CEQ Press Releases -- August 3, 2009 Release

Council on Environmental Quality Submits Second Report to Congress on Environmental Analysis of Recovery Act Activities and Projects

WASHINGTON, DC – In accordance with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) submitted its second report today to Congress regarding the status and progress of projects and activities receiving funds under the Act and how they have complied thus far with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements.

"Our second report to Congress confirms that projects receiving Recovery Act funds have undergone the necessary and required environmental analysis," said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. "We are pleased to find that over 90 percent of these projects have completed their NEPA analysis and the rest are underway. This is another indication that we can contribute to our nation’s economic health while respecting the health of our environment."

The report is an overview of the fifteen Executive Branch departments and nine agencies required to report on their current NEPA status under the Recovery Act. As of June 30th, the departments and agencies reported almost 80,000 Recovery Act funded projects or activities. The completed reviews support implementing projects and activities that have had over $57 billion Recovery Act dollars obligated.

Of the almost 80,000 Recovery Act projects or activities, over 73,200 of them have completed NEPA reviews with the remaining underway. NEPA reviews found that roughly 70,740 of the projects or activities did not have significant individual or cumulative effects on the human environment (otherwise known as categorical exclusions).

The departments and agencies also reported having completed 1,637 environmental assessments for Recovery Act funded projects or activities. Those environmental assessments provide the basis for findings of no significant impact. 842 of the projects or activities are the subject of completed environmental impact statements, which is the most intensive NEPA review for projects or activities with significant effects on the human environment.

The full report is available at www.nepa.gov. Further information regarding the status of agency obligations is available on the Recovery Act website at www.recovery.gov.