(a) An EA shall include brief discussions of the need for the proposal; of alternatives to the proposal as required by NEPA section 102(2)(E); and of the environmental impacts of the proposal and alternatives. The EA shall also include a listing of agencies and persons consulted in the preparation of the EA.

(b) An EA may describe a broad range of alternatives and proposed mitigation measures to facilitate planning and decisionmaking.

(c) The EA should also document compliance, to the extent possible, with all applicable environmental laws and Executive Orders, or provide reasonable assurance that those requirements can be met.

(d) The EA should be a concise public document. The level of detail and depth of impact analysis will normally be limited to the minimum needed to determine the significance of potential environmental effects.

(a) Adoption of an EA. The Commission may adopt an EA prepared for a proposal before the Commission by another agency or an applicant when the EA, or a portion thereof, addresses the proposed Commission action and meets the standards for an adequate analysis under this part and relevant provisions of 40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508, provided that the Commission makes its own evaluation of the environmental issues and takes responsibility for the scope and content of the EA in accordance with 40 CFR 1506.5(b).

(b) Incorporation by reference into the EA. Any document may be incorporated by reference in accordance with 40 CFR 1502.21 and used in preparing an EA in accordance with 40 CFR 1501.4(e) and 1506.5(a), provided that the Commission makes its own evaluation of the environmental issues and takes responsibility for the scope and content of the EA in accordance with 40 CFR 1506.5(b).

(a) Commission approval is required before an EA is made available to the public and the notice of availability is published.

(b) The public shall be provided notice of the availability of EAs and draft FONSIs in accordance with 40 CFR 1506.6 and § 900.108(a) by the Approving Official. The Approving Official is responsible for making the EA available for public inspection and will provide hard copies on request to the affected units of Alaska Native/American Indian tribal organizations and/or local government.

(c) EAs and draft FONSIs will be available for public comment for not less than 15 calendar days but may be published for a longer period of time as determined by the Approving Official.

(d) Final Commission action will be taken after public comments received on an EA and draft FONSI are reviewed and considered.

(a) Accepted without modification. The Commission may accept a proposal without modifications if the EA indicates that the proposal does not have significant environmental impacts and a FONSI is prepared in accordance with § 900.305.

(b) Accepted with modification. If an EA identifies potentially significant environmental impacts, the proposal may be modified to eliminate such impacts. Proposals so modified may be accepted by the Commission if the proposed changes are evaluated in an EA and a FONSI is prepared in accordance with § 900.305.

(c) Mitigated FONSI. If mitigation is required to reduce the impacts below significant the FONSI shall identify the mitigation and describe applicable monitoring and enforcement measures intended to ensure the implementation of the mitigation measures.

(d) Prepare an EIS. The Commission shall require that the proposal be evaluated in an EIS, prepared in accordance with subpart D to this part, if the EA indicates significant environmental impacts that cannot be mitigated below a specified level of significance.

(e) Rejected. The Commission may always elect to reject a proposal.

(a) Definition. Finding of no significant impact (FONSI) means a document by the Commission briefly presenting the reasons why an action, not otherwise excluded as provided in § 900.204, will not have a significant impact on the human environment and for which an EIS will not be prepared.

(b) Applicant responsibility. The applicant shall assist the Commission with preparing the EA. The Commission remains responsible for compiling the public hearing summary or minutes, where applicable; and copies of any written comments received and responses thereto.

(c) Content. A FONSI shall include the EA or a summary of it and shall note any other environmental documents related to it (40 CFR 1501.7(a)(5)). If the assessment is included, the finding need not repeat any of the discussion in the assessment but may incorporate it by reference.

(d) Publication. The Commission shall make the final FONSI available to the public on the Commission Web site.

(e) Special circumstances. The FONSI notice of availability will be made available for public review (including State and areawide clearinghouses) for 30 days before the Commission makes its final determination whether to prepare an environmental impact statement and before the action may begin (40 CFR 1501.4(e)(2)) where:

(1) The proposed action is, or is closely similar to, one which normally requires the preparation of an environmental impact statement under § 900.405; or

(2) The nature of the proposed action is one without precedent.

Proposals that normally require preparation of an EA include the following:

(a) Initial field demonstration of a new technology; and

(b) Field trials of a new product or new uses of an existing technology.