California Environmental Quality Act
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), was adopted by the State Legislature in 1970 in response to public demand that the environmental consequences of a project be known prior to project approval. CEQA encourages protection of the environment by requiring state and local agencies to prepare a range of environmental impact analysis and to make decisions on projects only after considering their effect on the environment. Decision-makers use the findings presented in CEQA compliance documents (environmental impact reports (EIR), mitigated negative declaration (MND), and negative declarations (ND)) to assess project impacts and recommend measures to protect the community and environmental resources. Environmental review covers a wide spectrum of factors. Examples of environmental factors that are analyzed during environmental review include/but are not limited to: - Aesthetics
- Biological Resources
- Hazards and Hazardous Materials
- Mineral Resources
- Public Services
- Utilities/Service Systems
- Agriculture Resources
- Cultural Resources
- Hydrology/Water Quality
- Noise
- Recreation
- Air Quality
- Geology/Soils
- Land Use/Planning
- Population/Housing
- Transportation/Traffic
Once these factors are fully analyzed and discussed in the CEQA compliance documentation (ND, MND, EIR), CEQA provides for a review period ranging from 20-45 days depending on the environmental document for public comment and input. During this time, the public is encouraged to review the CEQA compliance document and to comment on the projects. Comments can be submitted in writing via email or mail. If you are interested in reviewing CEQA compliance documents for current City projects, see below for a listing of current City-sponsored projects in Environmental Review. If you would like more detailed information about CEQA, you can find out more by going to http://ceres.ca.gov/ceqa/ or the Office of Planning and Research at www.opr.ca.gov/. Public NoticesCEQA requires all projects with a draft EIR, ND, or a MND to be available for public review for a minimum of 20 days for a ND/MND and 45 days for an EIR for the public to comment. A notice is distributed to inform the public of the review period. Current notices and environmental documents available for public review for City Capital Improvement projects are listed below. Comments should be submitted in writing and must include contact information (name, address, email address). All comments submitted during the review period will be made available to the public and the City decision makers for consideration prior to a decision on the project.
There are currenlty no public notices out for review CEQA compliance information for private development projects can be found on the Private Development Project Notices and Related Environmental Documents webpage. |
