Abstract:
The Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment, and Logistics (SAF/IE) has set a course for getting “back to basics” in improving Air Force compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Title 42 United States Code, Sections 4321-4347. SAF/IE issued policy memos on 15 Sep 2010 regarding Proponent, Environmental Planning Function (EPF), and stakeholder responsibilities in Air Force NEPA compliance. These policies call for establishment of the “Planning Requirements for the Environmental Impact Analysis Process” (PREIAP); an interdisciplinary process to “…support early internal scoping and statement of work development” for the Environmental Impact Analysis Process (EIAP). As further described and defined in the policy memos, PREIAP is also intended to ensure that appropriate requirements are identified, baseline data is collected, and agreement on a Draft Description of Proposed Action and Alternatives (DOPAA) among key stakeholders is achieved, to the extent possible, in advance of initiation of the formal NEPA analysis process. The objectives of this capstone paper are twofold. First is to examine the Rapid Improvement Event (RIE) that led to the development of PREIAP, and highlight areas in which other agencies may use this process to improve their methods in NEPA compliance. Secondly, this paper will examine and assess the impacts this new PREIAP policy may have on the way the Air Force complies with NEPA, and determine how it will assist and/or limit their efforts for improving the federally mandated CEQ regulations.
