Which goal aligns with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)?

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) was established to ensure that federal agencies consider the environmental impacts of their proposed actions before making decisions. One of its key goals is to maintain or improve the quality of the environment. NEPA requires federal agencies to prepare detailed environmental impact statements (EIS) for actions that significantly affect the environment, allowing for public input and consideration of alternatives. This process emphasizes the importance of balancing development needs with environmental protection, clearly aligning with the objective of improving environmental quality.

The other options do not align with the principles of NEPA. Promoting state-level regulations exclusively does not reflect NEPA's federal focus. Restricting public access to environmental data contradicts NEPA's commitment to transparency and public involvement. Finally, facilitating the development of industrial waste is not a goal under NEPA, as it does not support the act's purpose of protecting and enhancing environmental quality.