Environmental Impact Assessment Flashcards
6 cards from real CES practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Environmental Impact Assessment flashcards as text
What is the primary federal law governing Environmental Impact Assessments in the United States?
Answer: National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
NEPA (1970) requires federal agencies to assess the environmental effects of proposed major federal actions before making decisions. It established the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process.
What is a 'Finding of No Significant Impact' (FONSI) in the NEPA process?
Answer: A determination that a proposed action will not significantly affect the environment, eliminating the need for a full EIS
A FONSI is issued after an Environmental Assessment (EA) concludes that the proposed action will not have significant environmental impacts, allowing the project to proceed without preparing a full Environmental Impact Statement.
What is the difference between a Categorical Exclusion, an Environmental Assessment, and an Environmental Impact Statement?
Answer: They represent increasing levels of environmental review based on the potential significance of environmental impacts
Categorical Exclusions apply to routine actions with no significant impacts. Environmental Assessments evaluate uncertain impacts. Environmental Impact Statements are the most thorough, required when significant impacts are expected.
What must be included in the 'alternatives analysis' section of an Environmental Impact Statement?
Answer: A comparison of the proposed action with reasonable alternatives, including the no-action alternative
The alternatives analysis is considered the 'heart' of an EIS. It must evaluate reasonable alternatives to the proposed action, always including the no-action alternative, and compare their environmental impacts.
What is 'cumulative impact' in environmental assessment?
Answer: The combined effect of past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions on the environment
Cumulative impacts consider how the proposed action's effects combine with impacts from other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions, even when each individual impact might be minor.
What is the role of public participation in the Environmental Impact Assessment process?
Answer: To provide stakeholders the opportunity to review and comment on proposed actions and their environmental consequences
NEPA requires public notice and comment periods for EAs and EISs, allowing citizens, organizations, and other agencies to provide input on environmental analyses and proposed actions.