^®: CRE Regulatory Action of the Week

GAO Publishes NEPA Report
The U.S. Government Accountability Office recently published a report entitled: NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT: Little Information Exists on NEPA Analyses. GAO prepared this report after it was asked by Congress to review issues related to costs, time frames, and litigation associated with completing NEPA analyses. GAO concluded that Government wide data on the number and type of most NEPA analyses are not readily available, as data collection efforts vary by agency. Little information exists on the costs and benefits of completing NEPA analyses. Agencies do not routinely track the cost of completing NEPA analyses, and there is no government wide mechanism to do so, according to officials from CEQ, EPA, and other agencies GAO reviewed. Some information is available on the frequency and outcome of NEPA litigation. Agency data, interviews with agency officials, and available studies show that most NEPA analyses do not result in litigation, although the impact of litigation could be substantial if a single lawsuit affects numerous federal decisions or actions in several states.

This report has no recommendations.