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NEPA - Policy and Practice
 | Environmental Impact Statements (EISs): It
is the policy of the Department of the Interior to “normally require the preparation
of an EIS” for proposed 5-Year Leasing Programs and lease sales. The Outer
Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1351(e)) requires that an EIS be prepared “at least
once” for approval of a development and production plan in any area outside the Gulf
of Mexico (GOM).
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| Environmental Assessments (EAs): We
prepare an EA for proposals to determine if significant impacts may occur that would
require preparation of an EIS. EAs are prepared for each exploration plan outside
the central and western GOM. EAs are prepared for other outer continental shelf
(OCS) oil and gas activities on a selective basis. For example, in the central and
western GOM, EAs are routinely prepared for proposals to remove structures and to operate
near especially sensitive areas (e.g., the Flower Garden Banks).
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| Categorical Exclusion Reviews (CERs): CERs
are the briefest form of NEPA review. The purpose of a CER is to verify that neither
an EA nor an EIS is needed prior to making a decision on the activity being considered for
approval. CERs are prepared mostly for exploration and development proposals in the
central and western GOM. CERs are also prepared for most geological and geophysical
survey permit applications in all OCS areas. |
For more information, contact James F. Bennett.
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