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Environmental Impact Assessment Reports

Environmental impact assessment reports evaluate the environmental implications of actions by federal, state, and other governmental agencies. This research guide lists 1) resources covering federal and California environmental assessment laws and methodology and 2) resources for locating environmental assessment reports in the Cal Poly Humbodt Library, in other libraries and on the Internet. For further assistance please contact Robert Sathrum, Natural Resources Librarian.

Cover of an environmental impact report

Federal Environmental Impact Assessement Reports

Federal requirements for assessing the environmental impact of federal projects date from 1970 with the enactment of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. NEPA requires federal agencies to assess a project's potential impact on the human environment. The NEPA process is intended to help public officials make decisions that are based on an understanding of environmental consequences, and take actions that protect, restore, and enhance the environment. A flow chart of the federal NEPA process is available as well as a brief Overview of NEPA Requirements.

As an initial step in the environmental review process an Environmental Assessment (EA) may be prepared that determines whether an full environmental review is needed or just a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) which indicates that there will be no adverse effects on the environment. Initially some projects may be excluded by categorical exclusion (CATEX). If the initial review determines that there will be a significant impact a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is prepared and made available to the public and other agencies for review and comment. This is subsequently followed by a Final Environmental Impact Statement. The final EIS does not supercede the draft EIS because the final version typically cites information included in the draft. The final step in the process is the filing of a Record of Decision (ROD).

Since 1970 more than 25,000 federal environmental impact statements have been prepared. In recent years approximately 500 draft and final EISs are completed annually. See Environmental Impact Statements Filed 1970-2007 for yearly totals and Calendar Year 2009 Filed EISs for a breakdown by federal agency. With development of enhanced NEPA regulations in 1978 EAs were added as way to comply with NEPA requirements for determining the environmental significance of a project. According to the US Council on Environmental Quality there are 30,000-50,000 EAs prepared annually with the vast majority prepared by just a few agencies, e.g., the US Forest Service estimates it prepares 13,000 EAs each year.

Guides to Federal Assessment Laws and Methodology

NEPANet (U.S.Council on Environmental Quality) is the official NEPA site containing information on statutes, regulations, guidelines, and agency implementing procedures. CEQ has developed general regulations for implementing NEPA with individual agencies developing further regulations.

Other publications and web sites that contain information on federal assessment laws and methology include:

Finding Federal Environmental Impact Assessment Reports in the Cal Poly Humboldt Library

Most federal environmental impact assessment reports available in the Cal Poly Humboldt Library are received on federal depository and are located in the U.S. Government Documents Collection. Reports received on depository may be in paper, in microfiche or linked to online fulltext. In addition reports that focus on the local area are located in the Humboldt Room and are Library Use Only. Of the 500 federal EISs produced annually the Cal Poly Humboldt Library receives approximately 75 each year.

The following three options can be used to locate federal enviromental impact assessement reports (draft and final environmental impact statements, environmenal assessments, FONSIs and RODs) in the Cal Poly Humboldt Library:

    1. Search the Cal Poly Humboldt Library Catalog. The catalog indexes federal environmental impact assessment reports located in the Humboldt Room and, since April 1998, reports added to the U.S. Government Documents Collection. There are currently over 1100 EISs, 400 EAs and 70 FONSIs listed in the catalog. To search the catalog you can:
  • Use the Keyword search option to enter the keyword phrase for the type of assessment report you are looking for, e.g. entering <"environmental impact statement"> will retrieve all EISs listed in the catalog.
  • Use the Keyword search option to enter the keyword phrase for the type of assessment report you are looking for along with a subject keyword, e.g. entering <"environmental assessment" road> will retrieve all environmental impact assesssment reports dealing with roads listed in the catalog.
  • Use the Subject search option to enter one of the following suggested subjects along with the subdivision environmental aspects, e.g.,< airports environmental aspects>. Most environmental impact assessment reports are cataloged using a subject along with the subdivision environmental aspects. However, not all reports indexed using environmental aspects are environmental impact assesssment reports.
airports
all terrain vehicles
aluminum plants
apartment houses
atomic power plants
city planning
coal mines and mining
dams		forest roads
highway planning
land use
national parks and reserves
offshore gas industry
offshore oil industry
oil and gas leases
power plants		prisons
recreational areas
regional planning
road construction
sewage disposal
shopping malls
waste disposal
wilderness areas
    • Search the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications. This index can be used to identify federal environmental impact assessment reports published between 1976 and the present that are available in the Cal Poly Humboldt Library. It also includes reports from 1976 to the present that were not received locally on government depository. Includes links to fulltext if available. Use one or more of the following techniques:
      • Use the default keyword search option to enter the keyword phrase for the type of assessment report you are looking , e.g., entering <environmental impact statement> will retrieve over 3,700 EISs.
      • Use the default keyword search option to enter the keyword phrase for the type of assessment report you are looking for along with a subject keyword, e.g., <environmental impact statement decommissioning>.
      • Use the subject keyword search option to enter the phrase environmental aspects along with one of the same subject headings listed for the Cal Poly Humboldt Library Catalog above, e.g., <roads environmental aspects>.
      To determine local availability
          , 
      publication format
           and 
      location
           there are four pieces of information on the full display record that you need to look for. The full record displays when you click on a publication title. See 
      Catalog of U.S. Government Publications
           for more detailed information.


        1. Browse the U.S. Documents Collection. You can use the SuDocs Classification System to browse for environmental impact assessment reports prepared by various federal agencies. Following are some suggested SuDocs classification areas to browse for both print reports filed on bookshelves and microfiche reports filed in microfiche cabinets:
      A 13.92 & A 13.92/2Forest Service
      A 57.65 & A 57.65/2Natural Resources Conservation Service
      D 103.62Army Corps of Engineers
      D 301.92Air Force
      C 55.328National Marine Fisheries Service
      C 55.34 & C 55.34/2National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
      E 1.20Department of Energy
      E 2.11Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
      I 1.98Department of the Interior (includes Fish & Wildlife Service, Indian Affairs Bureau, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service)
      I 29.79/5National Park Service
      I 49.113US Fish & Wildlife Service
      I 53.59Bureau of Land Management

          You can also look in the 
      U.S. Documents Shelflist
         under these same classification numbers for a itemized list of print and microfiche reports received prior to 1998.

      Finding Federal Environmental Impact Assessment Reports in Other Libraries & on the Internet

      The following sources can be used to identify environmental impact assessment reports produced by federal agencies:

      • Federal Agency NEPA Websites (US Council on Environmental Quality) Lists federal agency NEPA compliance sites, some of which include links to fulltext reports.
      • Federal Agency Digital NEPA Documents (US Council on Environmental Quality) Links to federal agency web sites that include compliance documents and may contain the links to the fulltext of environmetal impact assessment reports.
      • EIS-Digests of Environmental Impact Statements (Cal Poly Humboldt users only) Indexes and provides detailed abstracts of environmental impact statements issued by federal agencies from 1985 to the present.
      • Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Database (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) Includes searchable database of all EISs filed with EPA since 2004 and a weekly listing of the "Notices of Availability" of all EISs filed the previous week in the Federal Register. Includes some links to fulltext. One can also search the Federal Register for environmental impact assessment documents from 1994 to present. Enter appropriate keywords in the search box, e.g., "environmental impact statement coal".
      • Natural Resources - Agencies (Cal Poly Humboldt Library Special Collections - Humboldt Room) Includes links to local government agencies, some of whom include links to the fulltext of environmental impact assessment reports.
      • Northwestern University Transportation Library (Northwestern University Library) This library contains over 19,000 EISs issued by federal agencies since 1969, representing 80% of all EISs published. See How to Search for Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) for search tips and how to request on interlibrary loan. This same EIS database is included in the TRID database. (Note: As of 2012 Google is digitizing the EIS collection.)
      • USA.gov Official United States government index to federal websites. Search "environmental impact statement" combined with a subject keyword. May include fulltext or only a notice of availability. You can use the Advanced Search feature to limit to fulltext by choosing "Adobe PDF" in the File Type option.
      • Science.gov Contains the fulltext of approximately 2,000 EISs from the Department of Energy, Department of Defense, EPA, and NASA among the 1,000,000 technical reports included in the database.
      • Southern Oregon Digital Archives: Bioregion Collection (Southern Oregon University Library) Collection of fulltext documents from federal and state agencies that relate to the Southern Oregon Klamath-Siskiyou Bioregion. Includes over 800 EISs and 600 environment assessments. Search by author, title, agency, subject or keyword.

      Once you have identified an environmental impact assessment report of interest use the following options to acquire either a fulltext or print copy:

      • Look for direct links from the source to the fulltext report on the Internet
      • Use an an Internet search tool, e.g., Google, to look for the specific report on the Internet
      • Use the Library's Interlibrary Loan Service to borrow a copy from another library. It takes an average of nine calendar days to arrive.

      California Environmental Impact Assessement Reports

       

      California requirements for assessing the environmental impact of projects date from 1970 with the enactment of the California Environmental Quality Act. CEQA requires that state and local agencies consider the environmental impact of their decisions when approving a public or private project. A flow chart of the California process is available.

      As an initial step in the process an Initial Study may be prepared that determines whether an full environmental review is needed or just a Negative Declaration which indicates that there will be no adverse effects on the environment. If the initial report determines that there will be a significant impact a Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is prepared and made available to the public and other agencies for review and comment. This is subsequently followed by a Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The final EIR does not supercede the draft EIR because the final version typically cites information included in the draft. The final step in the process is the filing of a Notice of Determination (NOD).

      There are approximately 500 environmental impact reports (EIRs) prepared annually under the California Environmental Quality Act. Summary of Postings lists the number of CEQA reports by type that have been filed annually since 1999.

      Guides to California Assessement Laws and Methodology

      CEQA: the California Environmental Quality Act (CERES) is the official CEQA site that includes current CEQA statutes, legislative history, guidelines, case law, and other general reference material.

      Other publications and web sites that contain information on California assessment laws and methology include:

      • California Environmental and Natural Resources Law Handbook (Monahan) 2004 (ref KFC 610 A45 C35) Guide to the statutes, regulations, court decisions, and agency policies that make up California's environmental regulatory schema. Includes section on CEQA.
      • California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Statute and Guidelines (Association of Environmental Professionals)
      • CEQA Deskbook: A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Comply with the California Environmental Quality Act (Bass, Herson, & Bogdan) 1999 (ref KFC 610 S83 1999)
      • CEQA and Environmental Assessment (California Office of Planning and Research) Contains an annotated bibliography of print and online sources on California environmental assessment.
      • CEQA Resources (Planning and Conservation League Foundation)
      • CEQA Technical Advice Series (California Environmental Resources Information System) Provides CEQA practitioners at the local level with concise information about aspects of the California Environmental Quality Act, e.g., mitigated negative declarations.
      • Citizen's Guide to the California Environmental Quality Act (Yeates) 1997 (ref KFC 610 Y4 1997)
      • Environmental Impact Report (California Department of Transportation) Discusses the preparation and processing of an EIR in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act. Part of the the CalTrans Environmental Handbook series.
      • Everyday Heroes Protect the Air We Breathe, the Water We Drink, and Natural Areas We Prize: thirty-five years of the California Environmental Quality Act (Planning and Conservation League) 2005. Compilation of over 75 CEQA success stories.
      • Guide to CEQA: California Environmental Quality Act (Remy, Thomas, Moose, & Manley) 2007 (ref KFC 610 G85 2007)
      • State Clearinghouse Handbook (California Office of Planning and Research. State Clearinghouse) A technical guide for lead and responsible agencies, project proponents, and the public on clearinghouse procedures for preparing and reviewing environmental documents.

      Finding California Environmental Impact Assessment Reports in the Cal Poly Humboldt Library

      Most California environmental impact assessement reports available in the Cal Poly Humboldt Library are locally focused, are located in the Humboldt Room and are Library Use Only. In addition there are a few reports located in the California Documents Collection and in the general bookstacks. Of the 500 EIRs produced annually in California the Cal Poly Humboldt Library only acquires approximately seven reports each year.

      The following options can be used to locate California enviromental impact assessement reports (draft and final environmental impact reports, initial studies, negative declarations and NODs) in the Cal Poly Humboldt Library:

        1. Search the Cal Poly Humboldt Library Catalog. Almost all California environmental impact assessment reports available in the Cal Poly Humboldt Library are indexed in the catalog. There currently are 180 EIRs, 30 Initial Studies, and 20 Negative Declarations listed in the catalog. To search the catalog you can:
      • Use the Keyword search option to enter the keyword phrase for the type of assessment report you are looking , e.g., <"environmental impact report">.
      • Use the Keyword search option to enter the keyword phrase for the type of assessment report you are looking for along with a subject keyword, e.g. entering <"environmental impact report" wastewater> will retrive all EIRs dealing with wastewater that are listed in the catalog.
      • Use the Subject search option to enter the phrase environmental aspects along with one of the subject headings listed in federal section above.
    • Consult the Index of Environmental Impact Reports Prepared in Humboldt County, CA (TD 194.5 I53 HumCo Collection). This work contains a comprehensive list of EIRs prepared in Humboldt County from 1970 to 1995 and lists local libraries and agencies that have copies available.

      1. Look in the Humboldt County Pamphlet Collection in the Humboldt Room where some Negative Declarations are filed under Environmental Impact Reports - Negative Declarations.

      Finding California Environmental Impact Assessment Reports In Other Libraries & on the Internet

      The following sources can be used to identify environmental impact assessment reports produced under CEQA. If not available fulltext on the Internet they can be requested on Interlibrary Loan from other libraries which takes an average of nine calendar days to arrive.

      • CEQAnet Database (California Office of Planning and Research. State Clearinghouse) Contains key information for California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) documents submitted to the State Clearinghouse for state review since 1990. The database provides summaries of Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs), Negative Declarations, Environmental Impact Statements, and other types of CEQA and NEPA documents. The summaries include the project title, project location, lead agency name, contact information, and project description. CEQAnet does not provide the full text of any environmental documents. The bimonthly State Clearinghouse Newsletter provides a listing of all environmental documents, federal notices, and federal grant applications that have been submitted to the State Clearinghouse.
      • Natural Resources - Agencies (Cal Poly Humboldt Library Special Collections - Humboldt Room) Includes links to local government agencies, some of whom include links to environmental assessment fulltext documents.
      • Public Notices (Cal Poly Humboldt Library Government Documents) Includes links to local and state environmental assessment fulltext documents.
      • WorldCat Indexes holdings of libraries in California and throughout the world. Enter 1) a keyword phrase for the type of assessment report you are looking for; 2) a subject keyword; and 3) California for the geographic area, e.g. entering <environmental impact report wastewater california> will retrive all EIRs dealing with wastewater in California that are listed in WorldCat.

      Other Environmental Impact Assessment Reports

      Guides to Other Assessment Laws and Methodology

      Last Updated: August 27, 2012, by Robert Sathrum