Here are some useful links for getting started:
The CEQA review process starts with preparation of an Initial Study, which involves a
checklist
completed by the lead agency to determine whether a proposed project may have a significant effect on the environment. This aids in determining the type of environmental document to prepare:
- A Negative Declaration
(ND) if the project is determined to have no significant adverse effects (or "impacts") on the environment.
- A Mitigated Negative Declaration
(MND) if the project could have one or more significant adverse effects on the environment, but revisions in the project have been made by or agreed to by the project proponent that would result in all impacts reduced to less than significant.
- An Environmental Impact Report
(EIR) if the proposed project could have significant adverse effects on the environment, even after mitigation.
An EIR may take one of several forms, as described
here.
- State agencies shall regulate the activities of private individuals, corporations, and other public agencies to prevent environmental damage.
- Government agencies shall develop standards and procedures necessary to maintain, protect, rehabilitate and enhance environmental quality, including fish and wildlife populations and plant and animal communities.
- Projects carried out by public agencies shall be subject to the same level of review as private projects requiring approval by public agencies.
- No projects that would cause significant environmental effects should be approved as proposed if there are feasible alternatives or mitigation measures that would lessen those effects.
- Environmental impact reports (EIRs) shall be used to provide full public disclosure of the environmental impacts of a proposed project.
- EIRs shall include identification of all significant effects, alternatives, and potential mitigation measures.
- Local agencies should integrate CEQA with other environmental review, planning, and information gathering so as to cut costs and time and to apply the conservation of financial, governmental, physical, and social resources toward better mitigation.
- Identification of significant effects, alternatives and mitigation measures, as well as comments from the public and public agencies, and relevant information about significant effects should be made as early as possible in the process.
- Failure to comply with CEQA to provide full disclosure of information during the CEQA process, resulting in relevant information not being presented to the public agency, would constitute prejudicial abuse of discretion leaving the project proponent open to possible lawsuits.