The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) established the Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ) within the Executive Office of the President
to ensure that Federal agencies meet their obligations under NEPA.
President Nixon signed NEPA into law on January 1, 1970. NEPA was the
first major environmental law in the United States and is often called
the "Magna Carta" of Federal environmental laws. NEPA is our basic
national charter for protection of the environment. It establishes
policy, sets goals (section 101), and provides means (section 102) for
carrying out the policy. Section 102(2) contains "action-forcing"
provisions to make sure that federal agencies act according to the
letter and spirit of the Act.
Mary B. Neumayr
Chairman of CEO
Mary B. Neumayr is the current Chairman of the Council on Environmental
Quality (CEQ). She was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate
on January 2, 2019, and sworn in as Chairman on January 10, 2019. Prior
to her appointment, Ms. Neumayr had been serving as CEQ’s Chief of
Staff since March 2017. Before joining […]
The Council on Environmental Quality oversees NEPA
implementation, principally through issuing guidance and interpreting
regulations that implement NEPA’s procedural requirements. CEQ also
reviews and approves Federal agency NEPA procedures, approves
alternative arrangements for compliance with NEPA for emergencies, helps
to resolve disputes between Federal agencies and with other
governmental entities and members of the public, and oversees Federal
agency implementation of the environmental impact assessment process and
coordinates when agencies disagree over the adequacy of such
assessments.
Visit the NEPA.gov site to learn more.
In addition to NEPA implementation, CEQ also develops and recommends
national policies to the President that promote the improvement of
environmental quality and meet the Nation’s goals. CEQ is also assigned
responsibilities under NEPA and other statutes and Executive Orders,
including overseeing the Office of Federal Sustainability
(OFS). Established in 1993, OFS is housed within CEQ to implement
Administration priorities for energy and environmental sustainability
across Federal Government operations, which encompasses more than
350,000 buildings, 600,000 vehicles, and $500 billion annually in
purchased goods and services.
Visit the Office of Federal Sustainability website to learn more.
For more information related to CEQ’s initiatives, including implementation of Executive Orders 13807, 13834, and 13840, click here. .
