Section 4f

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is divided into two titles: Titles I and II. Title I outlines a basic national charter for protection of the environment; Title II establishes the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ).

Title I
Title I includes the following:

Section 101 - specifies the nation's overall environmental goals and policies.
Section 102 - requires all agencies to interpret and administer their activities in accordance with these policies to the fullest extent possible.
Section 103 - requires all agencies to review their statutory authority and policies to remove impediments and to ensure their ability to implement this act.
Section 104 - recognizes the existence of other laws and makes clear that this act does not alter an agency's statutory obligations to comply with environmental standards in these other laws.

Title II
CEQ monitors the progress made towards achieving the goals set forth in Section 101 of NEPA. CEQ's duties include advising the President on environmental issues and providing guidance to other federal agencies on compliance with NEPA.

The CEQ issued regulations in 1978, implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA. These regulations govern the NEPA process for all federal agencies of the government. Each federal department and agency is required to prepare its own NEPA procedures that address that agency's compliance in relation to its particular mission. CEQ reviews and approves all agency procedures and amendments to those procedures. The agency procedures are required to establish specific criteria for, and identification of, three classes of actions:

those that require preparation of an environmental impact statement;
those that require preparation of an environmental assessment; and
those that are categorically excluded from further NEPA review.

For a general overview of the NEPA process, refer to the flowchart.