DESCRIPTION

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is a cornerstone of environmental law in the United States, requiring federal agencies to assess the environmental impacts of their actions before making decisions. The first part of this session will provide an introduction to NEPA's framework, purpose and procedures. Attendees will gain a foundational understanding of how NEPA works, from initial environmental assessments (EAs) to comprehensive environmental impact statements (EISs), public participation, and the legal obligations for federal agencies.

Our expert panelists will then cover the key components of NEPA in a hydropower context and provide practical insights into navigating a NEPA process, whether that be for a FERC relicensing, license amendment or other projects with federal funding or actions.  This discussion will include an overview of the environmental justice and climate-related provisions in the NEPA Phase 2 regulations.

This comprehensive overview will demystify NEPA and prepare hydropower owners, contractors and consultants to navigate its processes with confidence.

This Panel is within the Regulatory and Policy Track at the conference. 
 
This is a 101-level discussion looking to review the subject matter for those newer to the industry and update on the state of the industry in this topic area.  This session is also a 201-level discussion for those looking to take a deeper dive into this subject matter. 

Moderator:
Elizabeth McCormic, Troutman Pepper

Panelists:

• Amanda Childs, SWCA
• Tyler Rychener, WSP

Speaker Bios:

• Coming Soon