Schedule

Environmental Review Process

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process is intended to identify and assess potential environmental effects of a proposed action before a decision on that proposed action is made. The Surface Transportation Board’s (Board) Office of Environmental Analysis (OEA) is responsible for ensuring that the Board complies with NEPA and related environmental laws. In light of the potential for significant impacts on numerous communities across the United States and in order to thoroughly assess potential environmental impacts of the Transaction, OEA will prepare an EIS in this proceeding.

Steps of the Environmental Review Process

  • NOI (Notice of Intent)
    • Comment Period
  • Public Meetings
  • Virtual Meetings
  • EIS
  • Board’s Final Decision on Transaction

Note: Schedule subject to change as the review progresses. Please check back for current available information.

Information on the Board’s Environmental Review Process

In this proceeding, OEA will prepare an EIS that will analyze the potential environmental impacts of the Transaction. OEA will resume its environmental review process once the proceeding is removed from abeyance.

First, OEA will send out letters requesting preliminary comments on the Transaction from appropriate federal, state, Tribal, and local agencies.  Next, OEA will publish a Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS (NOI) containing detailed information about the planned scope of analysis for the EIS including, among other things, the purpose and need for the Transaction; a summary of expected effects; a summary of anticipated reviews, consultations, permits and authorizations; and a description of the public scoping process. The NOI will include a request for public comment on potential effects and on relevant information, studies, or analyses with respect to the Transaction. The NOI will also provide information on in-person and virtual public meetings.

Following the NOI and scoping, OEA will prepare and publish an EIS that will analyze in detail the potential environmental impacts of the Transaction, respond to public comments on the NOI, and, if appropriate, make recommendations for environmental mitigation to the Board.

The Board will then issue a final decision on the Transaction that will take into account the entire record, including the environmental record. The Board will decide whether the Transaction should be authorized, and if so, what conditions, including environmental mitigation conditions, to impose.

Last updated on May 28, 2026