NEPA Made Simple: A practical Guide for Federally Funded Projects and Environmental review, in plain language.
NEPA explained simply: the National Environmental Policy Act applies to any federally funded project and requires environmental review before approval. If your city is using federal transportation funds to widen a road, NEPA applies and you’re working through a Categorical Exclusion, preparing an EA, or just trying to understand what NEPA requires, you’re in the right place.
Categorical Exclusions, Environmental Assessments, NEPA vs. CEQA are covered here without the jargon.
NEPA doesn’t stop projects, but it can delay them if you don’t understand the process. Knowing what applies to your project early can save time, avoid delays, and keep things on track.
Start here:
- What is NEPA? (simple explanation)
- A simple explanation of the law, purpose, and why it exists.
- When is NEPA required? (With Examples)
- Learn what triggers NEPA for federally funded or approved projects.
- NEPA Process Overview: Step by Step Guide
- A step-by-step breakdown from project initiation to approval.
- CE vs EA vs EIS (Explained Simply and Clearly)
- Understand the three levels of environmental review.
How the NEPA Process Works:
- The NEPA process evaluates environmental impacts before a project is approved. Depending on the level of impact, projects fall into one of three categories:
- Categorical Exclusion (CE) – minimal or no environmental impact
- Environmental Assessment (EA) – moderate impacts requiring analysis
- Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) – significant impacts requiring detailed study
NEPA Requirements
- Applies to federally funded, permitted, or approved projects
- Requires environmental review before approval
- Involves public disclosure and documentation
- Must consider alternatives and impacts
Enjoy the blogs for plain-language breakdowns of NEPA requirements, Caltrans Local Assistance procedures, and tips for keeping projects on track.
Explore NEPA Topics
- NEPA Basics
- NEPA Process
- Categorical Exclusions
- Environmental Documents
- NEPA vs CEQA
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does my project require NEPA?
- What triggers NEPA (with examples)
- How long does the NEPA process take?
- Categorical Exclusion vs EA vs EIS (explained simply)
Who this site is for:
- Local agencies using federal funds
- Transportation planners and engineers
- Consultants working on NEPA compliance
This site is written by an experienced NEPA compliance and federally funded transportation project manager/scientist who worked with multiple Local Agencies over hundreds of projects.