NEPA "Neat": The Proposed Rule, Distilled

The Administration has just issued a proposed rule that would amend the federal regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NEPA applies to nearly every federal action of consequence, including federal projects, permits for private activity, grants, funding decisions, and rulemakings. NEPA requires a federal agency to assess alternatives to its action along with reasonably foreseeable environmental impacts. Because how that task is conducted has implications for the substance and timing of private activity, this is a significant rulemaking. It is also the first overarching review and proposed revision of the NEPA regulations since they were first promulgated in 1978. Christine Wyman and Ann Navaro will provide an overview of the proposed rule and how it differs from the current regulations.