California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)

The State Legislature enacted the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in 1970, establishing statewide regulations for the environmental review of discretionary projects and a process for mitigating or avoiding potential environmental impacts. Documents and reports that result from the CEQA review process seek to inform the public, applicable local agencies, and decision makers about the potential environmental impacts associated with certain planning approvals.

When does CEQA apply?

Discretionary Projects
CEQA requires environmental review for discretionary land use applications.

New Land Use Regulations and Community Plan Updates
Land use proposals subject to CEQA include proposed ordinances, revisions to the City’s General Plan, and Community Plans.

Note: Stand-alone ministerial and by-right projects are statutorily exempt under CEQA. These projects do not need planning approvals because they comply with zoning and building code requirements and do not require discretionary action.

Types of CEQA Review

Discretionary projects must undergo CEQA review before they may receive planning approvals. During the early stages of project review, the Department determines the appropriate type of environmental document to prepare.

The State CEQA Guidelines include a list of project types that have been determined not to have a significant effect on the environment. This subset of projects can qualify for a Categorical Exemption.

The State Legislature has the authority to grant statutory exemptions for a class of projects generally considered not to have impacts on the environment. Projects that qualify for a statutory exemption can be made wholly or partially exempt from CEQA.

A Negative Declaration (ND) is prepared when an Initial Study finds that a project will have no impacts, or less-than-significant impacts, on the environment.

A Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) is prepared when an Initial Study finds that a project's impacts on the environment are potentially significant but can be mitigated to less-than-significant levels by implementing mitigation measures.

An EIR is prepared when an Initial Study has determined that a project will have a potentially significant effect on the environment, and mitigation measures will not reduce all impacts to less-than-significant levels. The lead agency must prepare a Statement of Overriding Considerations to explain why the approval of a project with significant but unavoidable impacts should still be approved. Find the Department's standards for EIR review and preparation, and its Environmental Consultant List, below.

EIR Review Criteria and Performance Standards
Environmental Consultant List

An SCPE is a CEQA statutory exemption available to Transit Priority Projects that meet all of the qualifying criteria of California’s Public Resources Code (PRC) Section 21155.1 and are declared by the City Council to be Sustainable Communities Projects.

SCEAs may be used for the environmental analysis of Transit Priority Projects that demonstrate consistency with the Southern California Association of Governments' (SCAG’s) Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy and have incorporated all feasible mitigation measures, performance standards, and criteria set forth in previous applicable Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs).

Environmental Consultants List
 

The City has established a list of prequalified consultants from which applicants are required to hire when preparing environmental content for development projects.

View List
CEQA Process
 

This flowchart is a helpful guide to the CEQA process that shows the relationship between State regulations and different types of environmental review for discretionary proposed projects and policies at the local level.

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EIR Review Criteria and Performance Standards
 

City Planning prepared these objective performance criteria to standardize the review of Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs) and inform applicants, consultants, and the public of the technical documentation required to prepare an EIR.

View Criteria