National Environmental Policy Act of 1969

National Environmental Policy Act of 1969

Long title	National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
Acronyms (colloquial)	NEPA
Enacted by	the 91st United States Congress
Effective	January 1, 1970
Citations
Public law	Pub.L. 91–190
Statutes at Large	83 Stat. 852
Codification
Titles amended	42 (Public Health and Welfare)
U.S.C. sections created	42 U.S.C. § 4321 et seq.
Legislative history
Introduced in the Senate as S. 1075 by Henry M. Jackson on February 18, 1969 Committee consideration by Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs Passed the Senate on July 10, 1969 (Unanimous) Passed the House of Representatives on September 23, 1969 (372-15) Reported by the joint conference committee on December 17, 1969; agreed to by the Senate on December 20, 1969  and by the House of Representatives on December 23, 1969  Signed into law by President Richard Nixon on January 1, 1970
Major amendments
Public Law 94-52, July 3, 1975, Public Law 94-83, Aug 9, 1975 and Public Law 97-258, section 4(b), Sep 13, 1982

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is a United States environmental law that promotes the enhancement of the environment and established the President's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). The law was enacted on January 1, 1970. As the bill was an early step towards the development of the United States' environmental policy, NEPA is referred to as the “environmental Magna Carta”.

NEPA's most significant outcome was the requirement that all executive federal agencies prepare environmental assessments (EAs) and environmental impact statements (EISs). These reports state the potential environmental effects of proposed federal agency actions. NEPA does not apply to the President, Congress, or the federal courts.

NEPA grew out of the increased appreciation and concern for the environment that resulted from the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill. During this time, environmental interest group efforts and the movement resulting from Rachel Carson's 1962 book, Silent Spring, helped to pass the Wilderness, Clean Air, and Clean Water Acts. Another major driver for enacting NEPA were the 1960s highway revolts, a series of protests in many American cities that occurred in response to the bulldozing of many communities and ecosystems during the construction of the Interstate Highway System.

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