[Title 40 CFR 1505]
[Code of Federal Regulations (annual edition) - July 1, 2002 Edition]
[Title 40 - PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT]
[Chapter V - COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY]
[Part 1505 - NEPA AND AGENCY DECISIONMAKING]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]


40PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT282002-07-012002-07-01false1505PART 1505PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENTCOUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
PART 1505--NEPA AND AGENCY DECISIONMAKING--Table of Contents




Sec.
1505.1 Agency decisionmaking procedures.
1505.2 Record of decision in cases requiring environmental impact 
          statements.
1505.3 Implementing the decision.

    Authority: NEPA, the Environmental Quality Improvement Act of 1970, 
as amended (42 U.S.C. 4371 et seq.), sec. 309 of the Clean Air Act, as 
amended (42 U.S.C. 7609), and E.O. 11514 (Mar. 5, 1970, as amended by 
E.O. 11991, May 24, 1977).

    Source: 43 FR 55999, Nov. 29, 1978, unless otherwise noted.



Sec. 1505.1  Agency decisionmaking procedures.

    Agencies shall adopt procedures (Sec. 1507.3) to ensure that 
decisions are made in accordance with the policies and purposes of the 
Act. Such procedures shall include but not be limited to:
    (a) Implementing procedures under section 102(2) to achieve the 
requirements of sections 101 and 102(1).
    (b) Designating the major decision points for the agency's principal 
programs likely to have a significant effect on the human environment 
and assuring that the NEPA process corresponds with them.
    (c) Requiring that relevant environmental documents, comments, and 
responses be part of the record in formal rulemaking or adjudicatory 
proceedings.
    (d) Requiring that relevant environmental documents, comments, and 
responses accompany the proposal through existing agency review 
processes so that agency officials use the statement in making 
decisions.
    (e) Requiring that the alternatives considered by the decisionmaker 
are encompassed by the range of alternatives discussed in the relevant 
environmental documents and that the decisionmaker consider the 
alternatives described in the environmental impact statement. If another 
decision document accompanies the relevant environmental documents to 
the decisionmaker, agencies are encouraged to make available to the 
public before the decision is made any part of that document that 
relates to the comparison of alternatives.

[[Page 482]]



Sec. 1505.2  Record of decision in cases requiring environmental impact statements.

    At the time of its decision (Sec. 1506.10) or, if appropriate, its 
recommendation to Congress, each agency shall prepare a concise public 
record of decision. The record, which may be integrated into any other 
record prepared by the agency, including that required by OMB Circular 
A-95 (Revised), part I, sections 6(c) and (d), and part II, section 
5(b)(4), shall:
    (a) State what the decision was.
    (b) Identify all alternatives considered by the agency in reaching 
its decision, specifying the alternative or alternatives which were 
considered to be environmentally preferable. An agency may discuss 
preferences among alternatives based on relevant factors including 
economic and technical considerations and agency statutory missions. An 
agency shall identify and discuss all such factors including any 
essential considerations of national policy which were balanced by the 
agency in making its decision and state how those considerations entered 
into its decision.
    (c) State whether all practicable means to avoid or minimize 
environmental harm from the alternative selected have been adopted, and 
if not, why they were not. A monitoring and enforcement program shall be 
adopted and summarized where applicable for any mitigation.



Sec. 1505.3  Implementing the decision.

    Agencies may provide for monitoring to assure that their decisions 
are carried out and should do so in important cases. Mitigation 
(Sec. 1505.2(c)) and other conditions established in the environmental 
impact statement or during its review and committed as part of the 
decision shall be implemented by the lead agency or other appropriate 
consenting agency. The lead agency shall:
    (a) Include appropriate conditions in grants, permits or other 
approvals.
    (b) Condition funding of actions on mitigation.
    (c) Upon request, inform cooperating or commenting agencies on 
progress in carrying out mitigation measures which they have proposed 
and which were adopted by the agency making the decision.
    (d) Upon request, make available to the public the results of 
relevant monitoring.