Overview

It may be said that an agency s work is just beginning, rather than completed, when an EIS has been prepared. In fact, EISs are intended to be reviewed at many different levels within the proponent agency, as well as by other federal and state agencies with jurisdiction by law or special expertise with respect to environmental impacts. It is normal that formal findings of one federal agency may be reviewed at higher levels. This is also the case for EISs. Reviews of these documents are also made by conservation, environmental, and other public interest groups and by concerned members of the community, especially those who might be affected by the implementation of the project or the action.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, EIS findings are reviewed by decision makers, who must consider the results of the NEPA process along with economic and technical considerations prior to the implementation of an agency decision. In view of the involvement of persons at various levels and organizations in the review of EIS documents, and the number of such documents that may be encountered, it is reasonable for an agency to develop specific procedures for reviewing EISs in an efficient and objective manner. This chapter discusses procedures that may be utilized to accomplish these goals.

A review procedure can be used by both the reviewer and the preparer of an EIS document for ascertaining the completeness, accuracy, and validity of the document. However, it should be kept in mind that as new requirements...