CFP Environmental Impact Assessment 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under NEPA, which document is prepared when a federal agency is uncertain whether a proposed action will significantly affect the environment?
- Environmental Impact Statement
- Environmental Assessment (Correct answer)
- Categorical Exclusion
- Biological Opinion
Correct answer: Environmental Assessment
An Environmental Assessment (EA) is prepared to determine whether a proposed action requires a full EIS or qualifies for a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).
Question 2: Which federal law requires consultation between federal agencies and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service when a proposed action may affect threatened or endangered species?
- National Environmental Policy Act
- Clean Water Act
- Endangered Species Act Section 7 (Correct answer)
- Magnuson-Stevens Act
Correct answer: Endangered Species Act Section 7
ESA Section 7 mandates formal consultation with USFWS or NMFS when federal actions may jeopardize listed species or adversely modify critical habitat.
Question 3: In EIA, what is the term for the predicted state of the environment without the proposed project?
- Cumulative impact baseline
- No-action alternative
- Future without project condition (Correct answer)
- Reference condition
Correct answer: Future without project condition
The 'future without project condition' describes the expected environmental state if the action is not implemented, providing the comparison baseline for impact prediction.
Question 4: Which method is most appropriate for quantifying the spatial extent of thermal plume impacts on fish habitat in a river receiving a power plant discharge?
- Habitat Evaluation Procedure (HEP)
- Hydrodynamic thermal dispersion modeling (Correct answer)
- Rapid bioassessment protocol
- Schindler-Clarke survey
Correct answer: Hydrodynamic thermal dispersion modeling
Hydrodynamic thermal dispersion models simulate temperature gradients in the water column and predict the areal extent of thermal impacts on aquatic habitat.
Question 5: A Biological Opinion concluding 'jeopardy' to a listed fish species must include which element?
- A categorical exclusion determination
- Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives (Correct answer)
- A FONSI declaration
- Section 404 permit conditions
Correct answer: Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives
When USFWS or NMFS issues a jeopardy Biological Opinion, it must include Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives (RPAs) that the action agency can implement to avoid jeopardy.
Question 6: Which impact assessment tool uses habitat units (HUs) to evaluate changes in fish population carrying capacity before and after a project?
- Instream Flow Incremental Methodology (IFIM)
- Habitat Evaluation Procedure (HEP) (Correct answer)
- Rapid Habitat Assessment
- Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI)
Correct answer: Habitat Evaluation Procedure (HEP)
HEP quantifies wildlife and fish habitat value as Habitat Units (HUs = acres × Habitat Suitability Index) to compare pre- and post-project conditions.
Question 7: During scoping for an EIS affecting a major river fishery, which group is NOT typically required to be notified?
- Federally recognized tribal governments
- State fish and wildlife agencies
- International fishing treaty partners in non-adjacent countries (Correct answer)
- The general public
Correct answer: International fishing treaty partners in non-adjacent countries
Scoping requires notification of federal agencies, state/local governments, tribes, and the public, but international treaty partners in non-adjacent countries are not a standard NEPA requirement.
CFP Environmental Impact Assessment 2
Under NEPA, which document is prepared when a federal agency is uncertain whether a proposed action will significantly affect the environment?