Where Did NEPA Come From?
The origins of NEPA are similar to those of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), which was enacted three years before NEPA. During the 1930s, rapid industrialization created environmental problems, which were exacerbated by World War II. After the War, programs like urban renewal, the interstate highway program, and the charge given the Corps of Engineers to dam rivers for a variety of purposes accelerated damage, as did the increasing use of toxic pesticides and fertilizers. Rachel Carson’s pivotal book, Silent Spring, helped mobilize people to push for protection of the environment in a variety of ways, notably from the thoughtless acts of Federal agencies. One major result was NEPA, enacted in 1969 though it did not take effect until 1970. NEPA has been amended several times since its enactment, and a number of other laws have established interlocking or overlapping requirements that must be addressed in NEPA analyses. This procedural requirement, and those that logically
