Policy & Regulations

NEPA work requires more than knowing the process. Professionals also need to find and evaluate the right sources, develop clear and defensible analysis, review other people's work, revise weak material, and increasingly understand how AI tools can—and cannot—support that work.

NEPA Fundamentals: Using AI Tools to Write, Review & Verify is a practical, two-day course that combines foundational NEPA instruction with guided practice in writing, review, evaluation, and responsible AI use.

NEPA remains the subject-matter foundation throughout the course. Participants work with the NEPA process and document pathways; purpose and need; alternatives; evidence and environmental effects; mitigation and findings; source selection and currentness; and the roles different professionals play in developing, reviewing, and managing NEPA work.

Rather than treating writing and review as separate skills, the course weaves them into the NEPA material. Participants have structured opportunities to inspect examples, compare stronger and weaker work, apply evaluation criteria, write and revise selected passages, develop review comments, and connect conclusions back to supporting evidence and sources.

AI tools are integrated into this same work rather than taught as a stand-alone technology topic. With no prior AI experience required, participants explore basic, portable uses of AI for tasks such as explaining unfamiliar material, extracting and organizing information, comparing sources or documents, critiquing draft language, supporting bounded drafting and revision, checking consistency, and generating useful review questions.

Verification is part of the process. AI-generated material is checked against authoritative sources, project facts, agency procedures, stated criteria, and professional judgment. The course emphasizes that AI is a tool—not legal authority, technical expertise, agency procedure, or a substitute for human responsibility.

Throughout the two days, participants build a Working File from their practice activities. Exercises may include pathway and source notes, purpose-and-need revision, alternatives analysis, evidence and traceability work, mitigation or findings revision, prioritized review comments, AI verification records, case-law source exercises, and integrated case work.

The course is designed both for people building a NEPA foundation and for experienced practitioners who want an integrated refresher that reflects today's writing, review, source-management, and AI-assisted workflows.

CEQ’s regulations implementing NEPA were declared invalid by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals because CEQ has never had statutory authority to promulgate regulations.  A recent Executive Order issued on Day One requires CEQ to rescind their NEPA-implementing regulations, and instead to issue guidelines to agencies on implementing NEPA.  These are the largest and most transformative actions to change the NEPA practice since NEPA was enacted over 50 years ago.

 All of this is explained in detail in Basic NEPA.  NEPA practitioners will learn about these changes and will get tools to effectively deal with them.  If you have attended Basic NEPA before, it’s now time for an update. 

 Basic NEPA training materials are grounded on the NEPA statute and the Administrative Procedure Act, which have not changed, plus NEPA case law – which also has not changed.  For any Federal proposal for action, either we will write a “detailed statement” as required by NEPA, or we will write reasons not to.  All possible reasons not to are detailed.  Alternatives in a “detailed statement” are still governed by the statement of need for action.  A model for how to write that need statement is detailed.  A cumulative impacts analysis is still necessary because of the Administrative Procedure Act.  A model for how to conduct that analysis is detailed. 

 A substantial handout with graphic models, updated case lists that support the models, and sample documents is included in this course.  All training materials are based on statutes and NEPA case law, fully applicable even without CEQ’s regulations.  Attendees may wish to keep the course material as a reference in the workplace. 

 DID YOU KNOW -- NEPA is the most litigated environmental statute in the United States, according to the CEQ.  Prepare to defend your agency decisions with defensible NEPA documents, according to the NEPA models in this course.  Future-proof your NEPA practice by staying on top of recent changes. 

 ** For an advanced, seminar-style discussion of NEPA issues, attend our one-day Advanced NEPA Workshop, immediately following this course. Completion of this course is excellent preparation for getting the most out of our Advanced NEPA** course.  There is a $50 discount when purchasing the 2 courses together.

This workshop is designed to serve both as a comprehensive introduction for those new to NEPA and a refresher for more experienced professionals. The course is beneficial for federal agency staff and decision-makers, attorneys, consultants, as well as members of environmental organizations, and interested citizens who are concerned about the environmental effects of federal actions. Those who have taken this course in years past will benefit from updated materials based on the newest judicial opinions. Even those who have worked with NEPA their entire careers will stand to learn more about the secrets to successful NEPA compliance. 

In this online course, registrants will get a comprehensive overview of the National Enviromental Policy Act, starting with a description of what it is, when it's necessary, who needs to deal with it, and the different types of NEPA projects. After a review of terminology, documents, and other related laws and requirements (such as SEPA, CEQA, Endangered Species Act, etc.), the NEPA timeline will be explained, with some general strategies for process/planning.

The program is presented online via an interactive format with audio, video, and activities/knowledge check quizzes. If you are new to NEPA, or simply need a concise, clear description of the process, this course will get you up-to-speed quickly! 

Preparing and evaluating Environmental Assessments (EAs)/Findings of No Significant Impact (FONSIs) and Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) is a complex task, and many agencies use contractors to prepare their NEPA Documents. But when those draft documents are submitted, agency staff must review and comment on them, attempting to ensure that the documents prepared by other agencies or their contractors have the necessary content.

This NEPA training course provides the tools needed to review and evaluate the content of NEPA documents, whether prepared by contractors, other agencies, or in-house. There will be a comprehensive introduction for those new to NEPA and a refresher for more experienced professionals. Materials are also relevant to writers of NEPA documents. Illustrative examples will come from excerpts of real-life EAs/FONSIs and EISs.

Emphasis is on the FONSI in particular, but all findings in general; alternatives, both those included and those that may safely be left out; a workable approach to what are called “cumulative impacts”. All materials are modeled according to statutes, regulations, andwinning case law. A major theme is emphasis on using plain language.

Attendees will gain an immensely useful set of tools to answer the question frequently asked when draft documents are received: “Is this thing any good?” The answer will be “Yes”, if it looks like the statutes, regulations, and winning case law.

The instructor is Owen Schmidt, author of NEPA Models and Case Lists as well as a number of other NEPA-related publications, and the instructor for NWETC’s courses titled NEPA: Writing the Perfect EA/FONSI or EIS and Advanced NEPA.

*Reduced tuition is available to employees of Native American tribes, government agencies, nonprofits, students and NAEP members. You may register online or by calling the Northwest Environmental Training Center at (425) 270-3274.

Please wait to receive a course confirmation email, roughly one month prior to the class, before making any travel arrangements.

**Note - For every course we have implemented live stream remote attendance options for those who prefer a no-contact alternative to in-person attendance.  You will need a computer and an internet connection.  We will follow the maximum in-person meeting size as per health authorities and if recommended we will only offer remote attendance.

If conditions permit, you are welcome to attend the course in-person, we likely will have between 5 to 10 in-person attendee's in a large room to provide safe spacing.  We also wipe every surface down and provide hand washing and disinfectant wipes as a courtesy.  If you would like more information or have any questions, please contact us via email or phone 425 270 3274.

Whether you work for an agency of the Federal Government or the State of California or local agency in California, seek a permit, grant, or approval from one of these agencies, or are otherwise interested in government decision-making, you need to know about NEPA and CEQA. This workshop is designed to serve both as a comprehensive introduction for those new to these statutes and an update for more experienced professionals.

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is perhaps the best-known of our Nation's environmental laws. It applies whenever federal agencies propose to take action or when they propose to fund or approve the actions of others, if environmental impacts are likely to result. NEPA opened federal agency decision-making to the public, and promotes decisions with more environmentally responsible values. The procedures and documents required by NEPA may at times form the only administrative record of federal decision-making.

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) parallels NEPA for State and local agency actions. It is a system of environmental review that requires agencies considering project approval to take action to protect California's environment. It applies to any project requiring State or local agency action that may have a significant effect on the environment, whether on State, local agency, or private lands.

The success or failure of many actions in California will depend on compliance with NEPA and CEQA. Using models and case studies and a sample NEPA/CEQA document, this workshop will help you understand the procedural requirements of the NEPA/CEQA process, including how to determine when these processes apply, deciding which documents to prepare, determining the scope and content of NEPA/CEQA documents, preparing an adequate cumulative impacts analysis, and integration of NEPA and CEQA with other laws. 

After completing this course, participants will be able to:

• Determine whether a NEPA / CEQA process is necessary

• Determine which process to follow: Categorical Exclusion, Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact / Negative Declaration (or Mitigated Negative Declaration), or Environmental Impact Statement / Environmental Impact Report

• Integrate NEPA and CEQA in a joint process

• Study, develop, and describe appropriate alternatives

• Complete an adequate cumulative impacts assessment

• Prepare an Administrative Record to support agency decisions

Stormwater pollution from both point and non-point sources pose serious ecological, economic and social risks. Stringent regulations regarding pollution sources help reduce these risks. This course provides an overview of California's stormwater regulations, including the General Industrial Stormwater Permit, the General Construction Stormwater Permit, Phase I and II municipal permitting, and programs addressing non-point source pollution. The course will also address the federal regulation of point and non-point pollution. The history and origin of each of the permits will be discussed, and the basic requirements of each permit will be outlined.

Intended Audience: This course is designed for professionals seeking a greater understanding of California stormwater regulations and permitting. Those encouraged to attend are consultants, business owners, regulators, environmental activists and attorneys.

Level: Introductory/Review

Course Materials: Participants will receive course proceedings, and reference materials.

Registration:
*Reduced tuition is available for Native American tribes; government employees; nonprofits; students; NAEP members. You may register online or by calling the Northwest Environmental Training Center at (425) 270-3274.

This workshop provides an applied overview of the California Environmental Quality Act, with an emphasis on the process and technical requirements of an environmental impact assessment. The course will begin with a brief background on environmental impact assessment in the U.S. and of CEQA's regulatory context, followed by an overview of various approaches used in scoping and preparing environmental impact assessments under CEQA. Students will examine the documents required under CEQA and the roles of key players involved. Students will also determine the adequacy of CEQA documents as they relate to environmental settings, impact assessment, mitigation development, significance thresholds, and data sources. Lastly, the course will include a discussion of the documents and processes for projects regulated by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). 

After completing this course, participants will be able to:
- Understand and participate in CEQA evaluations
- Integrate CEQA environmental review into project approval processes
- Explain the environmental impact assessment requirements of CEQA
- Effectively review and comment on CEQA documents
- Identify and work with the various players in resolving CEQA issues

Registration: (*reduced tuition is available to employees of Native American tribes, government agencies, and nonprofits; students; and NAEP members). If you are having trouble registering online, please call Northwest Environmental Training Center at 425-270-3274, ext 103.

Please wait to receive a course confirmation email, roughly one month prior to the class, before making any travel arrangements.

During this two-day course, attendees will gain practical insight into industrial stormwater management and proper EPA sampling methods and techniques. Focus is placed on plan preparation and best management practices to meet current regulations. The content includes an overview of policy and regulations shaping industrial stormwater requirements, SWPPP development, best management practices, monitoring, reporting and other key strategies to achieve compliance. During the second day of the course, attendees will learn the most up-to-date techniques in the management of sediment and construction sites.

Hands-on exercises will allow each student to practice choosing and correctly installing mats, blankets, check dams, bonded fiber matrix, straw, and other erosion control techniques for various site locations. Upon completion students will know how to simply and confidently comply with federal, state, and local regulatory requirements of stormwater management.

This training course will present the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) practitioner with a set of practical skills for preparing either an Environmental Assessment (EA) / Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) or Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and includes all the required content, as well as practical skills for safely leaving out unnecessary content. NEPA lessons will come from various project examples.

Major themes include: how to make the findings required by law; timing the NEPA process to the decision making process; eight good legal reasons not to prepare an EIS; scoping a reasonable range of alternatives; writing the “perfect” cumulative effects analysis; and administrative record. This course includes a substantial handout with graphic models, updated case lists that support the models, and sample documents. Each attendee may keep the handout to serve as a reference in the workplace.

$50 discount: This course is part of the Midwest Water and Policy Workshop Series. Attendees will receive an additional $50 discount off their order total when registering at the same time for  "The New Approaches and Implementation Methods for Municipal Stormwater Management" or "The Ecological Significance of High Flows on Alluvial Rivers."

$100 discount: Attendees will receive a $100 discount off their order total when registering for all three courses at the same time.

*Reduced tuition is available to employees of Native American tribes, government agencies, nonprofits, students and NAEP members. You may register online or by calling the Northwest Environmental Training Center at (425) 270-3274.

Please wait to receive a course confirmation email, roughly one month prior to the class, before making any travel arrangements.