CodeTalk Environmental Resources

When, Where and Why an Environmental Review is Needed.

An Environmental Review

The process of reviewing a project and its potential environmental impacts to determine whether it meets federal, state, and local environmental standards. The environmental review process is required for all HUD-assisted projects to ensure that the proposed project does not negatively impact the surrounding environment, and that the property site itself will not have an adverse environmental or health effect on residents. HUD’s Office of Environment and Energy (OEE) manages the overall environmental review process for HUD. You will find an overview of HUD environmental requirements, as well as regulations, formats, guidance and training materials on the Environmental Review page. If you have questions about environmental review, please contact the assigned Grants Management Specialist or Grants Evaluation Specialist in your Area Office.

Environmental Updates

• Please join the ONAP Environmental Listserv to receive published updates.

Contacts

• ONAP Area Office Environmental Review Contacts
• HUD Environmental Staff Contacts

Environmental Training

• Web-Based Instructional System for Environmental Reviews (WISER)
  WISER teaches grantees how to understand and address all aspects of the environmental review process required for all HUD-assisted projects. This set of self-paced online learning modules can be completed in any order. Each module includes its own learning assessment and an opportunity to obtain a certificate of completion.
• Webinars
  The Environmental Reviews Training webinars, held by HUD's Office of Environment and Energy, provide comprehensive information for grantees and staff on the various components of the environmental review process. All major topics are discussed by subject matter experts. HUD records all Environmental Review Training webinars; these webinar presentations and accompanying materials are available here.

ONAP Environmental Webinar Series

• Use of Environmental Review Forms
  This webinar provided a basic overview of the three HUD environmental review forms: exempt/categorical exclusions not subject to 58.5 (CENST), categorical exclusions subject to 58.5 (CEST), and environmental assessments (EA). It focused on applying these forms to activities in a typical Indian Housing Plan or other projects commonly seen in tribal communities, and clarified who signs these environmental reviews.
• Aggregation
  Aggregating geographically and/or functionally related activities improves the efficiency of environmental reviews and is required by HUD regulations. This webinar discussed how to include the full scope of a project in a project description for an environmental review and presented common examples of project aggregation for projects in tribal communities.
• Emergency Repairs
  HUD’s regulations at 24 CFR 58.34(a)(10) include an exemption for emergency repairs. This webinar discusses how and when 24 CFR 58.34(a)(10) may be used to expedite the environmental review process and provides examples.
• Re-evaluation
  Project scopes or environmental conditions can change after an environmental review has been completed. This webinar discusses how and when to update an existing environmental review under reevaluation at 24 CFR 58.47 and provides examples.
• Tiering
  Tiered reviews can be used to streamline environmental reviews for a program when the exact locations to receive HUD assistance are not known upfront. This webinar focuses on how to use tiered categorical exclusion subject to (CEST) reviews for programs such as homeowner-occupied rehabilitation assistance and lease-acquisition.
• Noise
  This webinar presents HUD’s noise standard in the context of environmental reviews for Tribal projects, outlines the steps for conducting a noise assessment, and demonstrates the use of existing HUD online tools on noise abatement and control.
• Endangered Species Act for Alaska Projects
  This webinar presented guidance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Alaska Programmatic and NOAA Fisheries on endangered species for HUD projects in Alaska.
• Streamlining Environmental Reviews Through Section 106 Programmatic Agreements
  For Tribal projects involving single family home rehabilitation, the historic preservation consultation process is often the longest aspect of the review. This webinar discusses the use of programmatic agreements to streamline environmental reviews regarding Section 106.

Sample Environmental Reviews

Tiered reviews can be used to streamline environmental reviews when the exact locations to receive HUD assistance are not known upfront.

• Tiering Webinar

Example Tiered Review: CEST Cascade County Elder Homeowner Rehab

• Broad Level Review
• Site-Specific Review
• Sample NOI-RROF for Tiered Projects

Limited Scope Review for Project Based Rental Assistance without Repair, Rehabilitation, or Construction

• Instructions Limited Scope Environmental Review Tribal Project Based Rental Assistance without repair, rehabilitation, or construction
• Format: Limited Scope Environmental Review Tribal Project Based Rental Assistance without repair, rehabilitation, or construction
• Section 106: No Potential to Cause Effect Memo Tribal Project Based Rental Assistance without repair, rehabilitation, or construction

HEROS

HEROS is an online system for developing, documenting, and managing environmental reviews. It covers all levels of reviews for both Part 50 and Part 58 projects and includes on-screen guidance for completing HUD environmental reviews.

• HEROS Home Page
  This page includes information on HEROS availability and training resources.
• HEROS Login Page
  If you have HEROS access, login here.
• HEROS Access Form
  HEROS is available for Tribal staff completing HUD Part 58 environmental reviews. If you work for a Tribe, TDHE, or consultant and would like to request access, please use the HEROS Access Form.
• HEROS Access Form Quick Guide
  This guide provides instructions for completing the HEROS Access Form.
• HEROS for Tribes and Tribal Partners Webinar
  This webinar provides information for Tribes, TDHEs, and consultants using HEROS to complete environmental reviews.
• HEROS FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

See this FAQ for questions and answers on using an existing review that is more than 5 years old, re-evaluation, coastal zone management, and prime farmlands.

ONAP Environmental Guidance

• ONAP Guidance 2017-03: Certifying Officers for Environmental Reviews
• PIH Notice 2015-01: Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) Program – Guidance and Procedures for Environmental Reviews under Part 50
• CPD Notice 2011-10: Waiving Statutory Environmental Review Requirements for the Indian Housing Block Grant Program for Tribes that have assumed environmental review responsibilities under 24 CFR Part 58

Environmental Review Formats

• Exempt or Categorically Excluded, Not Subject to 58.5
• Categorically Excluded, Subject to 58.5
• Part 58 Environmental Assessment
• Part 58 Tiered CEST Format
• Related Laws and Authorities Partner Worksheets
• Limited Scope Review for Project Based Rental Assistance without Repair, Rehabilitation, or Construction
  • Instructions Limited Scope Environmental Review Tribal Project Based Rental Assistance without repair, rehabilitation, or construction
  • Format: Limited Scope Environmental Review Tribal Project Based Rental Assistance without repair, rehabilitation, or construction
  • Section 106: No Potential to Cause Effect Memo Tribal Project Based Rental Assistance without repair, rehabilitation, or construction

Sample Notices and Forms

Sample Notices

• Sample Notice of Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and Request Release for Funds (RROF) – English and Spanish
• Sample Notice of Intent to Request Release of Funds – English and Spanish
• Sample Notice of Intent to Request Release of Funds for Tiered Reviews

Forms

• HUD Form 7015.15 – Request for Release of Funds and Certification
• HUD Form 7015.16 – Authority to Use Grant Funds

Tribal Interagency Environmental Streamlining Toolkit

• Tribal/Interagency Environmental Streamlining Toolkit (TIES) – TIES was developed to assist Tribes with streamlining environmental reviews for housing and housing infrastructure projects when multiple federal agencies are involved with funding or permitting. It presents the environmental review requirements for federal agencies that are commonly involved with Tribal housing projects and highlights opportunities for coordination and streamlining.

THRIITF Task Force

• Tribal Housing and Related Infrastructure Interagency Task Force – The THRIITF is comprised of Federal agencies and Tribal representatives to develop a coordinated and streamlined environmental review for Tribal housing and related infrastructure projects. THRIITF background, documents, and reports are available here.

Tribal Consultation

• HUD’s Tribal consultation on environmental policies can be found on Tribal Consultation under the topic Office of Environment and Energy.

Additional Resources

• Other Tribal Environmental Resources
• More information from other agencies and organizations on Tribal environmental resources and issues.