Choice Limiting Actions - Department of Commerce

From: Smith, Lenwood E
To: ENVIRONMENTAL-MAILING-L@hudlist.hud.gov
Subject: Policy regarding Choice-limiting actions.
Date: Thursday, April 14, 2011 12:27:08 PM
See below.
Lenwood E. Smith, II, CL
Environmental Protection Specialist
US Department of Housing and Urban Development
1500 Pinecroft Road, Suite 401
Greensboro, NC 27407-3838
Ph.: (336) 851-8054
Fx.: (336) 547-4138
Listserver sign up: http://www.hud.gov/subscribe/localmailinglist.cfm#nc
Region IV Environmental Website:
http://www.hud.gov/local/shared/working/r4/environment/index.cfm?state=ga
Assessment Tools for Environmental Compliance Website:
http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/environment/atec.cfm
What is the use of a house if you haven't got a tolerable planet to put it on? - Henry
David Thoreau
It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not
understanding it. - Upton Sinclair
From: Schopp, Danielle L
Sent: Thursday, April 14, 2011 12:16 PM
To: Fretwell, Therese J; Lehmann, Paul J; Mohr, Paul F; Molins, Ernest; Peavlerstewart, Deborah;
Poythress, Linda P; Vahl, Steve; Carlson, Ross; Carter, Zach R; Cazzoli, Ubaldo A; Cortes, Roberto; Frye,
Sandra L; Furda, Michael R; Gummel, Kathleen A; Haywood, Melanie L; Hines, Penny W; Jensen, Sara;
Johnson, Kerry; Levine, Jacob N; Mahmood, Zakauddin; Perine, Shelia H; Reveron, Carmen E; Rigirozzi,
David W; Roman, Juan; Schmidt, Kathleen A; Simmons, Michelle; Smith, Lenwood E; Sotirchos, Susanne
A; Whitelock, Michael E; Bien, Charles; Blick, David G; Groberg, Robert; Leavengood, Theodore H;
Potter, James M; Prybyla, Walter; Rivera, Nelson A; Sanders, Jerimiah J; Sebastian, Antoinette
Cc: Hartenau, Christopher H; Press, Jacob D
Subject:
Greetings,
Recently OEE was asked to confirm that OEE policy does not allow bids before the
environmental review is complete. The purpose of this email is to confirm that it is HUD
policy to not allow bids for choice-limiting actions (such as construction, demolition,
etc.) before the environmental review is complete. HUD’s policy is consistent with CEQ
NEPA regulations at 40 CFR 1501.2 that require Agencies to, “integrate the NEPA process
with other planning at the earliest possible time to insure that planning and decisions reflect
environmental values, to avoid delays later in the process, and to head off potential conflicts.”
The environmental review must be completed before bidding to in order to allow for an
unprejudiced decision about the action – and to allow for any modifications or project
cancellation based upon the environmental review.
At some point in the near future, we will be updating our website to include some FAQs
and/or guidance to address HUD’s policies regarding what actions are prohibited after a

project is federal and before the environmental review is complete.
-Danielle
Danielle Schopp, JD, MPA
Environmental Specialist
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Office of Environment and Energy
Environmental Review Division
451 7th Street SW, Room 7250
Washington, DC 20410
phone (202) 402-4442
fax (202) 708-3363
http://portal.hud.gov/portal/page/portal/HUD/topics/environment
P
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