National Environmental Policy Act and Project Development Toolkit
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National Environmental Policy Act and Project Development Toolkit

TxDOT works with the Federal Highway Administration and other federal agencies to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and uses the TxDOT environmental compliance process for state and local projects, where TxDOT is the state approval authority. Environmental practitioners can use these tools to meet the standards required by TxDOT policy to comply with FHWA NEPA compliance procedures and Title 43, Chapter 2 of the Texas Administrative Code.

Questions? Contact the Environmental Affairs Project Delivery Section at 512-416-2763.

View frequently asked questions at Online forms FAQs.

General references

Date Title Description
05/21 FAQ – State Infrastructure Bank and Environmental Review Provides guidance regarding the environmental review requirements for State Infrastructure Bank (SIB) financing of projects
  Collaboration in NEPA: A Handbook for NEPA Practitioners Presents CEQ results concerning the consideration of collaboration in analyses prepared under NEPA and provides guidance on collaboration, general principles, useful steps and methods of collaboration
09/20 FAQ - Environmental Review and Utility Relocation Addresses some questions that have arisen regarding environmental review and utility relocation.

Preparing environmental documents

Date Title Description
09/20 Template: Contractor Disclosure Statement Email for an FHWA Project Requiring an EA or EIS Used by a contractor preparing an EA or EIS for an FHWA project to make the required disclosure.
12/22 Guidance: Preparing a Purpose and Need Statement Provides standards governing the content of the purpose and need a statement in an EA or EIS.
  AASHTO Practitioner’s Guide: Defining the Purpose and Need and Determining the Range of Alternatives for Transportation Projects Provides American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) NEPA recommendations for defining the purpose and need and determining the range of alternatives in EISs and EAs
  AASHTO Practitioner's Guide: Maintaining the Project File and Preparing an Administrative Record for a NEPA Study Provides information for projects in which the lead federal agency is the FHWA, and the project sponsor is a state department of transportation, to maintain the project file and to compile the administrative record

Document review

Date Title Description
12/17 Technical Review: Comment Response Matrix (Microsoft Word Version) Used to record and communicate review comments and responses generated as a result of an environmental review
12/17 Technical Review: Comment Response Matrix (Microsoft Version) Used to record and communicate review comments and responses generated as a result of an environmental review

Reevaluations

Date Title Description
01/20 Reevaluation Form Used to complete the "Perform Reevaluation" Activity in ECOS

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

Date Title Description
07/23 Guidance: EIS Process Roadmap for an FHWA Project Provides an overview of the process for starting and completing an EIS for an FHWA project

Environmental Assessments (EAs)

Date Title Description
11/23 Environmental Handbook - Preparing an Environmental Assessment Conveys TxDOT’s primary expectations on how an EA must be prepared and the appropriate level of content and analysis
09/23 Environmental Assessment Outline Use to prepare an EA for approval under TxDOT’s rules or under the NEPA Assignment Memorandum of Understanding with FHWA
01/20 Environmental Assessment Cover Page Use to prepare an EA cover page for projects assigned to TxDOT by FHWA
01/22 Finding of No Significant Impact for State or FHWA Project Use to prepare and record a determination that a state or FHWA project will cause no significant impact to the environment
09/15 FHWA and State EA Comparison Chart Identifies and compares requirements applicable to federal and state EAs
07/19 Template for EIS to EA Classification Approval Used to request approval to prepare an EA for an FHWA project for which an EIS is normally required under 23 CFR 771.115(a).

Categorical Exclusions (CEs)

Date Title Description
09/22 Open-Ended (d) Categorical Exclusion Classification Request Form Used to request ENV approval to proceed with processing a project as an open-ended (d) CE
09/22 Amendment to Open-Ended (d) Categorical Exclusion Classification Request Form Used to confirm ENV's approval of a project as an open-ended (d) CE when there are changes to the project description or schematic

Best practices for the environmental document process

Date Title Description
12/18 Best Practice: Project File Maintenance Recommends strategies for establishing and maintaining the project file

FHWA Direct Recipient Discretionary Grant Projects

Date Title Description
12/23 Guidance: FHWA Direct Recipient Discretionary Grant Projects This guidance contains a procedure regarding direct recipient discretionary grant projects for which environmental review is requested by FHWA.

Induced Growth

Date Title Description
04/14 Induced Growth Indirect Impacts Decision Tree

Helps determine if no induced growth impacts are anticipated, or if a more detailed six-step induced growth analysis is required for a transportation project

12/23 Guidance: Induced Growth Analysis

Provides instructions for conducting a six-step induced growth analysis for a transportation project

Cumulative Impacts

Date Title Description
04/14 Cumulative Impacts Decision Tree

Helps determine if no cumulative impacts are anticipated, or if a more detailed five-step cumulative impacts analysis is required for a transportation project

01/19 Guidance: Cumulative Impacts Analysis Guidelines

Provides instructions for conducting a five-step cumulative impacts analysis for a transportation project

09/21 Statewide On-Road Greenhouse Gas Emissions Analysis and Climate Change Assessment Technical Report

Provides an analysis of: 1) statewide on-road and fuel cycle greenhouse gas emissions and strategies for reducing emissions, 2) climate change projections for Texas and 3) TxDOT’s current strategies for addressing the changing climate. It is a reference document that contains the analysis of climate change for TxDOT projects in the NEPA context.