FEMA completed the Record of Decision (ROD) on the final NPEIS in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), Council on Environmental Quality’s (CEQ) NEPA implementing regulations in 40 CFR § 1500-1508 and FEMA’s NEPA procedures. FEMA determined that the NEPA analysis for the Proposed Action should be conducted at a nationwide programmatic level.
Project Overview
Development of the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) Nationwide Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (NPEIS) began with publication of the Notice of Intent in the Federal Register on May 16, 2012 (77 FR 95, pages 28891-28893). The evaluation process included the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) stakeholder listening session with key stakeholders in November 2009. In addition, FEMA conducted two public meetings in December 2010 and opened a public comment period on four alternatives for NFIP reform. Comments received were considered part of the scoping process for this statement.
Additionally, FEMA held three public webinars in April and May of 2014 to further the scoping process.
Publication of the draft statement on April 7, 2017 included a 60-day comment period with public meetings and webinars to obtain comments on the document. FEMA accepted comments on the draft statement until June 6, 2017. Comments on the draft were incorporated, as appropriate, into the final statement (see Appendix M).
On May 25, 2018, FEMA issued the Record of Decision on the actions to be taken, including potential mitigation measures. FEMA released the decision to announce its intent to implement the Preferred Alternative from the final NFIP Nationwide Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement. The Preferred Alternative consists of the following program modifications:
- Phase out of subsidies on certain pre-Flood Insurance Rate Map properties (non-primary residences, business properties, severe repetitive loss properties, substantially damaged or improved properties and properties for which the cumulative claims payments exceed the fair market value of the property) at a rate of 25% premium increases per year.
- Phase out of subsidies on all other pre-Flood Insurance Rate Map properties through annual premium rate increases of an average rate of at least 5%, but no more than 15%, per risk classification, with no individual policy exceeding an 18% premium rate increase.
- Implement a monthly installment plan payment option for non-escrowed flood insurance policies.
- Clarify that pursuant to Title 44 Code of Federal Regulations § 60.3(a)(2), a community must obtain and maintain documentation of compliance with the appropriate federal or state laws, including the Endangered Species Act, as a condition of issuing floodplain development permits.
- Clarify that the issuing of certain Letter of Map Change requests (i.e., map revisions) is contingent on the community—or the project proponent on the community’s behalf—submitting documentation of compliance with the Endangered Species Act.
