The Council on Environmental Quality issued guidance on the environmental review of proposed emergency response actions under the National Environmental Policy Act.
Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance
January 21, 2026
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This guidance replaces previous guidance from the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) on the environmental review of proposed emergency response actions under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). It outlines the general process for evaluating emergency actions under NEPA, provides guidance to agencies on consultation with CEQ to develop alternative arrangements for emergency actions that have reasonably foreseeable significant environmental effects, and provides guidance to agencies on developing procedures for emergency actions that do not have reasonably foreseeable significant environmental effects.