The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) proposes to update and codify its internal order establishing the responsibilities and procedures for complying with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), currently found in DOT Order 5610.1C, “Procedures for Considering Environmental Impacts,” which was issued in 1979 and last updated in 1985. This proposal would update the DOT NEPA procedures in response to the Council on Environmental Quality’s (CEQ’s) final rule updating its NEPA procedures and also incorporate provisions of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU); Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21); and the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act related to the Department’s environmental review process. This proposed rule would modernize the Department’s procedures and promote collaboration and efficiency in the implementation of NEPA. Finally, this proposal would also update the list of the Department’s categorical exclusions consistent with the CEQ’s regulations implementing NEPA.
Persons interested in submitting written comments on this NPRM must do so by December 23, 2020. The Department will consider late comments to the extent practicable.
