DEQ Environmental Impact Assessment 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is 'cumulative impact' analysis in NEPA environmental review?
- An analysis limited to the direct physical impacts of a proposed project on the immediate project site
- An assessment of the combined impact of the proposed action together with past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions in the area (Correct answer)
- A calculation of the total cost of all environmental mitigation measures required by the EIS
- An analysis of impacts that occur only after the project has been operating for more than 10 years
Correct answer: An assessment of the combined impact of the proposed action together with past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions in the area
Cumulative impact analysis evaluates whether the proposed action, combined with other past and future actions, results in significant impacts even if each individual action's impact is minor.
Question 2: Which state-level environmental review process is often called 'little NEPA' and mirrors the federal NEPA process?
- State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) or equivalent state law (Correct answer)
- State Clean Air Act implementation plans
- State RCRA hazardous waste program authorization
- State water quality certification under Clean Water Act Section 401
Correct answer: State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) or equivalent state law
Many states have enacted their own environmental review laws modeled on NEPA—often called 'little NEPAs'—that require state agencies to assess the environmental impacts of state-funded or state-approved actions.
Question 3: What does Clean Water Act Section 401 water quality certification require?
- All dischargers in a state to maintain NPDES permits in good standing
- States to certify that federally licensed or permitted activities will comply with state water quality standards before the federal permit is issued (Correct answer)
- Federal agencies to obtain state approval before issuing any water-related environmental permits
- Wastewater treatment plants to meet specific effluent standards before receiving federal construction grants
Correct answer: States to certify that federally licensed or permitted activities will comply with state water quality standards before the federal permit is issued
Section 401 requires applicants for federal licenses or permits to obtain state certification that the activity will comply with state water quality standards, giving states a powerful voice over federally permitted projects.
Question 4: What is a 'finding of no significant impact' (FONSI) in NEPA?
- A federal court ruling that an EIS was not required for a completed project
- A document prepared by a federal agency stating that a proposed action will not have a significant effect on the human environment and therefore does not require an EIS (Correct answer)
- An EPA determination that a project site contains no contaminated soil or groundwater
- A DEQ letter confirming that a project qualifies for a categorical exclusion under state environmental review
Correct answer: A document prepared by a federal agency stating that a proposed action will not have a significant effect on the human environment and therefore does not require an EIS
A FONSI concludes the EA process by documenting the agency's determination that the proposed action's impacts are not significant, eliminating the need for a full EIS.
Question 5: What does 'indirect impact' mean in NEPA impact analysis?
- Impacts that occur at the project site during construction
- Impacts that are caused by the action but occur later in time or farther removed in distance, such as induced development triggered by a new highway (Correct answer)
- Impacts resulting from future projects not yet approved by the agency
- Impacts that cannot be quantified and must be described qualitatively in the EIS
Correct answer: Impacts that are caused by the action but occur later in time or farther removed in distance, such as induced development triggered by a new highway
Indirect impacts are caused by the action but occur later in time or at a distance, such as secondary development, population growth, or ecosystem changes induced by the primary project.
Question 6: What is 'mitigation' in the context of environmental impact assessment?
- The legal process of settling environmental lawsuits out of court
- Measures taken to avoid, minimize, rectify, reduce, or compensate for adverse environmental impacts of a proposed action (Correct answer)
- Financial penalties paid to the DEQ for environmental violations caused during project construction
- The transfer of environmental liability from the project applicant to the lead federal agency
Correct answer: Measures taken to avoid, minimize, rectify, reduce, or compensate for adverse environmental impacts of a proposed action
Mitigation encompasses a hierarchy of measures—from avoiding impacts entirely to compensating for unavoidable impacts—used to reduce a project's overall environmental footprint.
DEQ Environmental Impact Assessment 2
What is 'cumulative impact' analysis in NEPA environmental review?