The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has announced the renewal of its Section 6004 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) under which it assumed FHWA’s responsibility for determining whether certain transportation projects may be categorically excluded from the National Environmental Policy Act review process. The MOU streamlines the federal environmental review process for categorically excluded transportation projects by eliminating FHWA’s project-by-project review and approval. The MOU renewal also continues to assign to Caltrans FHWA’s responsibility for conducting environmental review, consultation, and other related activities under federal environmental laws, including the Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, and National Historic Preservation Act. The new Section 6004 MOU was effective June 7, 2010, and expires June 7, 2013.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by AutoWhys. AutoWhys said: California FHWA Renew MOU for Categorical Exclusion Delegation: http://strahnet.com/?p=311 [...]