[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 40, Volume 28]
[Revised as of July 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 40CFR1501.2]

[Page 468]
 
                   TITLE 40--PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT
 
               CHAPTER V--COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
 
PART 1501--NEPA AND AGENCY PLANNING--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 1501.2  Apply NEPA early in the process.

    Agencies shall integrate the NEPA process with other planning at the 
earliest possible time to insure that planning and decisions reflect 
environmental values, to avoid delays later in the process, and to head 
off potential conflicts. Each agency shall:
    (a) Comply with the mandate of section 102(2)(A) to ``utilize a 
systematic, interdisciplinary approach which will insure the integrated 
use of the natural and social sciences and the environmental design arts 
in planning and in decisionmaking which may have an impact on man's 
environment,'' as specified by Sec. 1507.2.
    (b) Identify environmental effects and values in adequate detail so 
they can be compared to economic and technical analyses. Environmental 
documents and appropriate analyses shall be circulated and reviewed at 
the same time as other planning documents.
    (c) Study, develop, and describe appropriate alternatives to 
recommended courses of action in any proposal which involves unresolved 
conflicts concerning alternative uses of available resources as provided 
by section 102(2)(E) of the Act.
    (d) Provide for cases where actions are planned by private 
applicants or other non-Federal entities before Federal involvement so 
that:
    (1) Policies or designated staff are available to advise potential 
applicants of studies or other information foreseeably required for 
later Federal action.
    (2) The Federal agency consults early with appropriate State and 
local agencies and Indian tribes and with interested private persons and 
organizations when its own involvement is reasonably foreseeable.
    (3) The Federal agency commences its NEPA process at the earliest 
possible time.