42 U.S.C. § 4370m-4
To integrate environmental reviews and authorizations, each agency shall, to the maximum extent practicable-
On the request of a project sponsor, a lead agency shall consider and, as appropriate, adopt or incorporate by reference, the analysis and documentation that has been prepared for a covered project under the laws and procedures of a State or Indian Tribe (as defined in section 5130 of title 25) as the documentation, or part of the documentation, required to complete an environmental review for the covered project, if the analysis and documentation were, as determined by the lead agency in consultation with the Council on Environmental Quality, developed pursuant to laws and procedures of that State or Indian Tribe (as so defined) that are of equal or greater rigor to each applicable Federal law and procedure, and prepared under circumstances that allowed for opportunities for public participation and consideration of alternatives, environmental consequences, and other required analyses that are substantially equivalent to what would have been available had the documents and analysis been prepared by a Federal agency pursuant to NEPA.
The Council on Environmental Quality may issue guidance to carry out this subsection.
An environmental document adopted under paragraph (1) or a document that includes documentation incorporated under paragraph (1) may serve as the documentation required for an environmental review or a supplemental environmental review required to be prepared by a lead agency under NEPA.
If the lead agency adopts or incorporates analysis and documentation described in paragraph (1), the lead agency shall prepare and publish a supplemental document if the lead agency determines that during the period after preparation of the analysis and documentation and before the adoption or incorporation-
If a lead agency prepares and publishes a supplemental document under paragraph (3), the lead agency shall solicit comments from other agencies and the public on the supplemental document for a period of not more than 45 days, beginning on the date on which the supplemental document is published, unless-
A lead agency shall issue a record of decision or finding of no significant impact, as appropriate, based on the document adopted under paragraph (1) and any supplemental document prepared under paragraph (3).
As early as practicable during the environmental review, but not later than the commencement of scoping for a project requiring the preparation of an environmental impact statement, the lead agency shall engage the cooperating agencies and the public to determine the range of reasonable alternatives to be considered for a covered project.
The determination under subparagraph (A) shall be completed not later than the completion of scoping.
Following participation under paragraph (1) and subject to subparagraph (B), the lead agency shall determine the range of reasonable alternatives for consideration in any document that the lead agency is responsible for preparing for the covered project.
In determining the range of alternatives under subparagraph (A), the lead agency shall include all alternatives required to be considered by law.
The lead agency shall determine, in collaboration with each cooperating agency at appropriate times during the environmental review, the methodologies to be used and the level of detail required in the analysis of each alternative for a covered project.
A cooperating agency shall use the methodologies referred to in subparagraph (A) when conducting any required environmental review, to the extent consistent with existing law.
With the concurrence of the cooperating agencies with jurisdiction under Federal law and at the discretion of the lead agency, the preferred alternative for a project, after being identified, may be developed to a higher level of detail than other alternatives to facilitate the development of mitigation measures or concurrent compliance with other applicable laws if the lead agency determines that-
For comments by an agency or the public on a draft environmental impact statement, the lead agency shall establish a comment period of not less than 45 days and not more than 60 days after the date on which a notice announcing availability of the environmental impact statement is published in the Federal Register, unless-
For all other review or comment periods in the environmental review process described in parts 1500 through 1508 of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations), the lead agency shall establish a comment period of not more than 45 days after the date on which the materials on which comment is requested are made available, unless-
The lead agency and each cooperating and participating agency shall work cooperatively in accordance with this section to identify and resolve issues that could delay completion of an environmental review or an authorization required for the project under applicable law or result in the denial of any approval under applicable law.
The lead agency shall make information available to each cooperating and participating agency and project sponsor as early as practicable in the environmental review regarding the environmental, historic, and socioeconomic resources located within the project area and the general locations of the alternatives under consideration.
The information described in subparagraph (A) may be based on existing data sources, including geographic information systems mapping.
Each cooperating and participating agency shall-
When an environmental impact statement is prepared, Federal agencies must, to the maximum extent practicable, issue a record of decision not later than 90 days after the date on which the final environmental impact statement is issued.
The authorities granted under this section may be exercised for an individual covered project or a category of covered projects.
42 U.S.C. § 4370m-4
EDITORIAL NOTES
REFERENCES IN TEXTNEPA, referred to in subsecs. (a)(1) and (b)(1)(A), (2), means the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, Pub. L. 91-190, Jan. 1, 1970, 83 Stat. 852, which is classified generally to this chapter. See section 4370m(16) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 4321 of this title and Tables.
CODIFICATIONSection was enacted as part of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act, also known as the FAST Act, and not as part of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 which comprises this chapter.
AMENDMENTS2021-Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 117-58, §70801(d)(1), added par. (3). Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 117-58, §70801(d)(2)(A), (B), struck out par. (1) designation and heading and redesignated subpars. (A) to (E) as pars. (1) to (5), respectively.Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 117-58, §70801(d)(2)(C)(i), redesignated cls. (i) and (ii) as subpars. (A) and (B), respectively, and realigned margins.Subsec. (b)(1)(A). Pub. L. 117-58, §70801(d)(2)(C)(ii), substituted "the laws and procedures of a State or Indian Tribe (as defined in section 5130 of title 25)" for "State laws and procedures" and inserted "developed pursuant to laws and procedures of that State or Indian Tribe (as so defined) that are of equal or greater rigor to each applicable Federal law and procedure, and" after "Council on Environmental Quality,".Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 117-58, §70801(d)(2)(D), substituted "paragraph (1)" for "subparagraph (A)" in two places.Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 117-58, §70801(d)(2)(E), substituted "paragraph (1)" for "subparagraph (A)" in introductory provisions and redesignated cls. (i) and (ii) as subpars. (A) and (B), respectively, and realigned margins.Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 117-58, §70801(d)(2)(F), substituted "paragraph (3)" for "subparagraph (C)" in introductory provisions and redesignated cls. (i) and (ii) as subpars. (A) and (B), respectively, and realigned margins.Subsec. (b)(5). Pub. L. 117-58, §70801(d)(2)(G), substituted "paragraph (1)" for "subparagraph (A)" and "paragraph (3)" for "subparagraph (C)". Subsec. (c)(4). Pub. L. 117-58, §70801(d)(3)(A), substituted "determines that-" for "determines that the development of the higher level of detail will not prevent-" in introductory provisions.Subsec. (c)(4)(A). Pub. L. 117-58, §70801(d)(3)(B), inserted "the development of the higher level of detail will not prevent" before "the lead agency".Subsec. (c)(4)(B). Pub. L. 117-58, §70801(d)(3)(C), added subpar. (B) and struck out former subpar. (B) which read as follows: "the public from commenting on the preferred and other alternatives."Subsecs. (f), (g). Pub. L. 117-58, §70801(d)(4), (5), added subsec. (f) and redesignated former subsec. (f) as (g).
- project
- The terms "federally assisted housing" and "project" mean-(A) a public housing project (as such term is defined in section 3(b) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 [42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)] );(B) housing for which project-based assistance is provided under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 [42 U.S.C. 1437f] ;(C) housing that is assisted under section 1701q of title 12;(D) housing that is assisted under section 1701q of title 12, as such section existed before November 28, 1990;(E) housing financed by a loan or mortgage insured under section 1715l(d)(3) of title 12 that bears interest at a rate determined under the proviso of section 1715l(d)(5) of title 12;(F) housing insured, assisted, or held by the Secretary or a State or State agency under section 1715z-1 of title 12;(G) housing constructed or substantially rehabilitated pursuant to assistance provided under section 8(b)(2) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 [42 U.S.C. 1437f(b)(2)], as in effect before October 1, 1983, that is assisted under a contract for assistance under such section; and(H) housing that is assisted under section 8013 1 of this title.