NEPA: Understanding the Basics

CD & Manual
  389230TMX $249.00 USD Add to Cart
Credit Details
 94 Min. Audio MP3 - No shipping cost
   389230POD $249.00 USD Add to Cart
Credit Details
What is a Podcast?

Benefits

Since 1970, the National Environmental Policy Act has been the cornerstone for environmental protection in the United States. To implement NEPA, federal agencies must prepare environmental impact statements or environmental assessments to study the impacts of their proposed actions. Unfortunately, some federal agencies, their consultants and affected citizens do not fully understand the regulations, legal interpretations and practices for properly complying with NEPA. Thus, there are many mistakes in implementing the law. This live audio conference will identify some of the most common mistakes made under NEPA and reveal the best ways to avoid them. You will get practical advice for preparing useful and legally sufficient NEPA documents. This program is critical for federal agency staff, consultants working for federal agencies and others interested in the NEPA process.

Learning Objectives:

  • You will be able to explain NEPA's legal and political framework.
  • You will be able to identify when there has been a failure to properly document and the misuse of exclusions.
  • You will be able to review environmental impact statements.
  • You will be able to explain the best ways to avoid the common mistakes when implementing NEPA.

Agenda

Misunderstanding NEPA's Legal and Political Framework
  • Forgetting Why NEPA Was Necessary
  • Misunderstanding the Overall NEPA Process
  • Doing Too Much or Too Little
  • Failure to Assess Risks of Noncompliance
Mistakes Using Categorical Exclusions
  • Misuse of Exclusions
  • Overlooking Extraordinary Circumstances
  • Failure to Properly Document Decisions
Mistakes With Environmental Assessments and Findings of No Significant Impact
  • Segmenting a Project Into Pieces to Avoid Preparing an EIS
  • Deciding Not to Prepare an EIS Before Preparing an EA
  • Conclusions in FONSI Not Supported by Analysis in EA
  • Failure to Use the Context and Intensity Criteria in an EA
  • Too Much Applicant Control Over EA Preparation
  • Inadequate and Deferred Mitigation
Mistakes With Environmental Impact Statements
  • Using Improper Baseline for Evaluating Impacts
  • Inadequate Range of Alternatives
  • Inadequate Cumulative Impact Analysis
  • Failure to Evaluate Induced Growth
  • Insufficient Impact Analysis: Bad Data, Old Data and No Data
Procedural Errors
  • Insufficient Public Involvement
  • Inadequate Agency Coordination and Integration
  • Failure to Maintain a Complete Administrative Record

Faculty

Chad Beckstrom, AICP, ICF International
Jonathan Riker, Esq., LEED® AP, ICF International

Chad Beckstrom, AICP
  • Principal and project director with ICF International, a consulting firm specializing in environmental planning and natural resources
  • Experience includes managing and preparing multidisciplinary environmental analysis documents for a wide range of projects
  • Has a firm working knowledge and understanding of CEQA and NEPA, and is comfortable with managing complex and controversial projects
  • Also adept at integrating other environmental laws and regulatory requirements into the CEQA/NEPA review processes, including the CWA, Clean Air Act, California Fish and Game Code, NHPA, and others
  • Frequent lecturer at the University of California Irvine Extension for regulatory courses, including Introduction to CEQA, CEQA Primer, and Introduction to NEPA
  • Master’s degree in urban and regional planning, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; B.A. degree in environmental analysis and design, University of California, Irvine
  • Can be contacted at 949-333-6625 or CBeckstrom@icfi.com

Jonathan Riker, Esq., LEED® AP
  • Serves as an environmental counsel and project manager with ICF International
  • Licensed attorney and professional urban planner with more than 8 years of experience in CEQA compliance and federal, state and local land use and land development regulation
  • Primarily provides oversight and in-house guidance on CEQA and NEPA documentation
  • Previously coordinated environmental review for major development projects as an urban planner with the Los Angeles City Planning Department
  • Published an article on green building in Los Angeles Lawyer Magazine, “The Green Zone (January 2008)” and has wrote several additional articles on environmental regulations
  • J.D. degree, Tulane Law School; master’s degree in urban and regional planning, University of New Orleans; B.A. degree, Columbia University
  • Can be contacted at 213-627-5376 or JRiker@icfi.com




These Materials are Designed For

This live audio conference is designed for attorneys, engineers, environmental professionals, presidents, vice presidents, architects, developers, contractors, subcontractors, government officials, planners, public works professionals, land use officials and real estate professionals.

CD & Manual - CD Set with bound 32 page manual
Podcast - 94 Minute MP3 with 32 page electronic manual - Immediate Access and No Shipping Cost