Search Results for keywords:"Council on Environmental Quality"

The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has finalized new regulations for the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Privacy Act, reflecting updates from the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016. These revisions aim to make the regulations easier to understand and use, improving public access to government records and information. The final rules also incorporated public feedback, with changes ensuring transparency and a presumption of openness while also addressing how requests and appeals are processed. Additionally, the CEQ has updated administrative procedures, including the handling of fees and how appeals are managed, to align with current policies and practices.

The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has issued a final rule establishing procedures for creating guidance documents per Executive Order 13891. This rule mandates how CEQ will define, develop, and issue these documents, ensuring they are accessible to the public through an online database. It allows the public to request changes to these documents and specifies the process for significant guidance documents needing public comment. The rule underscores CEQ's internal practices without imposing new obligations on the public or other governmental bodies.

The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has issued an interim rule to remove its regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) from the Code of Federal Regulations. This action follows an executive order that rescinded the previous directive requiring these regulations and raised questions about CEQ's authority to impose binding rules. CEQ invites public comments on this rule by March 27, 2025, and will consider these before finalizing the rule. The interim rule’s removal of regulations is aimed at addressing legal uncertainties and simplifying agency compliance with NEPA.

The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has updated the regulations for its Office of Environmental Quality Management Fund. These updates are intended to clarify the regulations' meanings, modernize them to align with CEQ's current practices, and remove outdated provisions. The regulations now include new definitions for key terms and improve the explanation of policies and procedures related to environmental projects and study contracts. CEQ has determined that these changes will not have a significant impact on small entities or require an environmental impact statement.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is proposing new procedures to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), including the addition of new categorical exclusions (CEs). These CEs are actions usually not expected to impact the environment significantly. NIST seeks public input on these draft procedures and the justification for the new CEs by January 10, 2025. The proposal is part of a larger effort to streamline and ensure consistency with environmental regulations.

The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) is proposing updates to its regulations for the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Privacy Act. These changes aim to incorporate amendments from the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016, align with Department of Justice guidance, and improve public understanding and usability of the rules. Additionally, the updated rules are designed to better represent CEQ's current policies and practices, and include reorganizing and renaming sections for simplicity. Importantly, these proposals reflect CEQ's dedication to open information sharing while ensuring personal data is managed properly under the Privacy Act.