§ 520.7 - Preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

§ 520.7 Preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

(a) Actions requiring EIS. An EIS will normally be prepared for:

(1) Proposals for legislation which are determined to be a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment; or,

(2) Other major Federal actions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. In the experience of ARS, an environmental impact statement shall normally be required in situations when a research project has advanced beyond the laboratory and small plot testing to full scale field testing over a very large area and involving the introduction of control agents.

(b) Notice of intent. If the responsible official recommends the preparation of an EIS, then the public shall be apprised of the decision. This notice shall be prepared according to 40 CFR 1508.22.

(c) Draft and final EIS. The process of preparing the draft and final EIS, as well as the format, shall be according to 40 CFR parts 1502-1506.

(d) Decisionmaking and implementation. The responsible official may make a decision no sooner than thirty days after the notice of availability of the final EIS has been published in the Federal Register by the Environmental Protection Agency (40 CFR 1506.10). The decision will be documented in a Record of Decision required by 40 CFR 1502.2, and monitoring and mitigation activities will be implemented as required by 40 CFR 1505.3.