Georgia Water/Laws/National Environmental Policy Act

U.S. National Environmental Policy Act (1969)

General Description

NEPA is an environmental statute that emphasizes information rather than regulation. NEPA requires the publication of information about the environmental effects and alternatives to potential actions of the federal government. NEPA does not dictate environmental standards or controls.

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

This is the primary document generated under NEPA. Federal agencies must make a threshold finding of whether the EIS must be prepared, determine the scope and adequacy of the EIS, and then make a summary of existing credible scientific evidence relating to potential environmental impacts of a given project.

Judicial Review

A court may not substitute its own judgment for that of the agency, but it must determine that the agency did, in fact, actually consider the environmental issues and make full consideration of all relevant factors.