At the MDA, we recognize that the work we do can have a serious effect on the environment, so we actively strive to limit any effects on the environment by following the guidelines of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The NEPA process consists of an evaluation of the environmental effects of a federal undertaking including its alternatives. The NEPA process enables us to make informed decisions about the consequences of our projects, to inform the public about our findings, and to take actions that will protect the environment.

In the process, there are three levels of analysis depending on whether or not an undertaking could significantly affect the environment. The basic levels of NEPA environmental review and documentation process include:

• Categorical Exclusion (CATEX):  A category of actions that do not have, under normal circumstances, individually or cumulatively, a significant effect on the human environment or that have been previously studied and found to have no significant environmental effect.
• Environmental Assessment (EA):  A concise public document that provides sufficient evidence and analysis for determining whether to prepare a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) or an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). If a federal agency anticipates that an undertaking may significantly impact the environment, or if a project is environmentally controversial, a federal agency may choose to prepare an EIS without having to first prepare an EA.
• Environmental Impact Statement (EIS):  A public document prepared for actions that may have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment (air quality, land use, noise, etc.). A final EIS includes pertinent comments and information from the review process, and the process is completed by the publication in the Federal Register, and the issuance of a Record of Decision (ROD).

Recent Reports

Integrated Flight Tests at U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll/ Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site (USAKA/RTS) Environmental Assessment (EA) and Final Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) available to public

MDA Integrated Flight Tests EA
MDA Integrated Flight Tests Notice of Availability
MDA Integrated Flight Tests Final FONSI

Environmental Reports Archive

Please view all environmental reports from 1990 to the present in our archive.