Oct 7 -- The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) is proposing to modify certain aspects of its regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to generally restore regulatory provisions that were in effect for decades before being modified in 2020.
CEQ proposes these changes in order to better align the provisions with CEQ's extensive experience implementing NEPA, in particular its perspective on how NEPA can best inform agency decision making, as well as longstanding Federal agency experience and practice, NEPA's statutory text and purpose, including making decisions informed by science, and case law interpreting NEPA's requirements. The proposed rule would restore provisions addressing the purpose and need of a proposed action, agency NEPA procedures for implementing CEQ's NEPA regulations, and the definition of “effects.” CEQ invites comments on the proposed revisions. CEQ must receive comments by November 22, 2021.
CEQ will conduct two online public meetings for the proposed rule on Tuesday, October 19, 2021, from 1 to 4 p.m. EDT, and Thursday, October 21, 2021 from 5 to 8 p.m. EDT. To register for the meetings, please visit CEQ's website at www.nepa.gov
FR notice of proposed NEPA regulation revisions:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/10/07/2021-21867/national-environmental-policy-act-implementing-regulations-revisions
