[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 7, Volume 6]
[Revised as of January 1, 2008]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 7CFR520.3]

[Page 392-393]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
   CHAPTER V--AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 
PART 520_PROCEDURES FOR IMPLEMENTING NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 520.3  Policy.

    (a) It is ARS policy to comply with the provisions of NEPA and 
related laws and policies.
    (b) Environmental documents should be concise, written in plain 
language, and address the issues pertinent to the decision being made.
    (c) Environmental documents may be substituted or combined with 
other reports which serve to facilitate decisionmaking.
    (d) Costs of analyses and environmental documents are to be planned 
for during the budgetary process for the plan, program, or project. 
Special provisions for financing NEPA process activities which are 
unanticipated and extraordinary may be made in the Office of the 
Administrator of ARS.
    (e) ARS personnel will cooperate with other agencies, States, 
contractors, or other entities proposing to undertake activities 
involving the ARS to assure that NEPA considerations are addressed early 
in the planning process to avoid delays and conflicts as required by 40 
CFR 1501.2.
    (f) For some activities, project participants outside ARS may be 
required to provide data and documentation. When an applicant or 
contractor prepares an environmental assessment (EA) or a contractor 
prepares an environmental impact statement (EIS), the activities shall 
be carried out according to 40 CFR 1506.5.
    (g) Environmental documents, decision notices, and records of 
decision must be made available for review by the public. There shall be 
an early and open process for determining the scope of issues to be 
addressed in the environmental analysis process (40 CFR 1501.7).
    (h) The concepts of tiering to eliminate repetitive discussions 
applicable to EIS's (40 CFR Part 1502) are also applicable to EA's.
    (i) ARS personnel may adopt an existing EA or EIS when a proposed 
action is substantially the same as the action for which the existing EA 
or EIS was prepared (40 CFR 1506.3 (b)).
    (j) ARS personnel may incorporate by reference any existing 
documents in order to reduce the bulk of an EA or EIS (40 CFR 1502.21).

[[Page 393]]

    (k) After prior consultation with the Council on Environmental 
Quality, ARS personnel may forego preparation of an EA or EIS in 
emergency situations (40 CFR 1506.11).