Policies & Guidance

In addition to the EPA guidance listed below, we recommend that you visit NEPAnet, a website maintained by the President's Council on Environmental Quality, for additional policies and guidance regarding the National Environmental Policy Act.

Some of the documents provided by EPA are Adobe Acrobat PDF (Portable Document Format) Files. They can be viewed, and printed, with the use of an Adobe Acrobat Reader.

• Interagency Agreement on Early Coordination of Environmental Reviews of Natural Gas Pipelines (PDF, 560kb)
  Provides a framework for early cooperation and participation among federal agencies to enhance coordination of the processes through which environmental reviews under NEPA and other related statutes are met in connection with the authorizations that are required to construct and operate interstate natural gas pipeline projects.

• Consideration Of Cumulative Impacts In EPA Review of NEPA Documents (PDF, 104 kb)
  The purpose of this guidance is to assist EPA reviewers of NEPA documents in providing accurate, realistic, and consistent comments on the assessment of cumulative impacts. The guidance focuses on specific issues that are critical in EPA's review of NEPA documents under Section 309 of the Clean Air Act.

• Final Guidance For Incorporating Environmental Justice Concerns in EPA's NEPA Compliance Analyses (PDF, 304kb)
  Guidance on how EPA should incorporate environmental justice goals into its own preparation of Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) and Environmental Assessments (EAs) under NEPA.

• Final Guidance for Consideration of Environmental Justice in Clean Air Act 309 Reviews (PDF, 134kb)
  Guidance for reviewing and commenting on National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents prepared by other federal agencies to help ensure that environmental effects on minority communities and low-income communities have been fully analyzed.

• Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Filing System Guidance
  Information for Federal agencies regarding the administrative aspects of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) filing process

• Policy and Procedures for the Review of Federal Actions Impacting the Environment (PDF, 169kb)
  This manual establishes policies and procedures for carrying out EPA's responsibilities to review and comment on Federal actions affecting the quality of the environment.