[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 49, Volume 6]
[Revised as of October 1, 2006]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 49CFR520.4]

[Page 69-70]
 
                        TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION
 
                   CHAPTER V--NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC
                    SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT
                            OF TRANSPORTATION
 
PART 520_PROCEDURES FOR CONSIDERING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS--Table of Contents
 
                            Subpart A_General
 
Sec.  520.4  Applicability.

    (a) Scope. This part applies to all elements of NHTSA, including the 
Regional Offices.
    (b) Actions covered. Except as provided in paragraph (e) of this 
section, this part applies to the following agency actions and such 
actions and proposals as may be sponsored jointly with another agency:
    (1) New and continuing programs and projects; budget proposals; 
legislative proposals by the agency; requests for appropriations; 
reports on legislation initiated elsewhere where the agency has primary 
responsibility for the subject matter involved; and any renewals or 
reapprovals of the foregoing;
    (2) Research, development, and demonstration projects; formal 
approvals of work plans; and associated contracts;
    (3) Rulemaking and regulatory actions, including Notices of Proposed 
Rulemaking (NPRM); requests for procurement (RFP); requests for grants 
(Annual Work Programs); and contracts;
    (4) All grants, loans or other financial assistance for use in State 
and Community projects;
    (5) Annual State Highway Safety Work Programs;
    (6) Construction; leases; purchases; operation of Federal 
facilities; and
    (7) Any other activity, project, or action likely to have a 
significant effect on the environment.
    (c) Continuing actions. This part applies to any action enumerated 
in paragraph (b) of this section, even though such actions arise from a 
project or program initiated prior to enactment of the National 
Environmental Policy Act on January 1, 1970.
    (d) Environmental assessments. Within the scope of activities listed 
in Sec.  520.4(b), any person outside the agency submitting a program or 
project proposal may be requested to prepare an environmental assessment 
of such proposed action to be included in his submission to the agency.
    (e) Exceptions. (1) Assistance in the form of general revenue 
sharing funds, distributed under the State and Local Fiscal Assistance 
Act of 1972, 31 U.S.C. 1221, with no control by the NHTSA over the 
subsequent use of such funds;
    (2) Personnel actions;
    (3) Administrative procurements (e.g., general supplies) and 
contracts for personal services;
    (4) Legislative proposals originating in another agency and relating 
to matters not within NHTSA's primary areas of responsibility;
    (5) Project amendments (e.g., increases in costs) which have no 
environmental significance; and
    (6) Minor agency actions that are determined by the official 
responsible for the actions to be of such limited scope that they 
clearly will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human 
environment.

[[Page 70]]

    (f) Consolidation of statements. Proposed actions (and alternatives 
thereto) having substantially similar environmental impacts may be 
covered by a single environmental review and environmental impact 
statement or negative declaration.