§1b.5. Environmental assessments. — Inbound Citations

(A) if the proposed action is not likely to have reasonably foreseeable significant impacts or the significance of the impacts is unknown, develop an environmental assessment, as described in § 1b.5; or

(ii) When serving as the lead agency, the USDA subcomponent will fulfill the role of lead agency as outlined in NEPA section 107(a)(2) and determine the scope of the analysis for the proposal in accordance with sections 1b.5(b) and 1b.7(g) and document the scope of the project at hand.

(a) When a USDA subcomponent is the lead agency, it will prepare a finding of no significant impact if the subcomponent determines, based on the environmental assessment, not to prepare an environmental impact statement because the proposed action or selected alternative, or project at hand, will not have a reasonably foreseeable significant impact on the quality of the human environment. When it will not prevent the USDA subcomponent from meeting the deadline in § 1b.5(e), the finding of no significant impact may be prepared in conjunction with the environmental assessment and included in the same document and will not count towards the page limits in § 1b.5(d).

(a) When a USDA subcomponent is the lead agency, it will prepare a finding of no significant impact if the subcomponent determines, based on the environmental assessment, not to prepare an environmental impact statement because the proposed action or selected alternative, or project at hand, will not have a reasonably foreseeable significant impact on the quality of the human environment. When it will not prevent the USDA subcomponent from meeting the deadline in § 1b.5(e), the finding of no significant impact may be prepared in conjunction with the environmental assessment and included in the same document and will not count towards the page limits in § 1b.5(d).

(7) The USDA subcomponent will work with the applicant to develop a schedule for preparation of an environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement. Major changes to the schedule or related matters will be documented through written correspondence in accordance with § 1b.5(g) and § 1b.7(l)(1).