About NEPAssist
NEPAssist is a tool that facilitates the environmental review process and project planning in relation to environmental considerations. The web-based application draws environmental data dynamically from EPA's Geographic Information System databases and web services and provides immediate screening of environmental assessment indicators for a user-defined area of interest. These features contribute to a streamlined review process that potentially raises important environmental issues at the earliest stages of project development.
For documentation on available data features, see Description of Map Features
For help using the tool, please see the NEPAssist help categories, found on the top of this page. If you still need assistance, please send an email to nepassisthelp@epa.gov
Selecting a Study Area
To get started, please select the
study area. Users may choose from many search options such as:
Search by:
Address
To search using an address, enter the address and click Search. A map centered on the address entered will be displayed.
Where possible, try using the following formats for addresses:
"Address,
city, state" or "Address, city, ZIP"
To search by airport, enter the 3-letter airport code and click Search. A map centered on the airport selected will be displayed.
ZIP CodeTo view spatial data by ZIP Code, enter a valid 5-digit United States Postal Service ZIP code in the text box provided and click Search. A map of the area for the ZIP code entered will be displayed.
City/StateTo view spatial data by City or State, enter the corresponding city name or a United States Postal Service 2-letter state abbreviation in the text box provided and click Search. A map of the City or State entered will be displayed.
CountyTo view spatial data by county, please enter the county and state associated with the county in the text box provided and click Search. A map of the county entered will be displayed.
Congressional DistrictTo search by congressional district:
Watershed
To search by watershed:
Coordinates
To search by coordinates:
Using the Mapper Search Tool
Once you enter NEPAssist, you can use this tool to search for a new location using the same capabilities as above. For Congressional Districts, enter "cd: " and the district code or the name of the representative (Notice there is a space after the ":"). If you do not know either, just enter your state's abbreviation, and the program will offer suggestions to help. Similarly, for watersheds, type “watershed: ” followed by the 8-digit USGS hydrologic unit code (HUC) or the watershed name. Sometimes there may be several places with the same name, and the search will return a few suggestions to choose from.
Depending on the location you have selected to study, multiple map views may be available. All views are located along the toolbar at the top left corner of the map.
The map may be viewed in different dimensions. The following are available for each view:
Depending on the selected study area, these views are available:



To view map features, first expand the category under the "Select Map Contents" box, then select the feature you wish to be applied to the map. Several features may be selected at once. You may need to expand the menu further to see the legend for that feature.
Some things to note:
As you zoom in or out, some features, particularly demographics, become unavailable because they depend on the scale of the current map window. For example, when you zoom in on a single intersection, Population Density by State becomes unavailable. Likewise, when you zoom out to see the whole United States, Population Density by block, blockgroup, and census tract all become unavailable. When this happens, the option under "Select Map Contents" will be disabled and the feature will not be displayed on the map, even if it was selected before you zoomed in or out.
Description of Map Features
Please note that clicking on the feature name in the legend will give you feature definitions and, in some cases, links to their sources.
Sites Reporting to the EPA:
- The Radiation Information Database (RADInfo)
contains information about facilities that are regulated by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
regulations for radiation and radioactivity. RADInfo uses EPA's current "Standard Data Elements
For Facility Identification" approved on November 21, 2000. This State/EPA standard offers a common and
consistent way to identify facilities of interest to the EPA.
- The Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976
provides EPA with authority to require reporting, record-keeping and testing requirements, and restrictions relating to
chemical substances and/or mixtures. Certain substances are generally excluded from TSCA, including, among others,
food, drugs, cosmetics and pesticides. TSCA addresses the production, importation, use, and disposal of specific
chemicals including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), asbestos, radon and lead-based paint.
Water Monitoring Stations:
Places (GNIS)
Places are obtained from The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) database. GNIS is a database that contains name and locational information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States and its territories. GNIS points in NEPAssist include:
) Building or
group of buildings used as an institution for study, teaching, and learning
(e.g., academy, college, high school, university).
) Building
where the sick or injured may receive medical or surgical attention (e.g.,
infirmary, clinic).
) Building used for religious worship
(e.g., chapel, mosque, synagogue, tabernacle, temple).
)
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation's historic places worthy of preservation.
Transportation
Non-attainment Areas
In United States environmental law, a non-attainment area is an area considered to have air quality worse than the National Ambient Air Quality Standards as defined in the Clean Air Act. Non-attainment areas must have and implement a plan to meet the standard. An area may be a non-attainment area for one pollutant and an attainment area for others. NEPAssist includes non-attainment areas for Ozone 8-hour, Lead (Pb), Particulate Matter (PM2.5) 24-hour, and PM2.5 8-hour.
) - Lead (Pb) is a metal found
naturally in the environment as well as in manufactured products. The major
sources of lead emissions have historically been from fuels in on-road motor
vehicles (such as cars and trucks) and industrial sources. As a result of
EPA's regulatory efforts to remove lead from on-road motor vehicle gasoline,
emissions of lead from the transportation sector dramatically declined by 95
percent between 1980 and 1999, and levels of lead in the air decreased by 94
percent between 1980 and 1999. Today, the highest levels of lead in air are
usually found near lead smelters. The major sources of lead emissions to the
air today are ore and metals processing and piston-engine aircraft operating
on leaded aviation gasoline.
) -"Particulate
matter," also known as particle pollution or PM, is a complex mixture of
extremely small particles and liquid droplets. Particle pollution is made up
of a number of components, including acids (such as nitrates and sulfates),
organic chemicals, metals, and soil or dust particles. "Fine particles," such
as those found in smoke and haze, are 2.5 micrometers in diameter and smaller.
These particles, known as PM 2.5, can be directly emitted from sources such as
forest fires, or they can form when gases emitted from power plants,
industries and automobiles react in the air. These areas exceed the 1997
annual design value for PM 2.5.
)
-"Particulate matter," also known as particle pollution or PM, is a complex
mixture of extremely small particles and liquid droplets. Particle pollution
is made up of a number of components, including acids (such as nitrates and
sulfates), organic chemicals, metals, and soil or dust particles. "Fine
particles," such as those found in smoke and haze, are 2.5 micrometers in
diameter and smaller. These particles, known as PM 2.5, can be directly emitted
from sources such as forest fires, or they can form when gases emitted from
power plants, industries and automobiles react in the air. These areas exceed
the 2006 24-hour design value for PM 2.5. Demographics 2000/2010
Demographics 2000 data are from the 2000 U.S. Census of Population and Housing. Demographics 2010 data are from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-year Summary (ACS). The demographic elements are mapped using boundary layers (block, blockgroup, tract, county and state) derived from the U.S. Census Bureau's TIGER/Line 2000. The fields available are:Water Features
) - Streams that have excess
pollutants and are not clean enough to support recreational uses.
) - Water Bodies that
have excess pollutants and are not clean enough to support recreational uses.
) - A sole or principal
source aquifer as an aquifer that supplies at least 50 percent of the drinking
water consumed in the area overlying the aquifer. These areas may have no
alternative drinking water source(s) that could physically, legally and
economically supply all those who depend on the aquifer for drinking water.
For convenience, all designated sole or principal source aquifers are referred
to as "sole source aquifers"(SSAs).
Note that streams, water bodies, and watersheds are dependent on the map scale. You may need to zoom in to see them.
Boundaries
This map presents land cover imagery for the world and detailed topographic maps for the United States. The map includes the National Park Service (NPS) Natural Earth physical map at 1.24km per pixel for the world at small scales, i-cubed eTOPO 1:250,000-scale maps for the contiguous United States at medium scales, and National Geographic TOPO! 1:100,000 and 1:24,000-scale maps (1:250,000 and 1:63,000 in Alaska) for the United States at large scales. The TOPO! maps are seamless, scanned images of United States Geological Survey (USGS) paper topographic maps.
Top of pageLand cover is the physical material at the surface of the earth. Land covers include grass, asphalt, trees, bare ground, water, etc. Land cover is distinct from land use despite the two terms often being used interchangeably. Land use is a description of how people utilize the land and socioeconomic activity - urban and agricultural land uses are two of the most commonly recognized high-level classes of use. The land cover color scheme may seem slightly different in the map versus in the legend because the map feature has been made transparent for easier viewing when overlaying with other data sets.
USDA/NRCS SSURGO: This layer shows the Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) by the United States Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Top of pageNational Wetlands Inventory Wetlands
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is the principal Federal agency that provides information to the public on the extent and status of the Nation's wetlands. The Service's strategic plan for our vast national wetland data holdings is focused on the development, updating, and dissemination of wetlands data and information to Service resource managers and the public. The development of the Wetlands Master Geodatabase is in direct response to the need to integrate digital map data with other resource information to produce timely and relevant management and decision support tools. Wetlands provide a multitude of ecological, economic and social benefits. They provide habitat for fish, wildlife and a variety of plants. Wetlands are nurseries for many saltwater and freshwater fishes and shellfish of commercial and recreational importance. Wetlands are also important landscape features because they hold and slowly release flood water and snow melt, recharge groundwater, act as filters to cleanse water of impurities, recycle nutrients, and provide recreation and wildlife viewing opportunities for millions of people.
Top of pageFEMA Flood
Q3 Flood Hazards layer is portraying an older set of flood hazard data when data for areas which flood hazard data are not available from the National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL).
Flood Hazard ZonesFlood hazard areas are defined as the area that will be inundated by the flood event having a 1-percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. The 1-percent annual chance flood is also referred to as the base flood or 100-year flood. Special Flood Hazard Areas(SFHAs) are labeled as Zone A, Zone AO, Zone AH, Zones A1-A30, Zone AE, Zone A99, Zone AR, Zone AR/AE, Zone AR/AO, Zone AR/A1-A30, Zone AR/A, Zone V, Zone VE, and Zones V1-V30. Moderate flood hazard areas, labeled Zone B or Zone X (shaded) are also shown on the FIRM, and are the areas between the limits of the base flood and the 0.2-percent-annual-chance (or 500-year) flood. The areas of minimal flood hazard, which are the areas outside the Flood Hazard area and higher than the elevation of the 0.2-percent-annual-chance flood, are labeled Zone C or Zone X (unshaded).
Identifying Map Features
In NEPAssist, you can identify additional information on map features using the following methods:
To use the Identify Tool
For the following map features use the identify tool button to gain additional information:
) of the data feature you want to identify in the Map Contents. The following features can be selected for identification: Transportation, Water Features, Non-attainment Areas, Boundaries, Demographics, Soil Survey, and National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) Wetlands.
Identifying Additional Information on Map Features
For the remaining map features such as EPA facilities, water monitoring stations and places, NEPAssist can generate or link to many different reports throughout EPA's databases. Listed below is an example of how to generate the reports.
Define Report Area
You can draw an area and then generate a detailed environmental report for that area. Using this tool, you can draw a point, line, area, or rectangle. You can also specify a buffer area radius (e.g., go 1 mile out in all directions) for which the report will be generated.(Note: You need to change the buffer before you generate the report or the default radius will be used.)

NEPAssist Report
To generate a report using NEPAssist, you must first draw your project area on the map. For more information on drawing your project area see Define Report Area. Once you have drawn your project area, established a buffer and given it a name, mouse over the drawn area to show the project description window. From there you can click on the NEPAssist Report button located in the project description window.

Once you click on the NEPAssist Report button, a report will be generated based on environmental data available specific to your project area. Information in the report will be displayed as a series of questions with yes or no answers based on the location of your project area. The report questions are drawn from publicly available datasets available through EPA databases and web services. The National Report is drawn from nationally available datasets and the State Reports are drawn from datasets available through the EPA Regions. Click on a hyperlinked question to view the data source and associated metadata. If your project area crosses multiple states, NEPAssist will provide a consolidated report containing available information on the multi-state project area.

To gain additional information regarding particular questions, please click on the yes or no answer associated with that question. In a separate window, the project area map and selected question will appear with additional information, including the ability to change the buffer around the point, line or area you included in the initial report. For example: If based on your project area the initial answer to "your project area is within 1 mile of a Brownfields site" was yes; you can click on yes and see additional information such as the name and distance of the Brownfields site within 1 mile of your project area as well as change the buffer around your project area to see additional Brownfields sites if applicable.

NEPAssist also links to another EPA tool, EJ View, to generate detailed
reports based on the geographic areas and data sets. To access EJ View through
NEPAssist, click on the "Link to EJView Report" button
at the bottom of the
NEPAssist report.
Understanding the Data
The NEPAssist application draws and displays environmental data from many locations and sources to easily provide access to this information in one place.
Metadata
Each mapping layer and report question in the NEPAssist application is supported by metadata that can be viewed in the data description window.
Metadata describes the contents and context of the data files, including the source, the date the data was generated, accuracy, and projections. When accessing information in NEPAssist, the data file and corresponding metadata need to be referenced by the user. Do not reference the NEPAssist application directly because data layers within NEPAssist are continually updated and refreshed when more current data is available.
For example: If you have a hazardous waste site in your project area, cite the EPA Envirofacts database, and the last data retrieval date from the EPA source database, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Information (RCRAInfo) System.

Printing
To print your map, click the Print
button.
This creates a new window with three sections:
Use your browser's print function to send the map to a printer.
Usage Note: Some layers may not appear in the printout of your map. Currently there are limitations using the Print tool. The NEPAssist mapper layers are provided by multiple map services. It uses transparency properties to display layers from multiple services. Browsers can interpret transparency in HTML documents, however printers cannot interpret the transparency properties for display purposes. The result is that only the top layer will be visible on the printed page.
Alternate print method: If the resulting printout is insufficient for your use, please press ALT-PrintScreen (for PC users) to capture the image, and CTRL-V to paste it into an editor for presentation.