The National Environment Policy Act (NEPA) is a law passed by the United States Congress in 1970 to promote sustainability and to create the President’s Council on Environmental Quality. It requires all federal agencies to consider environmental factors along with others during the decision-making process.

The National Environment Policy Act was signed into being by Richard Nixon on January 1, 1970. It laid out a national policy for environmental protection and created the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), and required federal departments to consider the environmental impact of government projects. The advent of the CEQ brought advances in environmental policy with amendments to the Federal Water Pollution Act and the Toxic Substances Control Act, paving the way for later legislation like the Resource Recovery Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act.

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Other Sources

Alm, Alvin L. “1988 Article on NEPA: Past, Present, and Future.” EPA. https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/1988-article-nepa-past-present-and-future. Accessed August 11, 2016.

United States Environmental Protection Agency. “What is the National Environmental Policy Act?” https://www.epa.gov/nepa/what-national-environmental-policy-act. Accessed August 11, 2016.