NEPA Compliance and the Adoption of an Environmental Impact Statement by a Regulatory Agency

Abstract

Federal regulatory agencies have responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) at multiple stages of their regulatory responsibilities. This includes the development of regulations and when conducting their oversight responsibilities. This paper reviews the roles of regulatory agencies (the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)) related to the disposal of high-level radioactive waste, spent nuclear fuel, and transuranic waste under NEPA and as modified by other laws. The focus of this paper is on how the NRC looked at how to address its responsibilities, with a brief review of the EPA to provide a contrast in how the two regulatory agencies comply with NEPA.