(a) Federal agencies should engage in interagency coordination and collaboration in their planning and decision-making processes and should identify and resolve disputes concerning proposed major Federal actions early in the NEPA process. To the extent practicable, agencies should elevate issues to appropriate agency officials or the Council in a timely manner that will accommodate schedules consistent with § 1501.10 of this subchapter.

(b) A Federal agency may request that the Council engage in informal dispute resolution to provide recommendations on how to resolve an interagency dispute concerning an environmental review. In making the request, the agency shall provide the Council with a summary of the proposed action, information on the disputed issues, and agency points of contact.

(c) In response to a request for informal dispute resolution, the Council may request additional information, provide non-binding recommendations, convene meetings of those agency decision makers necessary to resolve disputes, or determine that informal dispute resolution is unhelpful or inappropriate.