80 FR 26147 - Treasury Directive 75-02 and Directive Publication 75-02, Department of the Treasury National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Program

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 87 (May 6, 2015)

Page Range		26147-26147
FR Document		2015-10593

The purpose of this notice is to inform the public that the Department of the Treasury (Treasury or the Department) is issuing its final policy and procedures for implementing the National Environment Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and related executive orders and requirements. This Notice adopts the proposed Directive and accompanying guidelines, published on August 22, 2014, with minor revisions.

Federal Register, Volume 80 Issue 87 (Wednesday, May 6, 2015)

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 87 (Wednesday, May 6, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 26147]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-10593]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY


Treasury Directive 75-02 and Directive Publication 75-02, 
Department of the Treasury National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 
Program

AGENCY: Office of Environment, Health, and Safety, Departmental 
Offices, Department of the Treasury.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to inform the public that the 
Department of the Treasury (Treasury or the Department) is issuing its 
final policy and procedures for implementing the National Environment 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and related executive orders and 
requirements. This Notice adopts the proposed Directive and 
accompanying guidelines, published on August 22, 2014, with minor 
revisions.

DATES: This Directive will be effective on May 6, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daniel Cain, Acting Director, Treasury 
Operations, at 202-622-0074 (not a toll-free number) or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires federal 
agencies to integrate environmental values into their decision-making 
processes by considering the environmental impacts of their proposed 
actions and reasonable alternatives to those actions. The Department's 
final Directive and accompanying guidelines establish a policy and 
procedures to ensure the integration of environmental considerations 
into the activities of the Department of the Treasury. A copy of the 
final Directive is available at http://www.treasury.gov/about/role-of-treasury/orders-directives/Pages/directives-numeric.aspx.
    The Directive outlines roles and responsibilities for compliance 
with NEPA and establishes a framework for the balanced and proactive 
consideration of NEPA in the planning and execution of Treasury 
activities. Treasury's responsibilities include managing federal 
finances; collecting taxes, and paying bills of the United States; 
producing currency and coinage; managing government accounts and the 
public debt; supervising national banks and thrift institutions; 
advising on domestic and international financial, monetary, economic, 
trade and tax policy; enforcing federal finance and tax laws; and 
investigating and prosecuting tax evaders, counterfeiters, and forgers.
    The final Directive includes processes for preparing Environmental 
Assessments, Findings of No Significant Impact, and Environmental 
Impact Statements. It also includes Categorical Exclusions (CE) 
identifying the actions that normally do not have the potential for 
significant environmental impacts. The Department will use this 
Directive in conjunction with NEPA, the Council on Environmental 
Quality regulations at 40 CFR parts 1500-1508, and other pertinent 
environmental laws, regulations, and Executive Orders.

Changes

    The Department published a draft Directive (including an associated 
Directive Publication), and a request for comments in the Federal 
Register on August 22, 2014. 79 FR 49834. The draft Directive proposed 
Treasury policy for meeting the requirements under NEPA, including a 
proposed list of categories of Treasury actions that absent 
extraordinary circumstances are excluded from further consideration in 
an Environmental Assessment or Environmental Impact Statement, known as 
categorical exclusions.
    The Department received three comments on the proposed Directive 
during the comment period. After considering the comments received, the 
Department now adopts the proposed Directive with minor revisions to 
help clarify the categorical exclusion and extraordinary circumstance 
analysis and documentation requirements and procedures. Specifically, 
the Department revised draft Directive Publication Section 7.a to 
eliminate language that could have suggested that Treasury bureau heads 
had authority to establish categorical exclusions in addition to those 
set forth in Appendix 1 of the Directive Publication.
    The Department further revised draft Directive Publication Section 
7.a to state more clearly and consistently that an extraordinary 
circumstance exists and will preclude reliance on a CE if the 
conditions specified in the extraordinary circumstances create the 
potential for a significant environmental impact.
    Treasury also revised draft Directive Section 7.b., which, as 
originally worded, would have suggested that documentation was required 
whenever a CE was applied. As revised, the Section states that 
documentation is required when a CE is applied to a new or unusual 
activity. In addition, the revisions to this Section clarified the 
internal process for documentation and converted the form at Appendix 1 
to a suggested format that may be adapted as necessary for application 
to a specific action.
    The Department also made minor revisions to Appendix 1 to clarify 
the application of CE's A7 and B1.

Brodi Fontenot,
Assistant Secretary for Management.
[FR Doc. 2015-10593 Filed 5-5-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4810-25-P

Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 87 / Wednesday, May 6, 2015 / Notices 26147

be summarized and/or included in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Directive proposed Treasury policy for
request for OMB approval. All meeting the requirements under NEPA,
Background
comments will become a matter of including a proposed list of categories of
public record. Comments are invited on: The National Environmental Policy Treasury actions that absent
(a) Whether the collection of Act (NEPA) requires federal agencies to extraordinary circumstances are
information is necessary for the proper integrate environmental values into excluded from further consideration in
performance of the functions of the their decision-making processes by an Environmental Assessment or
agency, including whether the considering the environmental impacts Environmental Impact Statement,
information shall have practical utility; of their proposed actions and reasonable known as categorical exclusions.
(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate alternatives to those actions. The
Department’s final Directive and The Department received three
of the burden of the collection of
accompanying guidelines establish a comments on the proposed Directive
information; (c) ways to enhance the
policy and procedures to ensure the during the comment period. After
quality, utility, and clarity of the
integration of environmental considering the comments received, the
information to be collected; (d) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of considerations into the activities of the Department now adopts the proposed
information on respondents, including Department of the Treasury. A copy of Directive with minor revisions to help
through the use of automated collection the final Directive is available at clarify the categorical exclusion and
techniques or other forms of information http://www.treasury.gov/about/role-of- extraordinary circumstance analysis and
technology; and (e) estimates of capital treasury/orders-directives/Pages/ documentation requirements and
or start-up costs and costs of operation, directives-numeric.aspx. procedures. Specifically, the
maintenance, and purchase of services The Directive outlines roles and Department revised draft Directive
to provide information. responsibilities for compliance with Publication Section 7.a to eliminate
NEPA and establishes a framework for language that could have suggested that
Approved: April 29, 2015. Treasury bureau heads had authority to
the balanced and proactive
Christie Preston, establish categorical exclusions in
consideration of NEPA in the planning
IRS Reports Clearance Officer. addition to those set forth in Appendix
and execution of Treasury activities.
[FR Doc. 2015–10594 Filed 5–5–15; 8:45 am]
Treasury’s responsibilities include 1 of the Directive Publication.
BILLING CODE 4830–01–P managing federal finances; collecting The Department further revised draft
taxes, and paying bills of the United Directive Publication Section 7.a to state
States; producing currency and coinage; more clearly and consistently that an
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
managing government accounts and the extraordinary circumstance exists and
Treasury Directive 75–02 and Directive public debt; supervising national banks will preclude reliance on a CE if the
Publication 75–02, Department of the and thrift institutions; advising on conditions specified in the
Treasury National Environmental domestic and international financial, extraordinary circumstances create the
Policy Act (NEPA) Program monetary, economic, trade and tax potential for a significant environmental
policy; enforcing federal finance and tax impact.
AGENCY: Office of Environment, Health, laws; and investigating and prosecuting
and Safety, Departmental Offices, Treasury also revised draft Directive
tax evaders, counterfeiters, and forgers. Section 7.b., which, as originally
Department of the Treasury. The final Directive includes processes worded, would have suggested that
ACTION: Notice. for preparing Environmental documentation was required whenever
Assessments, Findings of No Significant a CE was applied. As revised, the
SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is Impact, and Environmental Impact
to inform the public that the Department Section states that documentation is
Statements. It also includes Categorical required when a CE is applied to a new
of the Treasury (Treasury or the Exclusions (CE) identifying the actions
Department) is issuing its final policy or unusual activity. In addition, the
that normally do not have the potential revisions to this Section clarified the
and procedures for implementing the for significant environmental impacts.
National Environment Policy Act of internal process for documentation and
The Department will use this Directive converted the form at Appendix 1 to a
1969 (NEPA) and related executive in conjunction with NEPA, the Council
orders and requirements. This Notice suggested format that may be adapted as
on Environmental Quality regulations at necessary for application to a specific
adopts the proposed Directive and 40 CFR parts 1500–1508, and other
accompanying guidelines, published on action.
pertinent environmental laws,
August 22, 2014, with minor revisions. regulations, and Executive Orders. The Department also made minor
DATES: This Directive will be effective revisions to Appendix 1 to clarify the
on May 6, 2015. Changes application of CE’s A7 and B1.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Department published a draft
Brodi Fontenot,
Daniel Cain, Acting Director, Treasury Directive (including an associated
Operations, at 202–622–0074 (not a toll- Directive Publication), and a request for Assistant Secretary for Management.
free number) or Daniel.Cain@ comments in the Federal Register on [FR Doc. 2015–10593 Filed 5–5–15; 8:45 am]
do.treas.gov. August 22, 2014. 79 FR 49834. The draft BILLING CODE 4810–25–P
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

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Document Created: 2015-12-16 07:41:53
Document Modified: 2015-12-16 07:41:53

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Notices
Action		Notice.
Dates		This Directive will be effective on May 6, 2015.
Contact		Daniel Cain, Acting Director, Treasury Operations, at 202-622-0074 (not a toll-free number) or [email protected]
FR Citation		80 FR 26147