NEPA Hub for Local Programs Projects
For projects developed by Tennessee Local Governments, the Environmental Division coordinates with TDOT’s Local Programs Development Office (LPDO) in the Program Development Division and provides direct coordination with Local Governments to ensure that appropriate environmental documentation is prepared and approved for locally managed projects. This page focuses on environmental compliance, specifically related to NEPA and TEER documentation. Refer to the Local Government Guidelines Manual on the Documents and Forms section of the LPDO website for more general information about the local programs process.
The NEPA Special Projects Section provides support, guidance, reviews, and approvals (along with the Federal Highway Administration, where warranted) for environmental documentation developed by Local Governments for state or federally funded transportation projects.
Various templates and resources relevant to the development of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Tennessee Environmental Evaluation Reports (TEER) documentation can be found below. Local Government partners should periodically check back with this site for updated materials as they become available.
For additional information or for questions about the information and materials presented below, please send an email to the NEPA Local Programs Inbox: TDOT.Env.LocalPrograms@tn.gov
This template should be used for projects requiring NEPA review that will not include or lead to construction (pursuant to 23 CFR 771.117(c)(1)).
To view or use this template, right click this link and choose “Save link as”. Once saved, you can then open this document from wherever you have it saved. Please note, attempting to open the document directly from the provided link will result in an error message.
The Local Government must consult with the NEPA Special Projects Section prior to requesting any major approvals (i.e. ROW authorization and/or Construction authorization) to determine if a documented reevaluation of a previously approved NEPA document is warranted. This consultation, or reevaluation if warranted, will confirm if the previously approved environmental document remains valid. If a reevaluation is warranted, please use the following template(s):
Reevaluations that require FHWA review and approval should be completed on this template.
Review of these templates is currently underway. Updated templates will be provided on this website once available. In the meantime, email the NEPA Local Programs inbox (TDOT.Env.LocalPrograms@tn.gov) to request the most appropriate reevaluation template for reviews that will not require FHWA review or approval.
Guidelines for Local Government CE Template (Version Dated 08.21.2019)
Local Governments should refer to these guidelines for the completion of CE documentation.
The LGG is maintained by TDOT’s Local Programs Development Office and provides guidance on the processes involved in the local programs process. Refer to these guidelines (specifically Chapters 4 and 8, but other environmental requirements can be found throughout) for general guidance on the environmental review process for local programs projects.
Please use this template to format your technical appendices for NEPA and TEER documentation submitted to TDOT. The order of the appendices should follow the order that the appended documents are referenced in the environmental document and, therefore, the order may be different than as presented in this template. Appendices must be bookmarked with clear and concise names. To view or use this template, right click this link and choose “Save link as”. Once saved, you can then open this document from wherever you have it saved. Please note, attempting to open the document directly from the provided link will result in an error message.
Regardless of document type, any document submitted to TDOT for review should include a completed version of this QA review form. To view or use this template, right click this link and choose “Save link as”. Once saved, you can then open this document from wherever you have it saved. Please note, attempting to open the document directly from the provided link will result in an error message.
The NEPA LP Initial Coordination template is a guide in the process of preparing and providing the findings for the necessary technical and environmental studies that will be used to coordinate with the TDOT Environmental Technical Studies Office (ETSO).