Aviation Emissions and Air Quality Handbook  2.  Regulatory Framework  With a focus on aviation-related projects and/or actions, this section identifies and summarizes  pertinent regulations (e.g., acts, laws, policies, standards, etc.) that stipulate, or drive, purpose(s) and need(s) for conducting an air quality assessment.  In 1970, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) , and its amendments, established a  broad national policy to protect the quality of the human environment and provide for the  establishment of a Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). The act provides polices and goals  to ensure that environmental considerations are given careful attention and appropriate weight in  all decisions of the federal government. The NEPA environmental review process discloses these  impacts on the human environment including, but not limited to, impacts to the  “natural  environment”, air quality, biological resources, water resources, noise, induced socioeconomic  impacts, and land uses that result from federal actions. It should reflect a thorough review of all  relevant environmental factors, utilizing a systematic, interdisciplinary a pproach. Major federal  actions potentially subject to NEPA include grants, loans, contracts, leases, construction,  research, rulemaking, and regulatory actions, certifications, licensing, and permitting.  As such, the CEQ regulations require a  federal agency to evaluate and disclose the potential  environmental effects of their actions prior to its implementation. Importantly, the agency must  also notify and involve the public in the agency’s decision- making process. The regulations  emphasize the importance of integrating the NEPA process into early project planning, and of  consulting with the appropriate federal, state, and local agencies early in the proceeding.  The CEQ oversees the procedural provisions of NEPA and the administration of the process for all federal agencies. In order to further ensure compliance with the requirements of  NEPA, the implementing regulations of CEQ, and other special purpose laws , the FAA has  published policies, procedures, and guidance documents that establishes agency procedures for  the consideration of environmental impacts  associated with aviation - and aviation-related  projects/actions. These guidance documents are entitled and summarized as follows 2 :  • FAA Order 1050.1 and accompanying Desk Reference 3  - The order establishes the NEPA  process in terms of planning, procedures, content and format, and public participation for  FAA actions. It provides an overview of the various NEPA documents.  • FAA Order 5050.4 and accompanying Desk Reference  - This order establishes specific  guidance for FAA procedures for processing NEPA documents for airport actions under  2  FAA,  Orders and Notices , https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/orders_notices/.  3  Revisions to FAA Order 1050.1 are forthcoming along with a Desk Reference; visit  https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/orders_notices/ for updates to FAA Orders and Notices.  4$_{ }$ 2.1. National Environmental Policy Act  The regulations also identify and describe the appropriate environmental documents Categorical Exclusions  [CATEXes], Environmental Assessments [EAs], Fi nding of Significant Impact  [FONSIs], Impact Statements [EISs], and Records Decisions [RODs]) that serve to document compliance with NEPA requirements. 