National Environmental Policy Act and Project Development Toolkit
TxDOT works with the Federal Highway Administration and other federal agencies to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and uses the TxDOT environmental compliance process for state and local projects, where TxDOT is the state approval authority. Environmental practitioners can use these tools to meet the standards required by TxDOT policy to comply with FHWA NEPA compliance procedures and Title 43, Chapter 2 of the Texas Administrative Code.
Questions? Contact the Environmental Affairs Project Delivery Section at 512-416-2763.
View frequently asked questions at Online forms FAQs.
| Date | Title | Description |
| 05/21 | FAQ – State Infrastructure Bank and Environmental Review | Provides guidance regarding the environmental review requirements for State Infrastructure Bank (SIB) financing of projects |
| Collaboration in NEPA: A Handbook for NEPA Practitioners | Presents CEQ results concerning the consideration of collaboration in analyses prepared under NEPA and provides guidance on collaboration, general principles, useful steps and methods of collaboration | |
| 09/20 | FAQ - Environmental Review and Utility Relocation | Addresses some questions that have arisen regarding environmental review and utility relocation. |
| Date | Title | Description |
| 09/24 | Template: Contractor Disclosure Statement Email for an FHWA Project Requiring an EA or EIS | Used by a contractor preparing an EA or EIS for an FHWA project to make the required disclosure. |
| 12/22 | Guidance: Preparing a Purpose and Need Statement | Provides standards governing the content of the purpose and need a statement in an EA or EIS. |
| AASHTO Practitioner’s Guide: Defining the Purpose and Need and Determining the Range of Alternatives for Transportation Projects | Provides American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) NEPA recommendations for defining the purpose and need and determining the range of alternatives in EISs and EAs | |
| AASHTO Practitioner's Guide: Maintaining the Project File and Preparing an Administrative Record for a NEPA Study | Provides information for projects in which the lead federal agency is the FHWA, and the project sponsor is a state department of transportation, to maintain the project file and to compile the administrative record |
| Date | Title | Description |
| 12/17 | Technical Review: Comment Response Matrix (Microsoft Word Version) | Used to record and communicate review comments and responses generated as a result of an environmental review |
| 12/17 | Technical Review: Comment Response Matrix (Microsoft Version) | Used to record and communicate review comments and responses generated as a result of an environmental review |
| Date | Title | Description |
| 09/24 | Reevaluation Form | Used to complete the "Perform Reevaluation" Activity in ECOS |
| Date | Title | Description |
| 09/24 | Guidance: EIS Process Roadmap for an FHWA Project | Provides an overview of the process for starting and completing an EIS for an FHWA project |
| Date | Title | Description |
| 09/24 | Environmental Handbook - Preparing an Environmental Assessment | Conveys TxDOT’s primary expectations on how an EA must be prepared and the appropriate level of content and analysis |
| 09/24 | Environmental Assessment Outline | Use to prepare an EA for approval under TxDOT’s rules or under the NEPA Assignment Memorandum of Understanding with FHWA |
| 01/20 | Environmental Assessment Cover Page | Use to prepare an EA cover page for projects assigned to TxDOT by FHWA |
| 09/24 | Finding of No Significant Impact for State or FHWA Project | Use to prepare and record a determination that a state or FHWA project will cause no significant impact to the environment |
| 09/15 | FHWA and State EA Comparison Chart | Identifies and compares requirements applicable to federal and state EAs |
| 07/24 | Template for EIS to EA Classification Approval | Used to request approval to prepare an EA for an FHWA project for which an EIS is normally required under 23 CFR 771.115(a). |
| Date | Title | Description |
| 09/22 | Open-Ended (d) Categorical Exclusion Classification Request Form | Used to request ENV approval to proceed with processing a project as an open-ended (d) CE |
| 09/22 | Amendment to Open-Ended (d) Categorical Exclusion Classification Request Form | Used to confirm ENV's approval of a project as an open-ended (d) CE when there are changes to the project description or schematic |
| Date | Title | Description |
| 12/18 | Best Practice: Project File Maintenance | Recommends strategies for establishing and maintaining the project file |
| Date | Title | Description |
| 09/24 | Guidance: FHWA Direct Recipient Discretionary Grant Projects | This guidance contains a procedure regarding direct recipient discretionary grant projects for which environmental review is requested by FHWA. |
| Date | Title | Description |
| 10/24 | Lists of EAs and EISs in Development and Complete | This report contains a list of EAs and EISs in development and complete as required by 40 CFR 1507.4(a). Regarding the “complete” EAs and EISs, the report includes only those EAs and EISs that were completed in or after September 2024 |
| Date | Title | Description |
| 04/14 | Induced Growth Indirect Impacts Decision Tree | Helps determine if no induced growth impacts are anticipated, or if a more detailed six-step induced growth analysis is required for a transportation project |
| 12/23 | Guidance: Induced Growth Analysis | Provides instructions for conducting a six-step induced growth analysis for a transportation project |
| Date | Title | Description |
| 04/14 | Cumulative Impacts Decision Tree | Helps determine if no cumulative impacts are anticipated, or if a more detailed five-step cumulative impacts analysis is required for a transportation project |
| 01/19 | Guidance: Cumulative Impacts Analysis Guidelines | Provides instructions for conducting a five-step cumulative impacts analysis for a transportation project |
| 09/21 | Statewide On-Road Greenhouse Gas Emissions Analysis and Climate Change Assessment Technical Report | Provides an analysis of: 1) statewide on-road and fuel cycle greenhouse gas emissions and strategies for reducing emissions, 2) climate change projections for Texas and 3) TxDOT’s current strategies for addressing the changing climate. It is a reference document that contains the analysis of climate change for TxDOT projects in the NEPA context. |