Presented to: Kentucky Chemical Demilitarization Citizens’ Advisory Commission Presented by: Jon Ware Environmental Scientist PEO ACWA HQ

1. BGCAPP EDT EA CDCAB
NEPA and Army Decision
Process
23 October 2013
Presented to:
Kentucky Chemical Demilitarization
Citizens’ Advisory Commission
Presented by:
Jon Ware
Environmental Scientist
PEO ACWA HQ

2. A Partnership for Safe Chemical Weapons Destruction
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA)
 Federal agencies are required to determine if their proposed
actions have significant environmental effects, and to
consider the environmental and related social and economic
effects of their proposed actions.
 Disclosure document that provides information to the public
on major Federal actions.
 Environmental impact statements shall be analytic rather
than encyclopedic. (40 CFR 1502.2(a))
 Army decisions must reflect consideration of other
requirements such as Executive Orders and other non-
statutory requirements, examples of which are enumerated
in 40 CFR 651.14(e). (40 CFR 651.9(1) National
Environmental Policy Act and the Decision Process)
2

3. A Partnership for Safe Chemical Weapons Destruction
NEPA
 NEPA requirements may be incorporated into other Army
plans in accordance with 40 CFR 1506.4.
– Integrated Natural Resource Management Plan
– Integrated Cultural Resources Management Plan
– Integrated Pest Management Plan
 NEPA documentation works in parallel with other
environmental laws and decision making activities, but does
not take their place
– Procurement considerations for the proposed action
– Design considerations for the proposed action
– Permitting considerations for the proposed action
3

4. A Partnership for Safe Chemical Weapons Destruction
NEPA Terms
 Significant: When used to describe potentially adverse
impacts, the term “significant” should generally be
interpreted to mean “above levels of concern.” Impacts that
are characterized as not being significant would therefore be
undetectable or would be sufficiently minor that they would
not noticeably alter any important attribute of the resources.
 FONSI (as a decision point): The draft FONSI publication is
not a decision point of NEPA. The FONSI is a statement
reporting that the environmental impact of the proposed
action and its alternatives are not significant.
4

5. A Partnership for Safe Chemical Weapons Destruction
NEPA Questions
Questions ?
5