<P> An environmental impact statement ( EIS ) , under United States environmental law , is a document required by the National Environmental Policy Act ( NEPA ) for certain actions `` significantly affecting the quality of the human environment '' . An EIS is a tool for decision making . It describes the positive and negative environmental effects of a proposed action , and it usually also lists one or more alternative actions that may be chosen instead of the action described in the EIS . Several U.S. state governments require that a document similar to an EIS be submitted to the state for certain actions . For example , in California , an Environmental Impact Report ( EIR ) must be submitted to the state for certain actions , as described in the California Environmental Quality Act ( CEQA ) . One of the primary authors of the act is Lynton K. Caldwell . </P>
what elements must be present in an environmental impact statement issued by the epa
the positive and negative environmental effects of a proposed action one or more alternative actions that may be chosen instead of the action described in the EIS