Executive Order 12113—Independent Water Project Review

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, in furtherance of the Water Resources Planning Act (79 Stat. 244; 42 U.S.C. 1962 et seq.), and in order to ensure coordinated planning and independent review of Federal water resource programs and projects, it is hereby ordered as follows: 1-101. The Water Resources Council shall ensure that it has established a current set of principles, standards, and procedures for Federal participants in the preparation of comprehensive regional or river basin plans and for the formulation and evaluation of Federal water and related land resources projects (42 U.S.C. 1962a-2). 1-102. The Council shall ensure that an impartial technical review is performed on preauthorization reports or proposals and preconstruction plans for Federal and Federally assisted water, and related land resources, projects and programs, as they are defined in the Council's principles and standards. 1-103. The Council shall develop a planning manual for use by each agency (a) in calculating benefits and costs by using the best available techniques and (b) in applying the principles and standards in a consistent manner. 1-104. The impartial technical review shall evaluate each report, proposal, or plan for compliance with (a) the Council's principles and standards, (b) the planning manual or, pending issuance of the manual, established agency procedures, (c) other Federal laws, regulations and guidelines relevant to the planning process, and (d) the goal of wide public participation in the development of project plans, including adequate opportunity for public comment and adequate consideration of those views. 1-105. (a) Beginning April 1, 1979, all agencies shall submit, prior to their approval by the head of the agency, preauthorization reports or proposals and preconstruction plans for Federal and Federally assisted water, and related land resources, projects and programs to the Council at least 90 days prior to the scheduled time for their submission to the Office of Management and Budget in support of authorization or funding requests for those activities in fiscal year 1981 and subsequent years. (b) An agency shall not submit to the Council more than one-third of the total reports, proposals, and plans scheduled for review in any fiscal year during any quarter of that fiscal year. (c) Within 60 days of the submission by an agency of a report, proposal, or plan, the Chairman of the Council shall transmit the results of the impartial technical review to the appropriate agency head, including identification of any specific variations from Council approved procedures and manuals and the steps necessary to bring the plan into conformance therewith. 1-106. (a) All agency reports, proposals and plans submitted to the Council for review shall include sufficient information to allow an adequate technical review. In particular, this information shall include: (1) Sufficient documentation to allow a technical review of the analysis by the agency of the ratio of the benefit to the cost. (2) Evidence that an adequate evaluation has been made of reasonable alternatives, including nonstructural ones, for addressing the water-related problems of the affected regions and communities. (3) An explanation of the relationship of the plan to any approved regional water resource management plans. (4) A summary of the consideration given to water conservation measures and a listing of those measures incorporated into the plan. (5) Evidence that there has been compliance with relevant environmental and other laws and requirements. (6) Evidence that the public and State and local officials have been involved in the plan formulation process. (b) If the documents and information necessary for the review are not initially submitted, the Chairman may extend the review period by not more than 30 days. If the documents and information submitted do not demonstrate compliance, a finding detailing the areas of noncompliance will be transmitted to the agency head. 1-107. Before any agency submits to the Congress, or to any committee or member thereof, a report relating to, or affecting in whole or in part its advance programs, or the public works and improvement projects comprising such programs, or the results of any plan preparation for such programs or projects, such report or plan shall be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget for advice as to its relationship to the program of the President. When such report or plan is thereafter submitted to the Congress, or to any committee or member thereof, it shall include a statement of the advice received from the Office of Management and Budget. 1-108. Agency submissions to the Office of Management and Budget of the reports, proposals or plans reviewed pursuant to this Order shall be accompanied by a statement of the findings transmitted to the agency head. 1-109. Executive Order No. 9384 of October 4, 1943, as amended, is revoked. JIMMY CARTER The White House, January 4, 1979. [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 3:37 p.m., January 5, 1979]