An environmental assessment, or EA, is a federal agency document used under NEPA to evaluate a proposed action’s potential environmental effects.
Definition
An EA helps a federal agency determine whether a proposed action may significantly affect the environment and what further review is needed. It can support a finding of no significant impact or lead the agency to prepare an environmental impact statement. The document may rely on project-specific studies, alternatives, and agency coordination, depending on the action and procedures. A civil engineering firm may prepare technical material under contract, but the agency is responsible for its NEPA decision. An EA is not a permit, and it is not interchangeable with an environmental impact statement. Whether an EA is required depends on the agency’s process and the facts of the proposed action. The work can affect scope, schedule, and project alternatives. The EPA provides information about environmental review and NEPA.
How owners use it
- Include EA support, technical studies, and agency coordination in the scope when those tasks are assigned to the firm.
- Track agency decisions and documentation milestones that depend on completion of the assessment.
- Coordinate project alternatives and assumptions with the team preparing the EA.
- A firm budgets 40 hours for assessment support at $150 per hour, so the planned labor amount is 40 × $150 = $6,000.
