates ceqs 2010 draft guidance, which was never finalized.
The ceq is accepting public comments on the draft climate change guidance until feb. Ceq issues final guidance on climate change and nepa with two. Revised draft guidance on consideration of greenhouse gas. Ceq issued draft guidance on considering climate change cc in nepa, including ghg analysis, in february 2010. In addition, ceq proposes consistency edits to change broad and program to.
The council on environmental quality ceq is making this nonexhaustive compilation of greenhouse gas ghg accounting tools, methodologies, and reports available for informational purposes only. This document provides initial forest service guidance on how to consider climate change in projectlevel national environmental policy act nepa analysis and documentation. Reference herein to any specific tool, methodology, or report or its developers shall not constitute or imply its endorsement or recommendation by ceq. Council on environmental quality ceq issues revised. On december 28, 2018, opr released a discussion draft update to our 2008 advisory suggesting relevant ways to address climate change in ceqa analyses. Council on environmental quality releases two nepa guidance. Ceq issues revised draft nepa guidance on ghg emissions and. The nepa program area provides guidance, policies, and examples of federal regulations and agency policies for the implementation of nepa, including the development of environmental. Climate change effects include the effects of agency action on global climate change and. In 2010, the council on environmental quality ceq published draft guidance on the analysis of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change in eiss prepared by federal agencies. Congress enacted nepa to establish a national policy for the environment, provide for the. On august 2, 2016, the white house council on environmental quality ceq published a final version of its guidance to federal agencies requiring the consideration of greenhouse gas ghg emissions and effects on climate change when evaluating potential impacts of a federal action under the national environmental policy act.
It then provided more detail on when and how to do so in its 2010 and 2014 guidance. Late last month, the presidents council on environmental quality ceq released two important guidance documents related to the implementation of the national environmental policy act. The white house council on environmental quality ceq issued new. Reference herein to any specific tool, methodology, or report or its developers shall not constitute or imply its endorsement or. It then provided more detail on when and how to do so in its 2010 and 2014. Ceq releases final climatechange guidance for agencies. She was unanimously confirmed by the united states senate on january 2, 2019, and sworn in as chairman on. Ceq issues final guidance on climate change and nepa with.
This is the first ceq guidance specifically addressing requirements for. Ceqs efforts spring from a 2017 executive order that directed it to enhance and modernize the. The white house council on environmental quality ceq is formally withdrawing its guidance for how agencies should consider greenhouse gas emissions and climate change in national environmental policy act. To assist federal agencies in effectively implementing the environmental policy and action forcing provisions of nepa, ceq issued regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of the national environmental policy act. Ceq releases final guidance on greenhouse gases and climate change. Ceq instructs federal agencies to consider climate change. Aug 03, 2016 the guidance is a response to a 2008 petition by several nonprofit organizations requesting to amend ceqs nepa compliance regulations to address the issue of climate change.
On december 18, 2014, ceq released revised draft guidance for public comment that describes how federal departments and agencies should consider the effects of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change in their national environmental policy act. Consideration of climate change in federal eiss, 2009 2011. On december 28, 2018, opr released a discussion draft update to our 2008 advisory suggesting relevant ways to address climate change in ceqa. Not surprisingly, the lack of appropriate guidance and the inherent difficulty of this task have led to nepa documents that address climate change superficially and. Council on environmental quality releases two nepa.
This site is designed to provide you access to helpful information related to the agencys management of the nepa process. The white house council on environmental quality ceq today released its final guidance on how federal agencies should consider climate change effects in national environmental policy act. Nepa and climate change ceq issued draft guidance on considering climate change cc in nepa, including ghg analysis, in february 2010. The council on environmental quality ceq, a division of the executive office of the president, today published in the federal register a notice of proposed rulemaking that would make significant changes to its regulations implementing the national environmental policy act. Ceq oversees federal agency nepa implementation and develops and recommends national policies to the president that promote the improvement of environmental quality and meet the nations goals. Ceqa and climate change office of planning and research. Implications of the guidance to landmanagement agencies prompted ceq to expand the draft guidance in 2011. White house council on environmental quality issues final. The draft guidance, if finalized, would help resolve continuing debate over the relevance of climate change to nepa analyses by recommending and in some cases. Ceqenvironmental justice guidance under the national environmental policy act. Guidance from ceq on environmental justice and the national environmental policy act. Now federal agencies must fully and properly analyze the climate impacts of their proposed actions before deciding on how to proceed. Overview of ceq guidance on greenhouse gases and climate change.
Nepa national environmental policy act environmental. Aug 04, 2016 on august 2, 2016, the white house council on environmental quality ceq published a final version of its guidance to federal agencies requiring the consideration of greenhouse gas ghg emissions and effects on climate change when evaluating potential impacts of a federal action under the national environmental policy act nepa. An accompanying presidential memorandum directed that human health, economic, and social effects, including effects on minority communities and lowincome communities, be included in the analysis of environmental effects pursuant to nepa. Opponents of nepa climate guidance hoping for republican. Ceq marks 40th anniversary of nepa with new guidance on. The guidance commences from the premise that climate change is a real threat to human health and the environment, and proceeds to set forth how federal agencies should.
Climate change is a fundamental environmental issue, and its effects fall squarely within nepas purview. The council on environmental quality ceq has released final guidance for federal agencies on how to consider the impacts of their actions on global climate change in their national environmental policy act. Nepa national environmental policy act greenhouse gas ghg. Council on environmental quality ceq released for comment draft guidance on the consideration of greenhouse gases under the national environmental policy act. Nepa requires federal agencies to assess the environmental effects of their proposed. The nepa program area provides guidance, policies, and examples of federal regulations and agency policies for the implementation of nepa, including the development of environmental assessments ea, environmental impact statements eis, findings of no significant impact fonsis, and other nepa related documentation. Federal register agencies council on environmental quality.
Ceq leaves landuse planners with no meaningful guidance on how to assess climate change in their nepa analyses. The council on environmental quality ceq issued new draft guidance at the end of june intended to further permit streamlining generally and greenhouse gas ghg analysis specifically. The revocation of ceqs climate guidance did not change federal. Nepa final guidance on greenhouse gases and climate change. Ceq issues revised draft guidance for evaluating climate.
The executive order directs the council on environmental quality ceq. Thus, ceqs proposed guidance remains vague on the key threshold issue that determines whether nepa documents contain a climate change discussion at all, and if so. On tuesday august 2 the council on environmental quality ceq released its muchanticipated final guidance to federal agencies on the consideration. While the draft guidance is nonbinding, federal agencies have begun to incorporate consideration of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions into eiss. Lat week, the white house council on environmental quality ceq released new draft guidance to modernize and reinvigorate the national environmental policy act nepa. While the date of the final guidance is not known, nasa proactively developed a. Ceq invites comments on potentially sweeping changes to. Proposed ceq guidelines on climate change and nepa focus. Legal status of ceqs final guidance on climate change in. What you need to know on the new nepa draft guidance on. The us white house council on environmental quality ceq issued its final guidance to. Neumayr is the current chairman of the council on environmental quality ceq.
New draft guidance proposed by ceq encourages climate. On december 18, 2014, ceq released revised draft guidance for. Overview of ceq guidance on greenhouse gases and climate. Ceqs proposal to update national environmental policy act nepa regulations. The national environmental policy act nepa was signed into law on january 1, 1970. The guidance advises federal agencies to examine both the effects of the proposed project on climate change and the effects of climate change on the project. Ceq issues measured final guidance for federal agencies in.
White house issues draft guidance on considering climate. The national environmental policy act nepa staff supports the forest services compliance with the environmental laws and regulations that guide management of the lands and resources of the national forest system. The new draft guidance updates ceq s 2010 draft guidance, which was never finalized. History of ceq nepa regulations and guidance department of. The draft guidance for the first time includes guidance on the socalled. The guidance is a response to a 2008 petition by several nonprofit organizations requesting to amend ceqs nepa compliance regulations to address the issue of climate. Ceq chief of staff mary neumayr, who is also the acting ceq chair, signed the withdrawal notice, which. Whitehouse statement on ceqs final climate guidance for. Nepa national environmental policy act infrastructure. Ceq issues new draft guidance on consideration of climate. This final guidance provides a framework for agencies to consider both the effects of a proposed action on climate change, as indicated by its estimated greenhouse gas emissions, and the effects of climate change on a proposed action. Federal register withdrawal of final guidance for federal.
The presidents council on environmental quality ceq has just issued a guidance document that addresses that question. The new proposed guidance updates ceqs 2010 draft guidance on how agencies should assess projects ghg impacts. This discussion draft incorporates developments since 2008, including the regulatory changes made to the ceqa guidelines in late 2018 by the agency. Ceq justifies using ghg emissions as a proxy for actual environmental impacts because.
Ceq published draft guidance in june 2019 to assist federal agencies in their consideration of greenhouse gas ghg emissions in nepa analysis and documentation. Ceq releases final guidance on greenhouse gases and climate. Ceq issues draft guidance on considering ghg under nepa. Ceq is issuing the guidance to provide for greater clarity and more consistency in how agencies address climate change in the environmental impact assessment process. On december 18, 2014, ceq released revised draft guidance outlining how federal agencies should describe the potential effects of a proposed action on greenhouse gas emissions and. Thus, ceqs proposed guidance remains vague on the key threshold issue that determines whether nepa documents contain a climate change discussion at all, and if so whether a projects ghg emissions are significant enough in and of themselves to warrant development of an eis. Guidance for nepa and sepa projectlevel climate change. Ceqenvironmental justice guidance under the national environmental policy act pdf 40 pp, 2 mb. The december 2014 revised draft guidance states that consideration of climate change falls squarely within nepas focus and recommends that. You may need a pdf reader to view some of the files on this page. Ceq oversees federal agency implementation of nepa, principally through. Ceq issues final greenhouse gas guidance directing federal. Not surprisingly, the lack of appropriate guidance and the inherent.
Ceq releases final guidance on greenhouse gases and. President nixon signed the national environmental policy act nepa into law on january 1, 1970. History of ceq nepa regulations and guidance department. Ceq issued guidance 1997 for agencies on addressing environmental justice ej in the nepa process. Ceq published draft guidance in june 2019 to assist federal agencies in their consideration of greenhouse gas ghg emissions in nepa analysis and. Aug 03, 2016 the presidents council on environmental quality ceq has just issued a guidance document that addresses that question.