About NEPAccess
Fulfilling NEPA's Promise
Through
the Power of Data Science
NEPAccess uses artificial intelligence (AI) to search for, download, and analyze decades of past NEPA reviews, such as environmental impact statements, that until now have been difficult or impossible to find.
Since 1969, NEPA has generated vast amounts of data on federal projects and environmental conditions across the US. But this information has been prohibitively difficult to access and use—there is no centralized repository of NEPA documents, no standard protocol for reporting analyses and data, and no central platform or standard approach for engaging the public.
As a consequence, the NEPA process is seen by some as inefficient; opportunities to generate cumulative knowledge about ecosystems, project impacts, and mitigation measures are wasted; and most critically, the NEPA vision of back-and-forth dialogue between government and citizens has failed to materialize.
Data science evolves
Thanks to these advances, we now have artificial intelligence, neural-network. and deep-learning approaches to seamlessly connect and synthesize diverse types of information. We can use natural language processing and advanced machine learning to turn text into data.
Data science, therefore, not only provides the power to unlock information from past NEPA reviews, but will also boost public participation moving forward by making knowledge widely accessible and useable.
Today’s technologies and methods, unimaginable in 1969, now enable NEPA’s full vision and will transform the next 50 years of environmental decision-making.
The NEPAccess vision
OUR VISION is a powerful, multi-user, freely available knowledge-discovery-and-engagement platform. We envision a go-to resource for all NEPA activities with: tools to assess the impacts, geographic footprints, and affected communities of past and future NEPA actions; tools to analyze formal and informal public engagement in NEPA; dashboards to display information like timelines to project completion; and most critically, a workspace for all citizens to engage in NEPA.
NEPAccess harnesses the power of today’s data science to propel the US into a new era of science-based, democratic environmental governance that realizes the original vision and intent of NEPA.
What can you search for?
Currently, the database is composed mostly of Environmental Impact Statements.
Ongoing work will collect all NEPA-related documents that are available.
See our Available Files page
Advanced data science capabilities
NEPAccess uses cutting edge artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning approaches to unlock information from decades of past NEPA reviews and develop tools to assess impacts of past NEPA actions.
Future versions of NEPAccess will also provide a workspace for all citizens to engage with NEPA.
Who can use NEPAccess? Anyone!
NEPAccess is free and designed for a wide range of user groups. It is a knowledge catalyst and decision-making platform with search and analysis tools that can be used by anyone.
Citizens
Community groups can use NEPAccess to learn about planned local development projects.
Scientists
Environmental researchers can assess and compare past NEPA processes and outcomes—and make use of archived data—from a specific location, ecosystem, watershed, or environmental action type.
Industry
Industry and consultants can search for similar projects completed in the past to help plan their own projects.
Agency Planners
Federal, state, and Tribal agency planners can drill down through past environmental decisions and similar projects, assessing precedents and cumulative impacts, and learning from archived data.
Academic Researchers
Social scientists can assess the public engagement process by reviewing comments and comparing outcomes in a range of communities.
Schools
Students & educators can learn more about NEPA itself and find out about past NEPA projects that have helped shape their local environment.Who is building this?
Our interdisciplinary team based at the University of Arizona has the skills and expertise needed to harness data science to bring NEPA into the 21st century. Meet the team.
The NEPAccess team in a strategy session, Sept 2019
