Comprehensive NEPA Warrant II curriculum (40 Hours) – Course Number – WII 6

This comprehensive training fulfills all of the requirements for the U.S. Coast Guard Warrant II curriculum:

Advanced NEPA (8 Hours) – Course Number – WII-1

Session 1— Problem Framing  (2 hr)

o   Development of a focused Purpose and Need (1 hr)

o   Project versus program documents and types of program documents.(30 min)

o   Exam and debrief-- (30 min)

Session 2—Analysis Framing (2 hr)

o   Public involvement techniques, when to use and how to develop a public involvement strategy (30 Min)

o   Proper issue development and writing issue statements (30 Min)

o   Development of a range of reasonable alternatives and refinement of alternatives, including adaptive management in building alternatives. (30 min)

o   Exam and debrief (30 min)

Session 3 – Cause-effect analyses (2 hr)

o   Cause effect diagraming and it use. (30 min)

o   Cumulative effect analysis, and how to bound the analysis in time and space and integrate climate change as a cumulative effects issue. (1 hr)

o   Exam and debrief (30 minutes)

Session 4—Special topics (1 hr & 30 min)

o   How to address Incomplete and unavailable information (data gaps) (30 min)

o   Appropriate application of NEPA in emergency situations (30 min)

o   Environmental Justice (30 Min)

Session 5 -- Final exam (30 min—to be submitted for grading).

Total student hours 8 hours

NMSA/Magnuson-Stevens/EJ/Tribal Consultation/MMPA (8 Hours) – Course Number – WII-2

Session 1a—Environmental Justice (1 hr)

o   Executive Order on Environmental justice, E.O. 12898 (definitions, terms, and provisions) and links with the Civil Right Act (15 min)

o   Steps in conduct an EJ analysis and ties to NEPA. (30 min)

o   Provisions for involving EJ communities in environmental analysis. (15 min).

Session 1b—Tribal Consultations (1 hr)

o   Statutes, Treaty, and court cases on Government to government protocols  with tribal government (30 min)

o   Consultation provisions with tribes and indigenous natives and Alaskans, protocols for engagement conflict resolution (30 min)

Session 2a-- National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA) (1 hr)

o   Historic Background and statute overview (15 min)

o   Provisions for protection and management (15 min)

o   Consultation provisions (Sec 304(d)), with emphasis on the SBNMS  (30 min)

Session 2b-- Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSFCMA) (1 hr)

o   Historic Background and statute overview (15 min)

o   Integration with other environmental statutes (ESA, MMPA, CZMA, CWA) (15 min)

o   Provisions for conservation and consultation on Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) and its management (30 min)

Session 3 and 4 —Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) (4 hr)

o   Key Provisions of the Act (30 min)

o   The Role of the Commission, NOAA and DOI and take reduction teams (30 min)

o   Key definitions and the “Take Permit” process and documentation requirements; Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) and Letters of Authorization (LOA) to incidentally take of marine mammals (2 hr)

o   Monitoring and penalties of violation (15 min)

o   Emergency response teams and their authority and operations (30 min)

o   Integrating with other statutes (ESA, MSFCMA, NMSA, CZMA, and CWA) (15 min)


Session 5 -- Exam on Marine Units (30 min—to be submitted for grading).

Total student hours 8 hours

Cultural Resource Law (8 Hours) – Course Number – WII-3

Session 1a  Historical Overview on all Cultural Resource laws (1 hr)

o   Hierarchy of Cultural Resources Acts and the use of the Administrative Procedure Act, Antiquities Act,

o   NHPA laws and regulation structure

o   NAGPRA , AIRFA, and APRA Law and applicable regulations

o   National Historic Lighthouse Protection Act (NHLPA)

Session 1b—Antiquities Act (1 hr)

o   Uses of the Act and court cases

o   National Monuments and their designation

o   Example case studies and evaluation on history & antiquities Act (30 min)

Session 2—National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (2 hr)

o   Regulation overview.

o   Section 101--National Register of Historic Places

o   Section 110--Federal agencies’ responsibility to preserve and use historic properties

o   Section 112--Federal agency protection of historic resources

o   Case study evaluations on NHPA (30 min)

Session 3--  Section 106 Consultation Process (2 hours)

o   36 CFR 800 consultation process,

o   Consultation process (step-by-step)

o   Consultation reports and requirements

o   30 minute case study exam

Session 4a— National Historic Lighthouse Protection Act (NHLPA) (1 hr)

o   Key Provisions of the Act

o   Process for designation and management over-sight

o   Reporting requirements and disposal

Session 4b—NAGPA and APRA and AIRPA (30 min)

o   Historic Background and statute overview

o   Provisions for conservation and consultation

Take home exam and case study evaluation on all Cultural Resource Laws (30 Min)

Total student hours 8 hours

Clean Water Act (8 Hours) – Course Number - WII-4

Session 1a – Statute overview and History (30 min)

o   Early history

o   Major amendments (1960s – 199s)

Session 1b—NAAQS – Standards of Performance (1 & 30 min)

o   Constituent standards and how developed (Pb, NOx, O3, PM, SO3)

o   Implications of the definition

o   Hazardous Air Pollution

o   Acid deposition control

o   Court cases that define sideboards

o   Case study exam (30 min)

Session 2—State Implementation Plans (SIPs) (2 hr)

o   Use, implementation, maintenance and enforcement

o   State and Federal jurisdictions

o   Toxic pollutant control

o   Non-attainment area designation

o   Ocean Air Management jurisdiction

o   Case studies exam (30 min)

Session 3a—New Source Performance standards (1 hr)

o   State and Federal jurisdictions

o   401 permitting processes

o   Case study exam and debrief (30 minutes)

Session 3b—Green House Gas Regulation (1 hr and 30 min)

o   History of development—court case development

o   Regulatory framework for control

o   Current status

o   Case study exam on new source control (30 min)

Session 4  Conformity and non-attainment area compliance (1 hr & 30 min)

o   Transportation conformity analysis

o   Mobil source control

o   The permitting process

o   Hot spot analysis

o   Other regulatory integration (NEPA, Wilderness Act, Ocean Sanctuaries)

Session 5 – student take home exam (30 min)

Total student hours 8 hours

Clean Air Act (8 Hours) – Course Number – WII-5

Session 1a – Statute overview and History (30 min)

o   Title 300 Effluent limits

o   Title 401—permit provisions

o   Title 402—Point sources

o   Section 404—Dredge and fill

Session 1b--Waters of the United States (1 & 30 min)

o   History of the definition

o   Court cases that define

o   Current status

o   Implications of the definition

o   Case study exam (30 min)

Session 2—Title 300 Effluent limits--standards (2 hr)

o   State and Federal jurisdictions

o   Toxic pollutant control

o   Federal Facility control

o   Non-point source controls

o   Case studies exam (30 min)

Session 3—Title 401 permits and dumping (2 hr)

o   State and Federal jurisdictions

o   401 permitting processes

o   Case study exam and debrief (30 minutes)

Session 4 -- Title 404 permits, wetland protection, restoration (1 hr & 30 min)

o   No net loss policy

o   404 permits, authorities and process

o   Wetland inventories and protection

o   Restoration policies and reporting

Session 5 – student take home exam (30 Min)

Total student hours 8 hours

Advanced NEPA/NMSA/Magnuson-Stevens/EJ/Tribal Consultation/MMPA/Cultural Resource Law/Clean Water Act/Clean Air Act (40 Hours) - Course Number - WII-6