Environmental Impact Statements, second edition, has been extensively revised and updated to cover all the requirements for a wide variety of EISs on the American federal, state and local levels, including a new chapter devoted to Environmental Justice. An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) must be completed for any major action that requires a federal permit and may have an adverse effect on the environment. Each federal agency has its own requirements regarding what must appear in the statement. Furthermore, many state and local agencies have their own versions of EISs that must be done for any proposed construction. This book provides a thorough explanation of EISs so that the personnel responsible for preparing these documents will be able to understand the fundamentals of a wide range of environmental factors - ecological and socioeconomic - that comprise an Environmental Impact Statement. This may be the only place that an understandable explanation of the EIS process is located together with a detailed description of how to do an EIS. This is the only book to spell out the EIS process in a straightforward, easy-to-understand style. Written at a level that allows the reader to grasp the fundamentals of EISs, it avoids technical jargon and addresses the topic in laypersons' terms. Environmental Impact Statements is an indispensable book for architectural and engineering firms, industrial firms and regulatory agencies on all levels. TOC:Purpose of the Environment. The Legal Basis for Environmental Impact Statements. The Process of Preparing EISs. Public Participation. The Natural Environment: Earth Resources. The Natural Environment: Biology. The Man-Made Environment: Surface Water. The Man-Made Environment: Groundwater. The Man-Made Environment: Air. The. Man-Made Environment: Noise. The Man-Made Environment: Hazards and Nuisances. The Man-Made Environment: Historic and Cultural Resources. The Man-Made Environment: Transportation. The Man-Made Environment: Socioeconomics. Environmental Justice.