Congressional Guidance Needed on the Environmental Protection Agency's Responsibilities for Preparing Environmental Impact Statements

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) claims that the environmental impact statement (EIS) requirement of the National Environmental Policy Act generally does not apply to regulatory actions which EPA proposes to protect or enhance the quality of the environment. EPA position is based on the act's legislative history, a series of court cases, and its concern that a requirement to subject more actions to the EIS requirement would disrupt its operations.