(a) If the District Engineer determines under § 333.11 that NEPA applies to a proposed activity or decision, the District Engineer will then determine the appropriate level of NEPA review in the following sequence and manner. At all steps in the following process, the Corps will consider the proposed activity and its effects.

(1) If the Corps has established, or adopted pursuant to NEPA section 109, 42 U.S.C. 4336c, a categorical exclusion that covers the proposed activity, the District Engineer will analyze whether to apply the categorical exclusion to the proposed activity and apply the categorical exclusion, if appropriate, pursuant to § 333.14(e).

(2) If another agency has already established a categorical exclusion that covers the proposed activity, the District Engineer will consider whether to recommend that the Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers adopt that exclusion pursuant to § 333.14(c) so that it can be applied to the proposed activity at issue, and so that Headquarters may consider applying to future activities of that type.

(3) If the proposed activity warrants the establishment of a new categorical exclusion, or the revision of an existing categorical exclusion, pursuant to § 333.14(b), the Chief of Engineers will consider whether to so establish or revise, and then apply the categorical exclusion to the proposed action pursuant to § 333.14(e).

(4) If the District Engineer cannot apply a categorical exclusion to the proposed activity consistent with paragraphs (a)(1)-(3), the District Engineer will determine the appropriate level of review, i.e., whether the proposed activity warrants preparation of an environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement. Most activities requiring a Corps permit that are not otherwise covered by a categorical exclusion normally require only an environmental assessment. In determining the level of review, the District Engineer will consider the proposed action's reasonably foreseeable effects consistent with paragraph (b), and then will:

(i) develop an environmental assessment, as described in § 333.15, if the proposed activity is not likely to have reasonably foreseeable significant effects or the significance of the effects is unknown; or

(ii) develop an environmental impact statement, as described in § 333.21, if the proposed activity is likely to have reasonably foreseeable significant effects.

(b) When considering whether the reasonably foreseeable effects of the proposed activity are significant, the District Engineer will analyze the potentially affected environment and degree of the effects of the activity within their jurisdiction or control. The District Engineer may use any reliable data source, but will not undertake new research of any type unless it is essential to evaluating alternatives and the cost and time of obtaining it are not unreasonable. District Engineers should not determine that a proposed activity is significant based solely on public interest or opposition.

(1) In considering the potentially affected environment, the District Engineer may consider, as appropriate to the specific activity, the affected area (national, regional, or local) and its resources. The District Engineer may, as appropriate, consider the regulated activity's effect on factors such as conservation, economics, aesthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, historic properties, fish and wildlife values, flood hazards, floodplain values, land use, navigation, shore erosion and accretion, recreation, water supply and conservation, water quality, energy needs, safety, food and fiber production, mineral needs, considerations of property ownership and, in general, the needs and welfare of the people.

(2) In considering the degree of the effects, the District Engineer may consider the following, as appropriate to the specific action:

(i) Both short- and long-term effects.

(ii) Both beneficial and adverse effects.

(iii) Effects on public health and safety.

(iv) Economic effects.