The general format of an EIS should follow the CEQ regulations for  draft and final EISs (40 CFR Part 1502.3,  40 CFR Part 1502.9, 40 CFR Part 1502.10 and Federal Transit Administration/Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation regulations  23 CFR Part 771.123) and (23 CFR Part 771.125). 

What is required to be included in a draft EIS?
A draft EIS document should contain the following:

• Cover sheet
• Table of contents
• Summary
• Statement of purpose and need*
• Evaluation of all reasonable alternatives**
• Description of the affected environment*
• Environmental consequences and mitigation***
• Public coordination
• List of preparers
• Distribution list of agencies, organizations, and persons to whom copies of the statement were sent
• Appendices with technical reports and supporting studies

*For New Starts/Small Starts projects, a brief summary of financial information for the proposed project should be included if a proposed project is identified in the draft EIS.

**For New Starts/Small Starts projects, the alternatives analysis conducted and the conclusions are required to be included in this section.

***FTA encourages grant applicants to combine the affected environment, environmental consequences, and mitigation into the same section, arranged by subject area.

What is required to be included in a final EIS?
A final EIS document should contain the following:

• Documentation of compliance with applicable environmental laws and executive orders including:
  • Definitive mitigation commitments
  • National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 Programmatic Agreement or Memorandum of Understanding
  • Department of Transportation Act Section 4(f) finding
  • Other findings regarding environmental laws and executive orders
• Summary of comments from the public and other agencies on the draft EIS received during the public comment period and the full responses there to
• A summary of any changes that have been made to the EIS since publishing the draft EIS
• A clear identification of the preferred alternative

What is typically included in an EIS appendix?
FTA encourages the use of technical reports and studies to present the detailed technical analyses that support the information presented in the EIS. This material substantiates any analysis fundamental to the impact statement. FTA requires that these technical reports be included in the document as an appendix or be made available to the public (for example, on public websites and at locations where the public can review the final EIS). Any of the technical reports not included in the EIS as an appendix should be incorporated by reference in the EIS. 

Additional Resources:
40 CFR § 1502.18 Appendix 
The CEQ requirements for appendices in EISs are provided in this regulation.