[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 14, Volume 5]
[Revised as of January 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 14CFR1216.306]

[Page 161-162]
 
                     TITLE 14--AERONAUTICS AND SPACE
 
                   CHAPTER V--NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND
                          SPACE ADMINISTRATION
 
PART 1216_ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY--Table of Contents
 
 Subpart 1216.3_Procedures for Implementing the National Environmental 
                            Policy Act (NEPA)
 
Sec.  1216.306  Preparation of environmental assessments.

    (a) For each NASA action meeting the criteria of 14 CFR 1216.305(b) 
and for other actions as required, the responsible Headquarters official 
shall prepare an environmental assessment (40 CFR 1501.3 and 1508.9 of 
the CEQ Regulations) and, on the basis of that assessment, determine if 
an EIS is required; except where action meeting the criteria is strictly 
of a local nature under the purview of the Field Installation Director.
    (b) If the determination is that no environmental impact statement 
is required, the Headquarters official or Field Installation Director, 
shall, in coordination with the Associate Administrator for Management, 
prepare a ``Finding of No Significant Impact.'' (See 40 CFR 1508.13 of 
the CEQ Regulations.) The ``Finding of No Significant Impact'' shall be 
made available to the affected public through direct distribution and 
publication in the Federal Register, or coordinated with the State 
Single Point of Contact pursuant to E.O. 12372, as amended, 
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,'' as appropriate.
    (c) If the determination is that an environmental impact statement 
is required, the Headquarters official shall proceed with the ``notice 
of intent to prepare an EIS'' (see 40 CFR 1508.22 of the CEQ 
Regulations). The Headquarters official shall transmit this notice to 
the Associate Administrator for Management for review and subsequent 
publication in the Federal Register (see 40 CFR 1507.3(e) of the CEQ 
Regulations). The Headquarters official shall then apply procedures set 
forth in 14 CFR 1216.307 to determine the scope of the EIS and proceed 
to prepare and release the environmental statement in accordance with 
the CEQ Regulations and the procedures of this subpart.
    (d) Environmental assessments may be prepared for any actions, even 
those which meet the criteria for environmental impact statements (Sec.  
1216.305(c)) or for categorical exclusion

[[Page 162]]

(Sec.  1216.305(d)), if the responsible Headquarters official believes 
that the action may be an exception or that an assessment will assist in 
planning or decisionmaking.

[44 FR 44485, July 30, 1979, as amended at 53 FR 9761, Mar. 25, 1988]