42 U.S.C. § 4321
Section 4321 · Congressional declaration of purpose
This is § 2 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
Amended 1 time on record
Applied in 2,345 court decisions — leading case Citizens to Preserve Overton Park, Inc. v. Volpe (1971)
Most recently applied in NRC v. Texas (June 2025)
Applied most in the District Circuit Circuit (347 decisions)
Cases citing this section usually also cite 42 U.S.C. § 4332 · 5 U.S.C. § 706 · 5 U.S.C. § 701
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year.Markers show enactment, consequential amendments, and circuit splits over this section — watch for a citation surge after a change or a disagreement. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
The purposes of this chapter are: To declare a national policy which will encourage productive and enjoyable harmony between man and his environment; to promote efforts which will prevent or eliminate damage to the environment and biosphere and stimulate the health and welfare of man; to enrich the understanding of the ecological systems and natural resources important to the Nation; and to establish a Council on Environmental Quality.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
Short Title
Section 1 Pub. L. 91–190 provided: “That this Act [enacting this chapter] may be cited as the ‘National Environmental Policy Act of 1969’.”
Transfer of Functions
Enforcement functions of Secretary or other official in Department of Interior related to compliance with system activities requiring coordination and approval under this chapter, and enforcement functions of Secretary or other official in Department of Agriculture, insofar as they involve lands and programs under jurisdiction of that Department, related to compliance with this chapter with respect to pre-construction, construction, and initial operation of transportation system for Canadian and Alaskan natural gas transferred to Federal Inspector, Office of Federal Inspector for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation System, until first anniversary of date of initial operation of Alaska Natural Gas Transportation System, see Reorg. Plan No. 1 of 1979, §§102(e), (f), 203(a), 44 F.R. 33663, 33666, 93 Stat. 1373, 1376, effective July 1, 1979, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. Office of Federal Inspector for the Alaska Natural Gas Transportation System abolished and functions and authority vested in Inspector transferred to Secretary of Energy by section 3012(b) of Pub. L. 102–486, set out as an Abolition of Office of Federal Inspector note under section 719e of Title 15, Commerce and Trade.
Emergency Preparedness Functions
For assignment of certain emergency preparedness functions to Administrator of Environmental Protection Agency, see Parts 1, 2, and 16 of Ex. Ord. No. 12656, Nov. 18, 1988, 53 F.R. 47491, set out as a note under section 5195 of this title.
Pollution Prosecution
Pub. L. 101–593, title II, Nov. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 2962, provided that:
“SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE.
“This title may be cited as the ‘Pollution Prosecution Act of 1990’.
“SEC. 202. EPA OFFICE OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION.
“(a) The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Administrator’) shall increase the number of criminal investigators assigned to the Office of Criminal Investigations by such numbers as may be necessary to assure that the number of criminal investigators assigned to the office—
“(1) for the period October 1, 1991, through September 30, 1992, is not less than 72;
“(2) for the period October 1, 1992, through September 30, 1993, is not less than 110;
“(3) for the period October 1, 1993, through September 30, 1994, is not less than 123;
“(4) for the period October 1, 1994, through September 30, 1995, is not less than 160;
“(5) beginning October 1, 1995, is not less than 200.
“(b) For fiscal year 1991 and in each of the following 4 fiscal years, the Administrator shall, during each such fiscal year, provide increasing numbers of additional support staff to the Office of Criminal Investigations.
“(c) The head of the Office of Criminal Investigations shall be a position in the competitive service as defined in 2102 of title 5 U.S.C. or a career reserve position as defined in 3132(A) of title 5 U.S.C. and the head of such office shall report directly, without intervening review or approval, to the Assistant Administrator for Enforcement.
“SEC. 203. CIVIL INVESTIGATORS.
“The Administrator, as soon as practicable following the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 16, 1990], but no later than September 30, 1991, shall increase by fifty the number of civil investigators assigned to assist the Office of Enforcement in developing and prosecuting civil and administrative actions and carrying out its other functions.
“SEC. 204. NATIONAL TRAINING INSTITUTE.
“The Administrator shall, as soon as practicable but no later than September 30, 1991 establish within the Office of Enforcement the National Enforcement Training Institute. It shall be the function of the Institute, among others, to train Federal, State, and local lawyers, inspectors, civil and criminal investigators, and technical experts in the enforcement of the Nation's environmental laws.
“SEC. 205. AUTHORIZATION.
“For the purposes of carrying out the provisions of this Act [probably should be “this title”], there is authorized to be appropriated to the Environmental Protection Agency $13,000,000 for fiscal year 1991, $18,000,000 for fiscal year 1992, $20,000,000 for fiscal year 1993, $26,000,000 for fiscal year 1994, and $33,000,000 for fiscal year 1995.”