JPARC EIS

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is our national mandate for making informed decisions while considering environmental impacts. When federal agencies propose projects having the potential to significantly impact the environment, NEPA requires the following process be undertaken as part of the planning process before final decisions are made:

• Evaluation and consideration of potential environmental consequences for proposals that may significantly impact the environment
• Consideration of public and government agency comment

Where the potential for significant environmental impacts exists, this evaluation is presented in an environmental impact statement (EIS), which:

• Identifies and describes the affected environment
• Evaluates the potential environmental consequences from a range of reasonable alternatives
• Identifies environmental permits and specific mitigation measures to avoid, minimize, or reduce environmental impacts if required

The Draft EIS was filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and made available to interested parties. The Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Draft EIS was published in the Congressional Federal Register (CFR) and local newspapers on March 30, 2012 to inform public agencies and the public that the document is available for review.