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Description / Abstract:
Overview
The purpose of this handbook is to help practitioners bridge the
gap between the theory and practice of producing high-quality
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents. In general, a
high-quality NEPA document is one that:
Is readily understandable by all audiences, including those
without technical expertise
Provides key information in an easy-to-navigate format
Focuses on pertinent information and avoids unnecessary bulk
Includes supporting technical information in appendices
Meets all legal requirements
This handbook focuses on preparation of environmental impact
statements (EISs) and environmental assessments (EAs), because
those documents tend to be more complex and therefore present
greater challenges in achieving both readability and legal
sufficiency. Many of the tips in this handbook also apply to
documented categorical exclusions (CEs).
This handbook is accompanied by a separate document,
Examples of Effective Techniques for Improving the Quality of
Environmental Documents (2014), which contains excerpts from
recent NEPA documents issued by FHWA and FTA. The examples
illustrate the techniques described in the Practical Tips section
of this handbook.1
1 The examples document is available, along with this
Practitioner's Handbook, on the Center for Environmental Excellence
by AASHTO website at http://environment.transportation.org.