Intro to NEPA Essentials
NIU Naperville Meeting and Conference Center
1120 East Diehl Road Naperville, IL 60563 United States
If you have any questions, please contact Sarah.
Course Description:
Introduction to NEPA Essentials is a three-day course that builds a working understanding of the National Environmental Policy Act and how to apply its essential elements to transportation project development. Through instruction and case-study group exercises, participants follow the NEPA process end to end, from purpose and need through alternatives, impacts, mitigation, public and interagency coordination, and final documentation, gaining practical tools to streamline project delivery and support environmental stewardship. There will be a special supplemental section on NEPA Assignment delivered by IDOT, as well as an IDOT presentation on Project Development and Transportation Review for Environmental Compliance (TREC).
Key Learning Objectives:
- Understand core NEPA statutory and regulatory requirements
- Identify roles and responsibilities of agencies and project participants
- Develop and screen alternatives against sound evaluation criteria
- Distinguish CE, EA, and EIS documentation requirements
- Apply effective public and interagency coordination practices
Meet the Instructors
(Scroll down to learn more about Kathy & Jamie)
Kathy Baumgaertner is an instructor at Synovix with more than 35 years of experience in environmental compliance and NEPA project management. She has led complex NEPA studies for federal, state, and local agencies, specializing in cumulative impacts, environmental justice, and programmatic NEPA. Kathy is a National Highway Institute certified instructor and has developed and taught numerous courses on NEPA, Section 106, and environmental justice. She has worked with agencies including FEMA, the U.S. Department of Defense, GSA, the U.S. Postal Service, and multiple state DOTs. She holds a master's degree in Coastal Planning from the University of Maryland and has received multiple awards for excellence throughout her career.
Jamie Bents, AICP, CTP is Vice President and Technical Director of Environmental Planning at WSP with more than 25 years of experience in transportation planning and environmental review. A self-described "NEPA nerd," she leads NEPA and state environmental reviews for transportation projects across the country. Jamie is a National Highway Institute certified instructor and has partnered with the Illinois Department of Transportation on training for more than 10 years. Her recent work includes major transportation projects in Hawaii, the I-290 Eisenhower Expressway and I-57 Access Study for IDOT, and Minnesota DOT's National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program.
For More Information:
