ESP 401 Environmental Impact Assessment and Lab 

The purpose of this course guide is to provide research materials to students searching for environmental impact statements and other governmental and technical reports. This type of information is most readily available in more specialized research resources than books and journal articles. Also, students should note that, also there is crossover, environmental impact information will be separated from other general governmental and technical reports when possible.

Tutorials Page
(Note many tutorials are not from USM. Contact the USM Reference Desks not the other institution's librarians.)

New User's Page
A few useful links you should know about!

Environmental Impact Assessment

Council on Environmental Quality
Council mediates environmental issues and assessment concerns between agencies. This Whitehouse site provides access to recent annual freedom of information reports, NEPAnet and its Council of Environmental Quality procedural reports, as well as federal departments and agencies.

Environmental Assessment Association
Homepage of association features information about joining and being a member of the association, as well as workable online assessment forms, documents and courses offered for a fee, news, contact information and recent issues of Environmental Times.

International Association for Impact Assessment
Site contains publication and contact information as well as listservs, an information exchange, and other professional information. This organization also invites environmental teachers and their students to join IAIA and become active in the assessment dialogue.

National Association of Environmental Professionals
Website of the Association provides information useful to “Environmental Professionals” including upcoming events and conferences, membership, association listserv, articles, useful links, etc.

Environmental Impact Statements

The Environmental Impact Statement is a specific legal document made necessary by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). (Rob Sanford)

The University of Maine system (Ex. Orono and USM) has EIS reports in the form of Government Documents, searchable in the URSUS catalog. Also the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at USM has some EIS reports onsite.

How to Search for Environmental Impact Statements (EIS)
The Transportation Library at Northwestern Univ. includes a collection of Environmental Impact Statements, drafts and subsequent findings and reports from 1969 to the present.

Obtaining copies of Environmental Impact Statements
Includes procedures for obtaining EIS listings, comments by the EPA, contacts, and whole items via interlibrary loan. Some procedures may incur cost.

Encyclopedia of Environmental Analysis and Remediation
Gor Reference GE 10 .E49 1998

Encyclopedia devoted to remediation of environmental problems including air, water and biosphere pollution. Work also includes detailed procedures for conducting environmental analysis and impact statements.

Government and Technical Reports

Federal Agencies

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Search topically (Ex. air pollution) first, then look through links for reports
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Use either the Site Map link or the pull down menu (Ex. Coasts) first, then look through links for reports
National Council for Science and the Environment (Congressional Research Service Reports)
Very broad topical coverage. Use either Quick Search or Advanced Search.
Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI)
Use either the pull down menu with keyword or use the list of sources on the left-hand side.
US Department of the Interior
US General Accountibility Office
Use pull down menus at top. Search GAO Reports > Then input keyword or report number.

Local Agencies

Maine Department of Environmental Protection
Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection