(a) The Executive Director of the CPSC shall have the responsibility to ensure that the Commission's policies and procedures set forth in this part are carried out. He or she shall have the following specific powers and duties:

(1) To ensure that CPSC environmental review is conducted in accordance with the NEPA regulations as well as this part 1021.

(2) To evaluate the significance of effects of a CPSC action on the environment and to determine whether a finding of no significant impact or an EIS should be prepared.

(3) To determine when a categorical exclusion requires environmental review because of exceptional circumstances indicating that the otherwise excluded action may produce an environmental effect.

(4) To instruct CPSC staff to prepare supplements to either draft or final EIS's where there is new environmental information or when CPSC makes changes in a proposed action that are important to environmental issues.

(5) To ensure that environmental documents are before the Commission at all stages of review of proposed action.

(6) To make provisions for soliciting public comment on the anticipated effects on the environment of proposed CPSC actions and their reasonable alternatives at any stage of the environmental review process, whenever he or she decides that such comment will be helpful. The Executive Director, for example, shall have the power to require that provision for soliciting such comments, written or oral, be included in any announcement of a public hearing on proposed rulemaking or on the merits of a petition for rulemaking.

(7) To call upon all resources and expertise available to CPSC to ensure that environmental review is accomplished through an interdisciplinary effort.

(8) To delegate any of his or her powers and duties, other than paragraphs (a) (2) and (3) of this section, to any officer or employee of the CPSC.