NEPA/PEIS Overview
The Importance of NEPA
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires federal agencies to assess the environmental effects of their proposed actions prior to making decisions with opportunity for public engagement. Federal agencies must prepare detailed statements analyzing the environmental and human health impact of, and alternatives to, major federal actions that may significantly affect the environment. These analyses have historically required public comment periods, with a public hearing where oral comments can be made on the record. A Programmatic EIS (PEIS) analyzes impacts of large-scale, multi-locational and long term agency programs.
NEPA’s public involvement requirement has improved the democratic process by allowing stakeholders to influence federal government decisions before they are made, increasing transparency around government programs and the expected impacts, and increasing public engagement in their government’s activities. It has provided the opportunity for the expression of mass public opposition that has been influential in stopping dangerous nuclear weapons proposals. In other words, your comment matters! Comments in the “scoping process” have to be responded to in the Draft and comments in the Draft have to be responded to in the Final. We can influence agency decision-makers through our comments and get responses!
Why this Draft PEIS is important!
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This Draft PEIS will analyzes the impacts of the whole nationwide impacts of plutonium pit production, as the court found the previous Environmental Assessment at Los Alamos and EIS at Savannah River Site were insufficient.
NEPA is under attack by the current admin- istration. President Trump issued Executive Order 14154 “Unleashing American Energy,” which directed federal to develop and maintain their own agency-specific NEPA implementing procedures. The order instructed agencies to prioritize “efficiency and certainty” in the permitting process. DOE, along with other agencies, revoked requirements for public Draft EIS’s and the associated public comments/hearings. However, the new NEPA procedures don’t apply in this court-ordered PEIS, therefore this may be the last time public hearings and comment period for a nuclear weapons project!
What we expect in this PEIS on Plutonium Pit Production
- analyzes potential environmental, social, economic impacts
- radiation-related health impacts; impact on ongoing cleanup; community risks; transportation of nuclear materials; proliferation of nuclear weapons
- evaluates reasonable alternatives
- proposes mitigation measures
- responds to comments
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Plutonium Pit?
A plutonium pit is the bowling ball-sized bomb core that begins the chain reaction in every US thermonuclear weapon.
What is this Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS)?
Since 2019, Nuclear Watch New Mexico, Savannah River Site Watch and Tri-Valley Communities Against a Radioactive Environment called on DOE and NNSA to prepare the mandated PEIS but were rebuffed with little explanation.
On June 29, 2021, we filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration. This legal action is prompted by the agencies’ failure to take the “hard look” required by the National Environmental Policy Act at their plans to more than quadruple the production of plutonium pits and split their production between the Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Savannah River Site.
Is the PEIS out now?
Yes, NNSA released the PEIS April 10, 2026. Stay tuned here for comment traininings that will be widely available in advance of the formal hearings and formal comment period.
How can I get involved now?
Pledge Below to Make a Comment on the PEIS this summer:
We are also working with our partner organizations across the country: Visit the website of the organization working closest to you and learn about your local issues related to expanded nationwide Plutonium Pit Production!