"Environmental streamlining" is concerned with improving the NEPA process resulting in faster and better project delivery and more environmentally sensitive transportation projects. While not a new idea or objective, it has gotten a great deal of attention of late and is a priority of the FHWA, the DOT, and other agencies.

Visit the FHWA Environmental Streamlining Website for more information and examples of what others are doing to streamline the NEPA process.

This Topic Area area also includes information on the Interagency Task Force established by Executive Order 13274, Environmental Stewardship and Transportation Infrastructure Project Review. In addition to focusing attention on a few "priorty projects", the Task Force has identified three areas where federal coordination and decisionmaking could be better integrated and where opportunities currently exist for process improvements. The issue include:

(1) the development of purpose and need statements in environmental review documents,
(2) indirect and cumulative effects analysis and documentation, and
(3) the use of integrated planning and approaches.

To investigate improvements in these areas, the Task Force established interagency Work Groups to work on each of these topics.

For more information visit the Environmental Stewardship and Transportation Infrastructure Project Reviews Webpage.