§157 National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 Reporting Program

Summary

The Secretary must track how NEPA reviews go for projects and send a yearly report to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The report covers the fiscal year before the report is issued. "Federal agency" and "Secretary" can include a State that has taken over responsibility under section 327. Short term meanings: categorical exclusion — see 23 CFR 771.117(c); documented categorical exclusion — see 23 CFR 771.117(d); environmental assessment — see 40 CFR 1508.1; environmental impact statement — the detailed NEPA statement required under 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C); NEPA process — all steps to study and document impacts, alternatives, mitigation, agency coordination, and public involvement; proposed action — a project the Secretary plans to carry out. The report must list counts and timing for DOT actions during the reporting period: how many categorical exclusions and documented categorical exclusions were issued, how many documented categorical exclusions are still pending, how many environmental assessments (EAs) were completed and how long each took, how many EAs are being drafted, how many environmental impact statements (EISs) were completed and how long each took, and how many EISs are being drafted. For the pending EAs and EISs, the report must give the percentage that have funding identified and the percentage for which all other required Federal, State, and local activities are finished. For timing rules, an EIS starts when the Notice of Intent appears in the Federal Register and ends when a record of decision (including any revision) is issued; an EA starts when the Secretary decides to prepare it and ends when a finding of no significant impact is issued or when an EIS is required.