§ 775.2 Definitions.

As used in this part, terms have the meanings provided in NEPA section 111, 42 U.S.C. 4336e. In addition:

(a) NEPA means the National Environmental Policy Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.).

(b) Authorization means any license, permit, approval, finding, determination, or other administrative decision issued by an agency that is required or authorized under Federal law in order to implement a proposed action.

(c) Connected action means a separate Federal action within the authority of the Postal Service that is closely related to the proposed action and should be addressed in a single NEPA document because the proposed action:

(1) Automatically triggers the separate Federal action, which independently would require the preparation of additional NEPA documents;

(2) Cannot proceed unless the separate Federal action is taken previously or simultaneously; or

(3) Is an interdependent part of a larger Federal action that includes a separate Federal action, which mutually depend on the larger Federal action for their justification.

(d) Effects or impacts means changes to the human environment from the proposed action or alternatives that are reasonably foreseeable and have a reasonably close causal relationship to the proposed action or alternatives.

(1) Effects include ecological (such as the effects on natural resources and on the components, structures, and functioning of affected ecosystems), aesthetic, historic, cultural, economic (such as the effects on employment), social, or health effects. Effects appropriate for analysis under NEPA may be either beneficial or adverse, or both, with respect to these values.

(2) A “but for” causal relationship is insufficient to make an agency responsible for a particular effect under NEPA. Effects should generally not be considered if they are remote in time, geographically remote, or the product of a lengthy causal chain. Effects do not include those effects that the agency has no ability to prevent due to the limits of its regulatory authority or that would occur regardless of the proposed action.

(e) Human environment means comprehensively the natural and physical environment and the relationship of Americans with that environment. (See also the definition of “effects” in paragraph (c) of this section.)

(f) Jurisdiction by law means agency authority to approve, veto, or finance all or part of the proposal.

(g) Record of Environmental Consideration (REC) means the Postal Service form that identifies the Postal Service's review of proposed activities under NEPA.

(h) Related action means an action undertaken by an agency, e.g., a permitting action, some other type of authorization action, an analysis required by statute, or the like, that bears a relationship to other actions undertaken by other agencies relevant to NEPA, e.g., that is an independent part of a larger action and depends on the larger action for its justification.

(i) Reasonably foreseeable means sufficiently likely to occur such that a person of ordinary prudence would take it into account in reaching a decision.