10.9—Preparation of environmental assessments.
(a) When to prepare.
The Regional Administrator shall begin preparation of an environmental assessment as early as possible after the determination that an assessment is required. The Regional Administrator may prepare an environmental assessment at any time to assist planning and decision-making.
(b) Content and format.
The environmental assessment is a concise public document to determine whether to prepare an environmental impact statement, aiding in compliance with NEPA when no EIS is necessary, and facilitating preparation of a statement when one is necessary. Preparation of an environmental assessment generally will not require extensive research or lengthy documentation. The environmental assessment shall contain brief discussion of the following:
(c) Public participation.
The Regional Administrator shall involve environmental agencies, applicants, and the public, to the extent practicable, in preparing environmental assessments. In determining “to the extent practicable,” the Regional Administrator shall consider:
(d) When to prepare an EIS.
The Regional Administrator shall prepare an environmental impact statement for all major Agency actions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. The test of what is a “significant” enough impact to require an EIS is found in the CEQ regulations at 40 CFR 1508.27.
(e) Finding of No Significant Impact.
If the Regional Administrator determines on the basis of the environmental assessment not to prepare an environmental impact statement, the Regional Administrator shall prepare a finding of no significant impact in accordance with 40 CFR 1501.4(e) of the CEQ regulations. The assessment and the finding shall be submitted to the Environmental Officer and the Office of Chief Counsel (OCC) for approval. If Environmental Officer and OGC approval is obtained, the Regional Administrator shall then make the finding of no significant impact available to the public as specified in § 1506.6 of the CEQ regulations. A finding of no significant impact is not required when the decision not to prepare an environmental impact statement is based on a categorical exclusion.
(f) Environmental Officer or OCC Disallowance.
If the Environmental Officer or OCC disagrees with the finding of no significant impact, the Regional Administrator shall prepare an environmental impact statement. Prior to preparation of an EIS, the Regional Administrator shall forward a notice of intent to prepare the EIS to the Environmental Officer who shall publish such notice in the Federal Register.
(g) EIS determination of Regional Administrator.
The Regional Director may decide on his/her own to prepare an environmental impact statement. In such case, the Regional Administrator shall forward a notice of intent to prepare the EIS to the Environmental Officer who shall publish such notice in the Federal Register. The notice of intent shall be published before initiation of the scoping process.