Page 24 - Highway Engineering Handbook Building and Rehabilitating the Infrastructure

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES 7

Proposed Agency
Action

Categorical Exclusion or
Other Exemption

Exclusion No
Applies Exclusion

Environmental
Assessment

No EIS
EIS Required

Notice of Intent

Scoping Process

Draft EIS

Agency/Public
Review & Comment

Finding of No Final EIS
Significant Impact
(FONSI)
Record of Decision

Agency Action Agency Action Agency Action
FIGURE 1.1 Overview of NEPA environmental review process. (From R. E. Bass and A. I. Herson,
Mastering NEPA: A Step-by-Step Approach, Solano Press Books, Point Arena, Calif., 1993, with permission)

in Tables 1.2 and 1.3. The following are examples of actions that would trigger the need
to comply with NEPA.

• The proposed use of federal funds for the planning, engineering, or construction of a pro-
ject, or for needed right-of-way acquisition
• Modifications to an existing interstate highway
• Modifications to a non-interstate access-controlled highway that affects the right-of-way
previously financed with federal funds