(a) Non-Air Force agencies or entities may request the Air Force to undertake an action, such as issuing a permit or outleasing Air Force property, that may primarily benefit the requester or an agency other than the Air Force. The EPF and other Air Force staff elements must identify such requests and coordinate with the proponent of the non-Air Force proposal, as well as with concerned state, Tribal, and local governments.

(b) Air Force decisions on such proposals must take into consideration the potential environmental impacts of the applicant's proposed activity (as described in an Air Force environmental document), insofar as the proposed action involves Air Force property or programs, or requires Air Force approval.

(c) The Air Force may require the requester to prepare, at the requester's expense, an analysis of environmental impacts (40 CFR 1506.5), or the requester may be required to pay for an EA or EIS to be prepared by a contractor selected and supervised by the Air Force. The EPF may permit requesters to submit draft EAs for their proposed actions, except for actions described in § 989.16(a) and (b), or for actions the EPF has reason to believe will ultimately require an EIS. For EISs, the EPF has the responsibility to prepare the environmental document, although responsibility for funding remains with the requester. The fact that the requester has prepared environmental documents at its own expense does not commit the Air Force to allow or undertake the proposed action or its alternatives. The requester is not entitled to any preference over other potential parties with whom the Air Force might contract or make similar arrangements.

(d) In no event is the requester who prepares or funds an environmental analysis entitled to reimbursement from the Air Force. When requesters prepare environmental documents outside the Air Force, the Air Force must independently evaluate and approve the scope and content of the environmental analyses before using the analyses to fulfill EIAP requirements. Any outside environmental analysis must evaluate reasonable alternatives as defined in § 989.8.