8046 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 35 / Tuesday, February 23, 2010 / Notices 

February 18, 2010. 

Nancy Sutley, 

Chair, Council on Environmental Quality. 

[FR Doc. 2010–3531 Filed 2–22–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3125–W0–P 

COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL 

QUALITY 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) Draft Guidance, ‘‘Consideration 

of the Effects of Climate Change and 

Greenhouse Gas Emissions.’’ 

AGENCY: Council On Environmental 

Quality. 

ACTION: Notice of Availability, Draft 

Guidance, ‘‘Consideration of the Effects 

of Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas 

Emissions.’’ 

SUMMARY: On February 18, 2010, the 

Council on Environmental Quality 

(CEQ) announced four steps to 

modernize, reinvigorate, and ease the 

use and increase the transparency of 

implementation of the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). 

Enacted in 1970, NEPA is a fundamental 

tool used to harmonize our economic, 

environmental, and social aspirations 

and is a cornerstone of our Nation’s 

efforts to protect the environment. 

NEPA recognizes that many Federal 

activities affect the environment and 

mandates that Federal agencies consider 

the environmental impacts of their 

proposed actions before acting. 

Additionally, NEPA emphasizes public 

involvement in government actions 

affecting the environment by requiring 

that the benefits and the risks associated 

with proposed actions be assessed and 

publicly disclosed. 

CEQ, which is charged with 

implementing NEPA, recognizes that it 

is a visionary and versatile law that can 

be used effectively to address new 

environmental challenges facing our 

nation and also to engage the public 

widely and effectively. Furthermore, 

CEQ wants to develop more effective 

and accessible tools for citizen 

involvement in government decisionmaking. These actions are designed to 

provide carefully-tailored new 

assessment and reporting requirements, 

facilitate agency compliance with 

NEPA, and enhance the quality of 

public involvement in governmental 

decisions relating to the environment. 

DATES: Comments should be submitted 

on or before May 24, 2010. 

ADDRESSES: The NEPA Draft Guidance 

documents are available at http:// 

www.nepa.gov. Comments on the NEPA 

Draft Guidance ‘‘Consideration of the 

Effects of Climate Change and 

Greenhouse Gas Emissions’’ should be 

submitted electronically to 

GCC.guidance@ceq.eop.gov, or in 

writing to The Council on 

Environmental Quality, Attn: Ted 

Boling, 722 Jackson Place, NW., 

Washington, DC 20503. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ted 

Boling, Senior Counsel, at (202) 395– 

5750. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: CEQ is 

issuing draft guidance for public 

comment on when and how Federal 

agencies must consider the impacts of 

proposed Federal actions on global 

climate change, as well as the expected 

environmental effects from climate 

change that may be relevant to the 

design of the proposed Federal action. 

CEQ has been asked to provide guidance 

on this subject informally by Federal 

agencies and formally by a petition 

under the Administrative Procedure 

Act. The draft guidance explains how 

Federal agencies should analyze the 

environmental impacts of greenhouse 

gas emissions and climate change when 

they describe the environmental 

impacts of a proposed action under 

NEPA by (1) providing practical tools 

for agency reporting, including a 

presumptive threshold of 25,000 metric 

tons of carbon dioxide equivalent 

emissions from the proposed action to 

trigger consideration of a quantitative 

analysis, and (2) suggestions to agencies 

on how to assess the effects of climate 

change on the proposed action, and, in 

turn, on the design of agency actions. 

CEQ will seek public comment on this 

guidance for 90 days. Draft guidance 

documents are now available at the 

Council on Environmental Quality Web 

site at http://www.nepa.gov. 

Public comments are requested on or 

before May 24, 2010. 

February 18, 2010. 

Nancy Sutley, 

Chair, Council on Environmental Quality. 

[FR Doc. 2010–3532 Filed 2–22–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3125–W0–P 

COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL 

QUALITY 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) Draft Guidance, ‘‘NEPA 

Mitigation and Monitoring.’’ 

AGENCY: Council On Environmental 

Quality. 

ACTION: Notice of Availability, Draft 

Guidance, ‘‘NEPA Mitigation and 

Monitoring.’’ 

SUMMARY: On February 18, 2010, the 

Council on Environmental Quality 

(CEQ) announced four steps to 

modernize, reinvigorate, and ease the 

use and increase the transparency of 

implementation of the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). 

Enacted in 1970, NEPA is a fundamental 

tool used to harmonize our economic, 

environmental, and social aspirations 

and is a cornerstone of our Nation’s 

efforts to protect the environment. 

NEPA recognizes that many Federal 

activities affect the environment and 

mandates that Federal agencies consider 

the environmental impacts of their 

proposed actions before acting. 

Additionally, NEPA emphasizes public 

involvement in government actions 

affecting the environment by requiring 

that the benefits and the risks associated 

with proposed actions be assessed and 

publicly disclosed. 

CEQ, which is charged with 

implementing NEPA, recognizes that it 

is a visionary and versatile law that can 

be used effectively to address new 

environmental challenges facing our 

nation and also to engage the public 

widely and effectively. Furthermore, 

CEQ wants to develop more effective 

and accessible tools for citizen 

involvement in government decisionmaking. These actions are designed to 

provide carefully-tailored new 

assessment and reporting requirements, 

facilitate agency compliance with 

NEPA, and enhance the quality of 

public involvement in governmental 

decisions relating to the environment. 

DATES: Comments should be submitted 

on or before May 24, 2010. 

ADDRESSES: The NEPA Draft Guidance 

documents are available at http:// 

www.nepa.gov. 

Comments on the NEPA Draft 

Guidance ‘‘NEPA Mitigation and 

Monitoring’’ should be submitted 

electronically to 

Mitigation.guidance@ceq.eop.gov, or in 

writing to The Council on 

Environmental Quality, Attn: Ted 

Boling, 722 Jackson Place, NW., 

Washington, DC 20503. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ted 

Boling, Senior Counsel, at (202) 395– 

5750. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Draft 

Guidance Clarifying (1) the 

Appropriateness of ‘‘Findings of No 

Significant Impact’’ and (2) Specifying 

the Need for Ongoing Monitoring of 

Environmental Mitigation 

Commitments: Many Federal actions 

receive an environmental review, 

known as an Environmental 

Assessment. In those instances, NEPA 

compliance is usually completed with a 

‘‘Finding of No Significant Impact’’ 

(FONSI) on the environment and a more 

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