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National Environmental Policy Act Information
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and its implementing procedures (10 CFR 1021) require federal agencies to integrate
environmental values into their decision-making process by considering the environmental impacts of their proposed actions and
reasonable alternatives for implementing those actions.
Categorical Exclusions
Categorical exclusions are classes of Departmental actions that U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has, by regulation, determined
do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the environment and for which, therefore neither an environmental
impact statement nor an environmental assessment is normally required. An agency's NEPA Compliance Officers determine whether
particular proposed actions fit within the defined categorical exclusions.
Under DOE's NEPA regulations, absent any extraordinary circumstances related to the proposal that may affect the significance of its
environmental effects, a proposed activity can be categorically excluded from further NEPA review if it falls within any of the
"general" agency classes of action (such as routine administrative, financial, and personnel actions) listed in
Appendix A of Subpart D or "specific" agency actions (involving, for example, construction of bench-scale research
projects or actions to promote energy efficiency) listed in Appendix B.
Under a new policy announced in "NEPA Process Transparency and Openness" (October 2, 2009 memorandum from Deputy
Secretary Daniel B. Poneman to Heads of Departmental Elements), each Program and Field Office (including the National Nuclear Security
Administration and the Power Marketing Administrations) will document and post online all categorical exclusion determinations
involving classes of actions listed in Appendix B of the Department's NEPA implementing procedures. (This policy does not require
posting of categorical exclusion determinations involving classes of actions listed in Appendix A.) However, posted categorical
exclusion determinations will not contain information exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), such as
classified, trade secrets or commercial or financial information.
Posting of Categorical Exclusions
FY 2010 Categorical Exclusions
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