[Code of Federal Regulations] [Title 40, Volume 31] [Revised as of July 1, 2006] From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access [CITE: 40CFR1500.1] [Page 865-867] TITLE 40--PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT CHAPTER V--COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY PART 1500_PURPOSE, POLICY, AND MANDATE--Table of Contents Sec. 1500.1 Purpose. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Part Page 1500 Purpose, policy, and mandate................ 867 1501 NEPA and agency planning.................... 869 1502 Environmental impact statement.............. 873 1503 Commenting.................................. 880 1504 Predecision referrals to the Council of proposed Federal actions determined to be environmentally unsatisfactory....... 881 1505 NEPA and agency decisionmaking.............. 883 1506 Other requirements of NEPA.................. 884 1507 Agency compliance........................... 889 1508 Terminology and index....................... 891 Index to Parts 1500-1508.................... 896 1515 Freedom of Information Act procedures....... 897 1516 Privacy Act implementation.................. 901 1517 Public meeting procedures of the Council on Environmental Quality................... 904 1518 Office of Environmental Quality Management Fund.................................... 907 [[Page 867]] Sec. 1500.1 Purpose. 1500.2 Policy. 1500.3 Mandate. 1500.4 Reducing paperwork. 1500.5 Reducing delay. 1500.6 Agency authority. Authority: NEPA, the Environmental Quality Improvement Act of 1970, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4371 et seq.), sec. 309 of the Clean Air Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 7609) and E.O. 11514, Mar. 5, 1970, as amended by E.O. 11991, May 24, 1977). Source: 43 FR 55990, Nov. 28, 1978, unless otherwise noted. (a) The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is our basic national charter for protection of the environment. It establishes policy, sets goals (section 101), and provides means (section 102) for carrying out the policy. Section 102(2) contains ``action-forcing'' provisions to make sure that federal agencies act according to the letter and spirit of the Act. The regulations that follow implement section 102(2). Their purpose is to tell federal agencies what they must do to comply with the procedures and achieve the goals of the Act. The President, the federal agencies, and the courts share responsibility for enforcing the Act so as to achieve the substantive requirements of section 101. (b) NEPA procedures must insure that environmental information is available to public officials and citizens before decisions are made and before actions are taken. The information must be of high quality. Accurate scientific analysis, expert agency comments, and public scrutiny are essential to implementing NEPA. Most important, NEPA documents must concentrate on the issues that are truly significant to the action in question, rather than amassing needless detail. (c) Ultimately, of course, it is not better documents but better decisions that count. NEPA's purpose is not to generate paperwork--even excellent paperwork--but to foster excellent action. The NEPA process is intended to help public officials make decisions that are based on understanding of environmental consequences, and take actions that protect, restore, and enhance the environment. These regulations provide the direction to achieve this purpose.