What is the National Environmental Quality Act (NEQA)?

The National Environmental Quality Act (NEQA) is a federal law that was passed in 1970 and is overseen by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This law was designed to ensure that all federal agencies consider the environmental impact of any proposed action before making a decision. The NEQA is very important because it requires that government agencies take into account how their decisions will affect the air, water, land, plant and animal life, and people’s health when making a decision. In California, the NEQA is enforced by both the State and Federal Governments. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is the state law that is modeled after the NEQA and is designed to ensure that all projects funded by the state will have minimal negative impacts on the environment. Both the CEQA and NEQA require that an environmental impact report (EIR) be prepared and submitted to the responsible agency for review prior to the approval of any project or activity. The NEQA and CEQA are very important tools for protecting the environment and people’s health. Together, they make sure that any proposed activity or project will not have a negative impact on the environment. While the NEQA and CEQA are both important, it is important to remember that they only act as a tool for regulators and decision makers, and are not a substitute for responsible environmental stewardship.

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What is the National Environmental Quality Act (NEQA)?

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