Marine Fish Conservation Network - 40 Years of Environmental Assessment Celebrated By Obama

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40 Years of Environmental Assessment Celebrated By Obama

January 11, 2010 - National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Nation’s bedrock environmental law, was enacted in 1969 by overwhelming bi-partisan majorities and signed into law in 1970. The first of its kind, NEPAs primary objective has been to ensure federal agencies asses the environmental effects of their proposed actions through rigorous scientific analysis and transparent documentation. In order to ensure compliance, The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) was created through NEPA and has since been delegated the responsibility of ensuring federal agencies meet their statutory obligations. NEPA requires all federal agencies to compile comprehensive Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) with considered alternative actions.

On January 4, 2009 President Obama recognized the National Environmental Policy Act’s 40th anniversary and signed a Proclamation celebrating NEPA’s accomplishments. Over the past four decades NEPA has been successful in accomplishing its goals and has helped improve federal actions that may have otherwise had serious environmental consequences. At present, there still remains a need for the tools provided by NEPA that make certain agency decisions are transparent, accountable, and responsible. With future support, NEPA will continue to ensure that these challenges are met with diligence and due consideration.