Determining the scope and level of detail appropriate for a programmatic environmental impact statement

Abstract

AbstractSince the inception of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in 1969, no definitive guidance has been established for determining the scope of issues or the level of detail suitable for presentation within a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (P‐EIS). Lacking such guidance, an inordinate amount of time and resources are often consumed in determining the issues and level of detail that are most appropriately addressed within a P‐EIS versus the more detailed scope and level of detail best reserved for lower‐tier documents. Experience indicates that P‐EISs are often over bloated and unnecessarily complex. Consequently, there is a great deal of inconsistency in the preparation of P‐EISs among federal agency programs.A paradigm for assisting decision makers in making such determinations is presented below. This model expedites the preparation of P‐EISs by providing a systematic approach for determining the scope and level of detail that are most appropriately addressed at the programmatic level. Thus, the model provides agencies with an excellent means for streamlining the NEPA process by descoping needless and unnecessary issues from the P‐EIS.