in the OEIS/EIS section of the main menu
WHAT IS AN EIS, & WHY PREPARE ONE?
In 1969, the U.S. Congress passed the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), our national charter for environmental planning. NEPA provides for the consideration of environmental issues in federal agency planning and decision-making. The President’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) established guidelines for federal agency implementation of NEPA regulations. The provisions of Executive Order (EO) 12114 (Environmental effects abroad of major Federal actions) were enacted in 1979. EO 12114 requires Federal agencies, consistent with national security and foreign policy requirements, to analyze the environmental effects that major Federal actions could have on the environment outside the United States.
Environmental impact statements (EISs) are detailed studies prepared pursuant to NEPA and CEQ regulations for federal actions that may significantly affect the quality of the human and natural environments. EISs provide agency decision-makers and the public with assessments of the potential consequences of proposed federal actions on the human and natural environments.
In general, the types of analysis and documentation required by EO 12114 are similar to that required by NEPA; however, the procedures are different. An environmental impact statement prepared pursuant to EO 12114 is called an overseas environmental impact statement (OEIS). Examples of actions that may require an OEIS include: test and evaluation activities over, on, or under the ocean; and basing of United States forces in foreign countries. The territorial waters for the U.S. extend to twelve nautical miles from the shore. NEPA applies to actions on U.S. land and within the territorial waters limit, and EO 12114 applies to actions outside of this limit.
An EIS typically contains the following information:
- A concise statement of the purpose and need for the proposed action
- A description of the proposed action and alternatives considered
- A discussion of the affected environment
- A discussion of potential impacts of the proposed action
- A discussion of mitigation for those impacts
The Navy prepared a final overseas environmental impact statement/ environmental impact statement (Final OEIS/EIS) dated June 26, 2009 pursuant to NEPA and CEQ regulations to assess the potential environmental effects of installing and operating an undersea warfare training range (USWTR) offshore of the east coast of the United States (U.S.). Chapters of the Final OEIS/EIS and the entire document in PDF format are available on this site.
For previous versions of the OEIS/EIS and other documents visit the library page.