[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: 7CFR520.6]

[Page 393-394]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
   CHAPTER V--AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 
PART 520_PROCEDURES FOR IMPLEMENTING NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 520.6  Preparation of an Environmental Assessment (EA).

    (a) Actions requiring EA. The following actions would normally 
require an EA:
    (1) Programs, supported in the majority by ARS, which may assist in 
the transition of a particular technology from field evaluation stage to 
large-scale demonstration or simulated commercial phase;
    (2) Field work having an impact on the local environment such as 
earth excavation, explosives, weather modifications, or other such 
techniques; and
    (3) The testing outside the laboratory, such as small isolated field 
plots, of control agents which require containment precautions or either 
a special license or a permit from a regulatory agency.
    (b) Multiple agencies actions. If more than one Federal agency 
participates

[[Page 394]]

in a program activity, the EA shall be prepared by the lead agency as 
provided in 40 CFR 1501.5.
    (c) Format and conclusion. An EA can be in any format provided it 
covers in a logical and succinct fashion the information necessary for 
determining whether a proposed Federal action may have a significant 
environmental impact and thus warrant preparation of an EIS. The EA will 
contain the information required by 40 CFR 1508.9. This information will 
include brief discussions of the need for the project or other proposal, 
alternatives, environmental impacts of the proposed action and 
alternatives and a listing of agencies and persons consulted.
    (d) Decision notice. Upon completion of an EA, the responsible 
official will consider the information it contains, decide whether an 
EIS is required or that no significant environmental impact will occur, 
and will document the decision and the reasons for it. The decision and 
the EA shall be available to the public in a manner appropriate to the 
situation. If there is a finding of no significant impact, the EA may be 
combined with the decision notice.