ALCOAST 338/17 - NOV 2017 TRAINING ON THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM

R 141132 NOV 17
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//CG-4//
TO ALCOAST
UNCLAS//N05090//
ALCOAST 338/17
COMDTNOTE 5090
SUBJ: TRAINING ON THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ENVIRONMENTAL
PLANNING AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM
A. National Environmental Policy Act, 42 USC, et seq.
B. Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing the
Procedural Provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act,
40 CFR 1500-1508.
C. Department of Homeland Security Directive 023-01-01, Implementation
of the National Environmental Policy Act. 
1. REFs (A) and (B) establish the requirement that every federal agency must
analyze the potential environmental impacts of their proposed actions.
REF (B) stipulates agencies are to categorize each of their actions as a
categorical exclusion (CATEX), an environmental assessment (EA), or an
environmental impact statement (EIS).
2. REF (C) is the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Policy implementing
the requirements of REFs (A) and (B), and establishing the requirement for
DHS components to utilize the DHS Environmental Planning and Historic
Preservation Decision Support System (DSS) for the preparation and storage
of CATEX documentation and for the storage of final EAs and EIS's and
related environmental compliance documents. Additionally, REF (C) mandates
the use of the DSS department-wide; however, DHS has allowed the Coast Guard
to postpone the use of the DSS until all Coast Guard personnel are trained
and Coast Guard DSS tools and guidance are in place. For more information on
the DSS system please go to this link:
https://cg.portal.uscg.mil/units/cg47/SitePages/Home.aspx and under
"Important Links," on the far right side of the page, click the link called,
"DSS Information." For access to the DSS, use the following link:
http://ephpdss.dhs.gov/.
3. DHS is sponsoring 26 webinars using Adobe Connect beginning
Monday, October 30, 2017 and ending Tuesday, December 19, 2017. Only 35
people can attend a webinar on a particular date and time. After 35 people
are confirmed for a particular date, that date will no longer be available.
Please select the training most applicable to how you will use the DSS
(your role in the DSS system). If you will be reviewing Coast Guard National
Environmental Policy (NEPA) documents for adequacy with environmental policy
and mandates you should attend the environmental reviewer training. If you
will be preparing CATEXs in the DSS, you should attend a preparer training
session. If you will be signing as the responsible decision making official
on the action that is the subject of the NEPA document, you should attend
the proponent training session. Some people may have multiple roles and,
therefore, should sign up for all applicable training sessions. Due to the
limited number of classes, we request that you only sign up for multiple
types of training webinars if you know you will be carrying out those roles
in the DSS.
4. To sign up for DSS preparer, reviewer, or proponent training webinars,
please go to this link:
https://cg.portal.uscg.mil/units/cg47/EPHP/DSS/default.aspx. Directions on how
to sign up for the DSS training will be at this link. Information on how to
access the webinar via Adobe Connect will be sent to you the day before, or
the day of, your training session via email.
5. POC: Ms. Kebby Kelley, COMDT (CG-47), 202-475-5690, kebby.kelley@uscg.mil.
6. RDML M. W. Bouboulis; Assistant Commandant for Engineering and Logistics, sends.
7. Internet release authorized.