Program Description:

Experience suggests that perhaps the most ecologically devastating environmental effects may not result from the direct effects of a particular proposal, but from a combination of existing stresses on the environment, coupled with individually minor effects of multiple actions over time.  While it is difficult to predict and assess even direct effects with a high degree of certainty, learning to assess cumulative effects is essential to sustainable development goals.  Cumulative effects analysis is an important component to efforts under the National Environmental Policy Act.

Although the President’s Council on Environmental Quality regulations touch on every aspect of environmental impact analysis, very little as been said about cumulative effects.  As a result, federal agencies have independently developed procedures and methods to analyze the cumulative effects of their actions on environmental resources, with mixed results.

In 1997, the Council on Environmental Quality published “Considering Cumulative Effects Under the National Environmental Policy Act.”  For the first time since the passage of NEPA, this handbook provides a framework for advancing the state of the practice.  While the handbook is not regulatory in nature, it presents practical methods for addressing effects (adverse or beneficial) on specific resources, ecosystems, and human communities for all related activities, not just the proposed action.  The process of analyzing cumulative effects can be thought of as enhancing the traditional components of an environmental impact assessment.

This two and one-half day workshop will review cumulative effects concepts and principles, scoping techniques, baseline conditions and information sources and methods for effects identification and prediction.  Examples of cumulative effects analysis with possible appropriate responses will be presented.

Day 1 • Requirements to consider cumulative effects under the National Environmental Policy Act and CEQ Regulations; the science of how effects accumulate in the environment; introduction to the CEQ handbook; case study; scoping as a major tool for analyzing cumulative effects; and incorporation of cumulative effects assessment in the NEPA process.

Day 2 • Incorporating cumulative effects analysis into the development of alternatives for the less-detailed environmental assessment as well as the EIS; re-evaluating and modifying alternatives in light of projected cumulative effects; developing appropriate mitigation measures and monitoring their effectiveness; setting appropriate boundaries for analysis and identifying past, present and future actions; methods for identification and quantification of cumulative effects; evaluating resource impact zones and the life cycle of effects rather than projects; facilitating interagency cooperation needed to identify agency and private sector plans within an ecosystem; thresholds of environmental change that are important for analyzing cumulative effects.

Day 3 (half day) • Review of key court decisions; case studies of cumulative effects and their appropriate documentation; work group presentations; and review and discussion of all topics.

Course Facilitator:

Ray Clark is the President of the Clark Group, based in Washington, D.C.  The Clark Group is a consortium of senior level science and policy professionals specializing in environmental and energy matters. He was formerly the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Installations and Environment) where he was responsible for all the US Army facilities worldwide and stewardship of 14 million acres.  He was responsible for military construction, family housing and all real estate transactions.  Mr. Clark was responsible for base closure and transitioning excess military property to economic development.  Prior to his appointment to this position, Mr. Clark was Associate Director at the White House Council of Environmental Quality where he acted as advisor to the President, the Chairman of CEQ and Senior White House Staff.
Mr. Clark is a past recipient of the prestigious National Environmental Quality Award.  He is co-editor of two recent books on environmental policy.  Mr. Clark holds a Master of Environmental Management degree from Duke University, where he has been teaching executive education courses since 1988. 

General Information:

Tuition: $750 on or before November 15, 2007 ($825 after November 15, 2007) 
Covers registration, instructional materials, and lunch and break foods each day on campus.

Cancellation & Refunds: All speakers and companies listed have confirmed their participation. If for unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances a speaker cannot attend, instructional time will be filled with comparable instructors. If a course is canceled due to insufficient registrations, tuition will be refunded. Duke cannot be held responsible for travel costs or arrangements made by participants.

Cancellation of registration requires 14 days written notice prior to course start date. Individuals who do not attend and fail to send written notice prior to the deadline will be charged the full tuition. You may send a substitute to attend the course in your place. Extenuating circumstances will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Hotel Accommodations: Participants are responsible for their own overnight accommodations. Participants most commonly stay at the Durham Hilton Hotel (3800 Hillsborough Road, Durham, 919-383-8033). The Hilton provides a special Nicholas School rate when reservations are made within the course room block and three (3) weeks prior to the course start date. The Duke Environmental Leadership Program provides complementary shuttle transportation between campus and the hotel at the beginning and end of each class day.

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