Streamlining the process: A strategy for making NEPA work better and cost less

Conference · Fri May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1998

OSTI ID:658276

Hansen, R P; Hansen, J D ^[1]; Wolff, T A ^[2]

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1. Hansen Environmental Consultants, Englewood, CO (United States)
2. Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

When the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) was enacted in 1969, neither Congress nor the Federal Agencies affected anticipated that implementation of the NEPA process would result in the intolerable delays, inefficiencies, duplication of effort, commitments of excessive financial and personnel resources, and bureaucratic gridlock that have become institutionalized. The 1975 Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations, which were intended to make the NEPA process more efficient and more useful to decision makers and the public, have either been largely ignored or unintentionally subverted. Agency policy mandates, like those of former Secretary of Energy Hazel R. O`Leary, to ``make NEPA work better and cost less`` have, so far, been disappointingly ineffectual. Federal Agencies have reached the point where almost every constituent of the NEPA process must be subjected to crisis management. This paper focuses on a ten-point strategy for streamlining the NEPA process in order to achieve the Act`s objectives while easing the considerable burden on agencies, the public, and the judicial system. How the ten points are timed and implemented is critical to any successful streamlining.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Assistant Secretary for Management and Administration, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• OSTI ID: 658276
• Report Number(s): SAND--98-0470C; CONF-980651--; ON: DE98005457; BR: YN0100000
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
ECONOMICS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
IMPLEMENTATION
POLLUTION ABATEMENT
POLLUTION CONTROL
US NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT