Environmental Impact Review (NEPA)
Environmental impact review is the process of studying how a proposed project could affect the environment before it is approved. The National Environmental Policy Act, known as NEPA, requires federal agencies to consider these effects and to involve the public. Roads, pipelines, mines, and energy projects often go through it.
People usually ask what triggers a review and who conducts it. They want to know how the public can comment, how long reviews take, and how courts treat agency decisions. They also ask how supporters and critics of the process weigh careful study against delays in building.
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