NEPA after thirty years: the good, the bad and the ugly

摘要

A landmark piece of legislation, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), remains alive and well at the ripe old age of 30. President Nixon breathed life into a national mandate for a better and healthier environment when he signed this legislation into law on New Year's Day in 1970. NEPA's passage marked the beginning of a comprehensive national policy for integrating environmental considerations into the decision-making process of federal agency actions. The NEPA process involves the preparation of a written document that provides enough information to ensure that a fully informed and well thoughtout decision can be made. Meanwhile, all interested or affected parties are assured that environmental concerns are considered during this decision-making process.