Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2004/02/23/04-3590/policies-and-responsibilities-for-implementation-of-the-national-environmental-policy-act-within-the
Timestamp: 2018-12-16 10:18:40
Document Index: 548843282

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 775', 'ART 775', 'arts 1500', 'art 775', 'art 775', '§\u2009775', '§\u2009775', '§\u2009775', '§\u2009775', '§\u2009775', '§\u2009775']

Federal Register :: Policies and Responsibilities for Implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act Within the Department of the Navy
Policies and Responsibilities for Implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act Within the Department of the Navy
A Rule by the Navy Department on 02/23/2004
Effective February 23, 2004.
69 FR 8108
8108-8112 (5 pages)
32 CFR 775
0703-AA51
04-3590
List of Subjects in 32 CFR Part 775
PART 775—POLICIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/04-3590 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/04-3590
The Department of the Navy (DON) is revising portions of its internal regulations that establish the responsibilities and procedures within the DON for complying with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This revision clarifies when certain DON actions must be studied to determine their effect on the human environment and what types of activities are excluded from the NEPA analysis and documentation requirements.
Interested parties should request copies of the rule from: Mr. Thomas Egeland, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Installations and Environment), 1000 Navy Pentagon, Washington, DC 20350-1000.
Mr. Thomas Egeland, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Installations and Environment), 703-614-5913.
The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) establishes national policy and goals for protection of the environment. Section 102(2) of NEPA contains certain procedural requirements directed toward the attainment of such goals. In particular, all Federal agencies are required to give appropriate consideration to the environmental effects of their proposed actions in their decision making and to prepare detailed environmental statements on recommendations or reports significantly affecting the quality of the human environment.
Executive Order 11991 of May 24, 1977, directed the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to issue regulations to implement procedural provisions of NEPA. Accordingly, CEQ issued final NEPA regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508) on November 29, 1978, which are binding on all Federal agencies as of July 30, 1979. These regulations require each Federal agency, as necessary, to adopt implementing procedures to supplement the CEQ regulations. Section 1507.3(b) of the CEQ regulations identifies those sections of the regulations that must be addressed in agency procedures.
The final rule revises DON's implementing regulations that were originally published in 55 FR 33898 on August 20, 1990. Significant changes that these amendments bring about include: Revision of and additions to the DON list of approved categories of actions excluded from further analysis and documentation under NEPA; revised criteria for disallowing the application of listed categorical exclusions; and assignment of responsibilities to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition), the General Counsel of the Navy, and the Judge Advocate General of the Navy.
The DON published the proposed rule in 64 FR 37069 on July 9, 1999, and granted a 60-day comment period. DON received comments from one Federal agency, one state agency, one local government agency, and one private party. DON coordinated the proposed rule with Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). DON carefully considered the comments received. Most comments focused on two general areas: The discussion of policies and responsibilities and the revision of DON categorical exclusions. In response to comments on policies and responsibilities: The rule was modified to more clearly reflect the relationship among internal DON regulations and between the rule and internal Department of Defense directives; the phrase “environmental analysis” was substituted for the term “NEPA document” where appropriate; and definitions and other discussions perceived as inconsistent with the regulations promulgated by CEQ were deleted.
The discussion of categorical exclusions was also modified in response to comments. Based upon a recommendation from CEQ that routine documentation of categorical exclusions was not necessary, the two-group approach to categorical exclusions contained in the draft rule was eliminated. As a result, the categorical exclusions were placed in a single group and renumbered. The consolidation into a single grouping also reemphasized that, even though a proposed action generally is covered by a listed categorical exclusion, a categorical exclusion will not be used if the proposed action categorical exclusion involved any one of several enumerated conditions.
Several categorical exclusions were modified to reflect that they were Start Printed Page 8109intended to apply to routine actions of the nature described in the particular exclusion. Categorical exclusion XXVII, addressing natural resource management actions covered by an Environmental Assessment (EA) or Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the underlying management plan, was eliminated as unnecessary. Categorical exclusion XXXII, addressing actions similar in type, intensity, and setting to other actions for which it had been determined in an EA or EIS that there were no significant impacts, was revised and is now presented as two separate and more specific categorical exclusions. The first of these two exclusions applies to routine testing and evaluation of military equipment on existing military reservations, ranges, and operating areas. This exclusion is intended to encompass routine categories of tests conducted in areas designated for or historically used for military operations, training, and testing. Examples of this categorical exclusion are captive-carry tests, weapons stores separation tests, and minor component survivability tests. The second of these two exclusions applies to routine military unit level training or minor training exercises conducted by two or more units. As with all DON categorical exclusions, these two exclusions cannot be used if they involve any of the enumerated conditions set out in Section 775.6(e).
The Department of the Navy has determined that this regulation is not a significant rule as defined by Executive Order 12866 and is not subject to the relevant provisions of the Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (5 U.S.C. 605(b)).
Accordingly, Part 775 of Chapter VI of title 32 of the Code of Federal Regulations is amended as follows:
1. The authority for Part 775 continues to read as follows:
2. Section 775.1 is revised to read as follows:
§ 775.1
3. Section 775.2 is revised to read as follows:
§ 775.2
4. Section 775.3 is revised to read as follows:
§ 775.3
5. Section 775.4 is revised to read as follows:
Start Printed Page 8110
§ 775.4
6. Section 775.6 is amended by revising paragraphs (a), (b), (e) and (f) to read as follows:
§ 775.6
Planning considerations.
(2) Routine law and order activities performed by military personnel, military police, or other security personnel, including physical plant protection and security; Start Printed Page 8111
(37) Decisions to close facilities, decommission equipment, and/or temporarily discontinue use of facilities or equipment, where the facility or Start Printed Page 8112equipment is not used to prevent/control environmental impacts);
7. Section 775.12 is revised to read as follows:
§ 775.12
Dated: February 13, 2004.
[FR Doc. 04-3590 Filed 2-20-04; 8:45 am]