Fact Sheet:

BRAC/NEPA "How To" Manual

May 1995

(PL 19)

All Department of Defense (DOD) organizations must comply with local, State, Federal, and DOD regulations for environmental protection. One such law, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), requires that an environmental impact statement be performed at an installation before making any decision regarding base realignment and closure (BRAC). The environmental impact assessment involves determining an action's economic consequences on surrounding communities. The results of this assessment must then be disclosed to the public.

The Army identified a need for a manual which would: 1) list the responsibility of various organizations involved with BRAC, 2) specify deadlines for and content of required analyses, 3) identify the format and content of required documents, and 4) provide a central reference point for guidance.

Working with the appropriate Army agencies and affected installations, the U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories (CERL) developed the BRAC "How To Manual" for Compliance with the NEPA to serve as a reference tool during BRAC '91. This manual consolidated guidance, identified roles and responsibilities, and specified content and format for the analyses and documents required by NEPA.

CERL is working with the Army BRAC NEPA Support Team (NST) to revise the manual for BRAC '95. The updated manual will incorporate guidance on policies and "lessons learned." CERL also provided technical support to field users.

This manual is a central source of information to clarify the roles and responsibilities of those implementing BRAC. This manual standardized appropriate procedures, format, and content of the environmental documentation required by NEPA. Standardization of the requirements allows document reviewing to be more efficient, eliminating both content and formatting errors.

The revised manual should be available by late FY95. Technical assistance is available by calling a point of contact below.

CERL POCs are Mr. Ron Webster, COMM 217-352-6511 ext. 7239, e-mail r-webster@cecer.army.mil; and Mr. William Cork, COMM 217-373-4420, e-mail w-cork@cecer.army.mil. Both can be reached toll-free at 800-USA-CERL; FAX 217-373-7222; or CERL, ATTN: CECER-PL-N, P.O. Box 9005, Champaign, IL 61826-9005.

Visit the CERL home page at http://www.cecer.army.mil