195 



nate damage to the environment and biosphere and 

 stimulate the health and welfare of man; to enrich 

 the understanding of the ecological systems and nat- 

 ural resources important to the Nation; and to es- 

 tablish a Council on Environmental Quality. (Pub. L. 

 91-190. § 2. Jan. 1, 1970, 83 Stat. 852.) 



SUBCHAPTER I —POLICIES AND GOALS 



§4331. Congressional declaration of national environ- 

 mental policy. 



(a) The Congress, recognizing the profound Im- 

 pact of man's activity on the interrelations of all 

 components of the natural environment, particularly 

 the profound influences of population growth, high- 

 density urbanization, industrial expansion, resource 

 exploitation, and new and expanding technological 

 advances and recognizing further the critical Im- 

 portance of restoring and maintaining environmen- 

 tal quality to the overall welfare and development 

 of man. declares that it is the continuing policy of 

 the Federal Government, in cooperation with State 

 and local governments, and other concerned public 

 and private organizations, to use all practicable 

 means and measures, including financial and techni- 

 cal assistance. In a manner calculated to foster and 

 promote the general welfare, to create and maintain 

 conditions under which man and nature can exist 

 In productive harmony, and fulfill the social, eco- 

 nomic, and other requirements of present and future 

 generations of Americans. 



(b) In order to carry out the policy set forth in 

 this chapter, it is the continuing responsibility of the 

 Federal Government to use all practicable means, 

 consistent with other essential considerations of 

 national policy, to Improve and coordinate Federal 

 plans, functions, programs, and resources to the end 

 that the Nation may — 



(1) fulfill the responsibilities of each genera- 

 tion as trustee of the environment for succeeding 

 generations; 



(2) assure for all Americans safe, healthful, 

 productive, and esthetically and culturally pleas- 

 ing surroundings; 



(3) attain the widest range of beneficial uses of 

 the environment without degradation, risk to 

 health or safety, or other undesirable and unin- 

 tended consequences; 



(4) preserve important historic, cultural, and 

 natural aspects of our national heritage, and 

 maintain, wherever possible, an environment 

 which supports diversity and variety of individual 

 choice ; 



(5) achieve a balance between population and 

 resource use which will permit high standards of 

 living and a wide sharing of life's amenities; and 



(6) enhance the quality of renewable resources 

 and approach the maximum attainable recycling 

 of depletable resources. 



(c) The Congress -ecognizes that each person 

 should enjoy a healthful environment and that each 

 person has a responsibility to contribute to the pres- 

 ervation and enhancement of the environment. 

 (Pub. L. 91-190. title I, § 101, Jan. 1. 1970, 83 Stat. 

 852.) ~^- 



§4332. Cooperation of agencies; reports; availability 

 of information; recommendations; international 

 and national coordination of efforts. 



The Congress authorizes and directs that, to the 

 fullest extent possible: (1) the policies, regulations, 

 and public laws of the United States shall be inter- 

 preted and administered in accordance with the poli- 

 cies set forth in this chapter, and i2) all agencies 

 of the Federal Government shall — 



(A) utilize a systematic, interdisciplinary ap- 

 proach which will insure the integrated use of the 

 natural and social sciences and the environmental 

 design arts in planning and in decisionmaking 

 which may have an impact on man's environment; 



(B) identify and develop methods and proce- 

 dures, in consultation with the Council on Environ- 

 mental Quality established by subchapter II of this 

 chapter, which will insure that presently unquan- 

 tified environmental amenities and values may be 

 given appropriate consideration in decisionmaking 

 along with economic and technical considerations; 



(Ci include in every recommendation or report 

 on proposals for legislation and other major Fed- 

 eral actions significantly affecting the quality of 

 the human environment, a detailed statement by 

 the responsible official on — 



li) the environmental impact of the proposed 

 action. 



I li I any adverse environmental effects which 

 cannot be avoided should the proposal be 

 implemented, 



(ill' alternatives to the proposed action, 

 (iv) the relationship between local short- 

 term uses of man's environment and the main- 

 tenance and enhancement of long-term produc- 

 tivity, and 



(VI any irreversible and irretrievable commit- 

 ments of resources which would be involved in 

 the proposed action should it be implemented. 

 Prior to making any detailed statement, the re- 

 sponsible Federal official shall consult with and 

 obtam the comments of any Federal agency which 

 has jurisdiction by law or special expertise with 

 respect to any environmental impact involved. 

 Copies of such statement and the comments and 

 views of the appropriate Federal, State, and local 

 agencies, which are authorized to develop and 

 enforce environmental standards, shall be made 

 available to the President, the Council on Environ- 

 mental Quality and to the public as provided by 

 section 552 of Title 5, and shall accompany the 

 proposal through the existing agency review 

 processes ; 



(D) Any detailed statement required under sub- 

 paragraph (O after January 1. 1970, for any ma- 

 jor Federal action funded under a program of 

 grants to States shall not be deemed to be legally 

 insufficient solely by reason of having been pre- 

 pared by a State agency or official, if: 



(i) the State agency or official has statewide 

 jurisdiction and has the responsibility for such 

 action. 



(ii) the responsible Federal official furnishes 

 guidance and participates in such preparation. 

 (ill) the responsible Federal official independ- 

 ently evaluates such statement prior to its ap- 



