This book provides the reader with a fundamental understanding of the environmental impact statement (EIS) process and the environmental law that must be understood in order to prepare a credible EIS. It contains a thorough description of the entire EIS process including a lead agency's decision to prepare an EIS, publication of the notice of intent in the Federal Register, scoping, preparation of the draft EIS, public hearings, preparation of the final EIS, and publication of the agency's record of decision in the Federal Register. This new second edition has been revised to include expanded chapters on environmental assessment and risk assessment, a brief section on Internet sources, and other improvements to make the text current.