Systematic interdisciplinary language for environmental analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1984 · J. Environ. Manage.; (United States)

OSTI ID:7029040

Haug, P T; Burwell, R W; Yeager, G; Stein, A; Bandurski, B L

Many environmental impact statements (EIS) fail to predict environmental impacts, organize information about those impacts in a concise, logical way, and communicate that information intelligibly. This paper presents a systematic, auxiliary ''language'' for environmental analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), in an attempt to correct this problem. The approach improves communication among disciplinary specialists, between an interdisciplinary team and a decision-maker, and between a federal agency and the general public by helping to identify important issues and impacts, and by reducing time, effort, cost, and paperwork. The basis for the approach is found in the principal aims of the NEPA regulations and other criteria. The interdisciplinary language for environmental analysis consists of a small vocabulary, used in conjuction with a simple ''grammar'', a worksheet designed to organize and display information about environmental consequences in a logical, consistent format that is easily understood by persons from a wide variety of backgrounds. The worksheet encourages users to specify quantitative cause-effect relationships succinctly, including a statement about the probability of a specific impact occurring. It also allows the user to evaluate the relative importance of each impact within one or more contexts. Lack of information about impacts (identified by blanks on the worksheet) provides clues to what we do not know. 16 references, 4 tables.

• Research Organization: Dept. of the Interior, Washington, DC
• OSTI ID: 7029040
• Journal Information: J. Environ. Manage.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Environ. Manage.; (United States) Vol. 18:1; ISSN JEVMA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290300* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment
Health
& Safety
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES
COMMUNICATIONS
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
IMPLEMENTATION
LAWS
NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT
PROBABILITY