[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 186 (Monday, September 26, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66075-66076]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-23014]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-5979-N-01]


Notice of Web Availability: Memorandum of Understanding Regarding 
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Compliance With the 
National Environmental Policy Act and Related Laws and Authorities

AGENCY: Office of Environment and Energy, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Today's notice announces that HUD has posted on its Web site 
its Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding HUD compliance with the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and related laws and 
authorities.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Potter, Office of Environment and 
Energy, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street 
SW., Room 7212, Washington, DC 20410; telephone number 202-708-4225 
(this is not a toll-free number). Persons with hearing or speech 
impairments may access this number through TTY by calling the toll-free 
Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Today's notice announce that HUD has posted 
on its Web site its ``Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Regarding U.S. 
Department of Housing and Urban Development Compliance with the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Related Laws and 
Authorities''.
    A core mission of HUD is to provide housing in a safe, suitable and 
healthy environment, and this mission is accomplished in large measure 
through environmental compliance with NEPA. NEPA ensures that a 
project's impacts on the environment, as well as the environment's 
impacts on the residents, are considered in a transparent manner before 
decisions are made.
    The purpose of the MOU is to outline the respective roles and 
responsibilities of HUD program offices to ensure HUD compliance with 
NEPA and related laws

[[Page 66076]]

and authorities, and HUD's implementing regulations of 24 CFR parts 50, 
51, 55, and 58. The MOU defines the roles and responsibilities of the 
parties involved in HUD's environmental review process, establishes a 
governance structure to address environmental compliance issues, and 
clarifies procedural mechanisms to ensure and evaluate compliance.
    The MOU establishes an internal governance structure to address 
environmental compliance issues with regional, national, and executive 
committees. Issues can be raised at each level and elevated as 
necessary to create a more efficient review process. Mechanisms to 
maintain and monitor environmental compliance are included in the MOU. 
HUD will develop a management program to evaluate program office 
compliance with environmental review requirements. These procedures 
will be used to identify and solve internal issues of compliance.
    The MOU can be found on the Department of Housing and Urban 
Development's Web site at https://www.hudexchange.info/resource/5142/hud-nepa-compliance-mou/.

    Dated: September 20, 2016.
Danielle L. Schopp,
Director Office of Environment and Energy.
[FR Doc. 2016-23014 Filed 9-23-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P