TagCouncil on Environmental Quality(6)

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  • 2026-01-08 13:55

    CEQ Scoping for Cumulative Effects

    This document outlines principles and steps for conducting cumulative effects analysis in environmental impact assessments. It covers identifying cumulative effects issues, establishing geographic and temporal boundaries, and determining which effects are important from a cumulative perspective. https://ceq.doe.gov/docs/ceq-publications/ccenepa/sec2.pdf
  • 2025-05-30 16:24

    U.S. Supreme Court Narrows NEPA Review

    Court removes “indirect effects” requirement The U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision, on May 29, 2025, narrowing the scope of environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).  In Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colorado, the Court reversed in part the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals’ finding that the Surface Transportation
  • 2024-06-01 16:12

    Council on Environmental Quality Substantially Rewrites NEPA Regulations

    Highlights The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) recently published its Phase II regulations under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Amendments to the NEPA regulations are significant in scope and affect virtually all aspects of the NEPA review process, with many potentially contributing to Biden Administration goals of efficiencies and streamlined reviews, while others possibly
  • 2005-06-24 00:00

    Council On Environmental Quality: Consideration of Past Actions In Cumulative Effects Analysis

    In this Memorandum, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) provides guidance on the extent to which agencies of the Federal government are required to analyze the environmental effects of past actions when they describe the cumulative environmental effect of a proposed action in accordance with Section 102 of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. § 4332, and the CEQ Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA, 40 C.F.R. parts 1500-1508. CEQ's interpretation of NEPA is entitled to deference. Andrus v. Sierra Club, 442 U.S. 347, 358 (1979). II. Guidance The environmental analysis required under NEPA is forward-looking, in that it focuses on the potential impacts of the proposed action that an agency is considering. Thus, review of past actions is required to the extent that this review informs agency decisionmnaking regarding the proposed action. This can occur in two ways: First, the effects of past actions may warrant consideration in the analysis of the cumulative effects of a proposal for agency action. CEQ interprets NEPA and CEQ's NEPA regulations on cumulative effects as requiring analysis and a concise description of the identifiable present effects of past actions to the extent that they are relevant and useful in analyzing whether the reasonably foreseeable effects of the agency proposal for action and its alternatives may have a continuing, additive and significant relationship to those effects. In determining what information is necessary for a cumulative effects analysis, agencies should use scoping to focus on the extent to which information is…
  • 1997-01-01 00:00

    Considering Cumulative Effects Under NEPA (Executive Summary)

    A handbook by the Council on Environmental Quality providing framework and methods for analyzing cumulative effects in environmental assessments and impact statements under NEPA. The document outlines principles, steps, and data sources for cumulative effects analysis but does not establish new legal requirements.
  • 1997-01-01 00:00

    Considering Cumulative Effects Under the National Environmental Policy Act

    A handbook by the Council on Environmental Quality providing guidance on analyzing cumulative effects in NEPA environmental assessments and impact statements. It presents practical methods for addressing coincident effects of related activities and outlines principles for proper scoping and boundary-setting in cumulative effects analysis.