(a) Categorical exclusions (CatExs) are categories of Agency actions that normally do not have a significant effect on the human environment and therefore do not require preparation of an EA or EIS. CatExs reduce paperwork, improve Government efficiency, and eliminate delays in initiating and completing proposed actions having no significant environmental impact. For some CatExs, as indicated in paragraph (d) of this section, a REC is required.

(b) Application of CatExs and presence of extraordinary circumstances:

(1) A proposed action may be categorically excluded if the action fits within the categories listed in paragraph (d) of this section and it does not involve any extraordinary circumstances in which a normally excluded action may have a significant effect.

(2) If an extraordinary circumstance as described in paragraph (c) of this section is present, NASA may nevertheless categorically exclude the proposed action if the action fits within the categories listed in paragraph (d) of this section and NASA determines that implementation of mitigation measures, such as relocation of the proposed action to an alternative site or limiting construction activities to certain seasonal periods of the year to avoid the extraordinary circumstance(s) in question, are sufficient to allow the proposed action to be categorically excluded.

(c) Extraordinary circumstances include situations where the proposed action:

(1) Has a reasonable likelihood of having a significant effect on public health and safety or the human environment.

(2) Imposes uncertain or unique environmental risks.

(3) Is of significantly greater scope or size than is normal for the particular category of action.

(4) Has a reasonable likelihood of having effects that would violate Federal, state, Tribal, or local laws, or other enforceable requirements applicable to environmental protection.

(5) May adversely affect sensitive resources, such as, but not limited to, Federally listed threatened or endangered species, their designated critical habitat, wilderness areas, floodplains, wetlands, aquifer recharge areas, coastal zones, wild and scenic rivers, and significant fish or wildlife habitat, unless the impact has been resolved through another environmental review process (e.g., the Clean Water Act (CWA) or the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA)).

(6) May adversely affect national natural landmarks or cultural or historic resources, including, but not limited to, property listed on or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, unless the impact has been resolved through another review process (e.g., the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA)).

(d) The following actions normally do not have a significant effect on the human environment and are categorically excluded from the requirement to prepare an EA or EIS:

(1) Administrative Activities including:

(i) Personnel actions, organizational changes, and procurement of routine goods and services.

(ii) Issuing procedural rules, manuals, directives, and requirements.

(iii) Program budget proposals, disbursements, and transfer or reprogramming of funds.

(iv) Preparing documents, including design and feasibility studies, analytical supply and demand studies, reports and recommendations, master and strategic plans, and other advisory documents.

(v) Information-gathering exercises, such as inventories, audits, and studies.

(vi) Preparing and disseminating information, including document mailings, publications, classroom materials, conferences, speaking engagements, websites, and other educational/informational activities.

(vii) Software development, data analysis, and/or testing, including computer modeling.

(viii) Interpretations, amendments, and modifications to contracts, grants, or other awards.

(ix) Field studies, including water sampling, monitoring wells, cultural resources surveys, biological surveys, geologic surveys, modeling or simulations, routine data collection and analysis, and/or temporary equipment.

(2) Operations and Management Activities including:

(i) Routine maintenance, minor construction or rehabilitation, minor demolition, minor modification, minor repair, and continuing or altered operations at, or of, existing NASA or NASA-funded or -approved facilities and equipment, such as buildings, roads, grounds, utilities, communication systems, and ground support systems (e.g., space tracking and data systems). This includes routine operations such as security, public health and safety, and environmental services.

(ii) Installing or removing equipment, including component parts, at existing Government or private facilities.

(iii) Contributing equipment, software, technical advice, exchanging data, and consulting with other agencies and public and private entities.

(iv) NASA ceremonies, commemorative events, and memorial services.

(v) Routine packaging, labeling, storage, transportation, and disposal of materials and wastes, in accordance with applicable Federal, state, Tribal, or local laws or requirements. Examples include but are not limited to hazardous, non-hazardous, and other regulated materials and wastes.

(vi) Habitat and species management activities conducted within the boundaries of NASA-controlled properties in accordance with applicable Federal, state, or local requirements. Examples include but are not limited to restoration of unique or critical habitat; thinning or brush control to improve growth of natural habitat, reduce invasive species, or reduce fire hazard; prescribed burning to reduce natural fuel build-up, reduce invasive species, or improve native plant vigor; planting appropriate vegetation that does not include noxious weeds or invasive plants; or wildlife management activities (REC required).

(vii) Small-scale, short-term cleanup actions under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act or other authorities to reduce risk to human health or the environment from the release or imminent and substantial threat of release of a hazardous substance other than high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel, including treatment (such as incineration, encapsulation, physical or chemical separation, and compaction), recovery, storage, or disposal of wastes at existing facilities currently handling the type of waste involved in the action.

(viii) Replacement of existing energy sources with alternative or renewable energy sources that comply with existing permit conditions.

(ix) Routine maintenance, repair, and operation of vessels (including unmanned autonomous surface vessels), aircraft (including unmanned aircraft systems), overland/surface transportation vehicles, and other transportation systems as applicable. Examples include but are not limited to transportation or relocation of NASA equipment and hardware by barge, aircraft, or surface transportation system (e.g., tractor trailer or railroad); retrieval of spent solid rocket boosters by vessel; repair or overhaul of vessel, aircraft, or surface transportation systems that do not result in a change in the environmental impacts of their normal operation.

(3) Research, Development, and Science Activities including:

(i) Research, development, testing, and evaluation in compliance with all applicable Federal, state, Tribal, or local laws or requirements and Executive Orders. This includes the research, development, testing, and evaluation of scientific instruments proposed for use on spacecraft, aircraft (including unmanned aircraft systems), sounding rockets, balloons, laboratories, watercraft, or other outdoor activities.

(ii) Use of small quantities of radioactive materials used for instrument detectors, calibration, and other purposes. Materials may be associated with the proposed use on spacecraft, aircraft (including unmanned aircraft systems), sounding rockets, balloons, laboratories, watercraft, or other outdoor activities.

(iii) Use of lasers for research and development, scientific instruments and measurements, and distance and ranging, where such use meets all applicable Federal, state, Tribal, or local laws or requirements and Executive orders. This includes lasers associated with spacecraft, aircraft (including unmanned aircraft systems), sounding rockets, balloons, laboratories, watercraft, or other outdoor activities.

(iv) Use of non-space nuclear system payloads on various platforms (e.g., launch vehicle, sounding rocket, scientific balloon, and aircraft) (REC required).

(v) Return of samples from solar system bodies (e.g., asteroids, comets, planets, dwarf planets, and planetary moons) to Earth when categorized as an Unrestricted Earth Return. NASA defines this activity as collecting extraterrestrial materials from solar system bodies, deemed by scientific opinion to have no indigenous life forms, and returning those samples to Earth (REC required).

(4) Real and Personal Property Activities including:

(i) Acquisition, transfer, or disposal of any personal property, or personal property rights or interests.

(ii) Granting or accepting easements, leases, licenses, rights-of-entry, and permits to use NASA property, or any non-NASA property, for activities that would be categorically excluded in accordance with this section (REC required).

(iii) Transfer or disposal of real property, property rights, or interests if a resulting change in use is a use that would be categorically excluded under this section (REC required).

(iv) Transferring real property administrative control to another Federal agency, including the return of public domain lands to the Department of the Interior (DoI) or other Federal agencies, and reporting of property as excess and surplus to the General Services Administration (GSA) for disposal, when the agency receiving administrative control (or GSA, following receipt of a report of excess) shall complete any necessary NEPA review prior to any change in land use (REC required).

(v) Acquisition of real property (including facilities) where the land use will not change substantially (REC required).

(vi) Change in the facility status of real property assets (e.g., active or inactive).

(vii) Reductions, realignments, or relocation of personnel into existing Federally owned or commercially leased space that does not involve a substantial change affecting the supporting infrastructure (e.g., no increase in vehicular traffic beyond the capacity of the supporting road network to accommodate such an increase).

(5) Aircraft and Airfield Activities including:

(i) Periodic aircraft (including unmanned aircraft systems) flight activities, including training and research and development, which are routine and comply with applicable Federal, state, Tribal, or local laws or requirements, and Executive Orders.

(ii) Relocation of similar aircraft (including unmanned aircraft systems) not resulting in a substantial increase in total flying hours, number of aircraft operations, operational parameters (e.g., noise), or permanent personnel or logistics support requirements at the receiving installation (REC required).

(e) The Responsible Official shall review the proposed action in its early planning stage and consider the scope of the action, the potentially affected environment, and the degree of the reasonably foreseeable effects of the action to determine whether extraordinary circumstances exist that could result, either individually or cumulatively, in significant environmental impacts. If extraordinary circumstances exist, the Responsible Official must determine whether application of the categorical exclusion to the proposed action is appropriate or whether preparation of an EA or EIS is required.

[77 FR 3103, Jan. 23, 2012, as amended at 89 FR 25500, Apr. 11, 2024]