§304a Accelerated Decisionmaking in Environmental Reviews

Summary

Allow lead agencies preparing a final environmental impact statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) to attach short correction or explanation sheets instead of rewriting the draft when changes are minor and limited to factual fixes or brief responses. Those sheets must show the sources and reasons behind the agency’s position and, when needed, say what would require more review. The lead agency must also try to quickly produce one combined document that is the final environmental impact statement plus the record of decision, unless the final statement makes big changes tied to environmental or safety issues or new important environmental information appears. Department of Transportation operating administrations must avoid repeating work by adopting or incorporating another office’s draft or final environmental document when making their own, but only if the adopting office certifies the projects are substantially the same, the other office agrees, and the actions follow NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). Material can be incorporated by reference only if it is cited and briefly described, reasonably available for public review in the comment period, and does not contain proprietary data that cannot be reviewed.