
85NEPA Process and Specic Requirements
as much as 400,000 kg and storing this mass of water on a moving
ship would compromise the ship’s stability and threaten crew safety.
This important element of the purpose and need would not be met
and the alternative was eliminated from detailed evaluation in the
draft EIS.
3.5 Purpose and Need Conclusions
Even though it is typically the shortest section of an environmental docu-
ment, the purpose and need statement plays a very important role in envi-
ronmental analysis and NEPA. It focuses the efforts and energy of the
analysis, and at the same time, encourages appropriate input from stake-
holders