This electronic flyer highlights our capabilities and activities in the area of Environmental Assessment Services Under NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) Please sign our guestbook. For additional information, e-mail Dr. David R. Turner, Southwest Research Institute.

Environmental Assessment Services Under NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) 

Southwest Research Institute® (SwRI®) has more than 20 years of experience with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which requires agencies to consider the environmental impacts of federal activities while avoiding potential conflicts of interest.

SwRI offers complete support to organizations with environmental impact assessment responsibilities under NEPA. Compliance requires publicly accessible documents that integrate complex technical and policy issues. Continuous evaluation on a case-by-case basis ensures freedom from conflict of interest for each project.

TRAINING

Effective NEPA documentation relies on systematic, technically sound reviews to ensure accurate, objective analysis and presentation of the important issues. To respond to this need, SwRI offers a short course in NEPA document review. Participants become familiar with key NEPA concepts, including:

  • Categorical exclusion
  • Environmental assessment (EA)
  • Findings of no significant impact (FONSI)
  • Environmental impact statement (EIS)

The course is appropriate for professionals with several years of NEPA experience, as well as junior staff just beginning environmental impact assessment work.

SwRI offers a short course to teach participants how to review NEPA documents for accuracy, objectivity, and presentation of important issues.

DOCUMENT REVIEW

SwRI assembles multidisciplinary teams to review environmental impact assessments. On a site-specific basis, staff reviews include:

  • Assessment of compliance with NEPA requirements
  • Independent, confirmatory analyses
  • Checks on technical accuracy and consistency

INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENTS

SwRI staff members conduct independent environmental impact assessments to support NEPA compliance. Analyses are documented in EAs or EISs prepared with the level of detail scaled to the significance of the potential impact. Key aspects of the SwRI approach include:

  • Rigorous quality assurance
  • High-quality technical analysis
  • Data traceability and visualization
  • Reporting clarity
SwRI scientists developed a portable Geographic Information System with a structure designed to support NEPA impact assessments and agency decision-making.

 

This flyer was published in August 2007. For more information about Environmental Assessment Services Under NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act), contact Dr. David R. Turner, Southwest Research Institute, P.O. Drawer 28510, San Antonio, Texas 78228-0510, Phone (210) 522-2139, Fax (210) 522-6081.

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