Preparing Implementation Plans for Federal Projects

Patricia Patterson and David F. Jenkins

A standard environmental condition attached to many certificates or permits from Federal agencies requires that an Implementation Plan be submitted to the regulatory agency. The Implementation Plan defines how and when the company will meet the environmental conditions of the certificate or permit. The Implementation Plan may be an important requirement for acquiring clearance from the agency to proceed with project construction. The level of detail and format of the Implementation Plan, as well as the company’s internal scheduling considerations, will all influence the usefulness of the Implementation Plan for agency staff. This paper discusses factors affecting the development of an Implementation Plan and the type of information and level of detail to be included in a good Implementation Plan.

Keywords: Certificate, construction scheduling, environmental conditions, Implementation Plan, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), permit