Attachment B: CEQA Review Process
Not a Project
Is action a project under
CEQA? No CEQA analysis required. includes non-
discretionary actions. Does not apply to
Planning applications for private development
except for ministerial projects.
Exempt (Statutory or Categorical)
Is project exempt from
Can be a Statutory Exemption (State Legislature
CEQA?
deems exempt) or Categorical Exemption (meets
criteria for exemption in CEQA Guidelines).
Addendum or Determination of Consistency
Is project part of a larger (DOC) to Adopted MND,ND, or EIR project/plan with CEQA If project is consistent with or results in minor changes to clearance? a previously adopted MND, ND, or EIR, the project could qualify for an Addendum or Determination of Consistency with the previously approved document.
Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) or
Negative Declaration (ND)
Includes preparation of in Initial Study and 20 - 30-day Initial Study or
public review period.
Environmental Impact
Report Required
OR
Type of document depends
on impacts.
Environmental Impact Report (EIR)
Includes Notice of Preparation with 30-day comment
period and 45-day minimum public review period. Required of impacts cannot be mitigated to a less than significant level.
Types of CEQA Documents
Type of CEQA Definition Public Scope of Analysis
Clearance
Categorical Exemption from None Limited to exception findings Exemption in CEQA Guidelines 15300.2
except for additional findings
or In-Fill Exemptions (CEQ/
Guidelines Section 15332)
of Resources to not
nave an impact on
the environment per
Article 19 of the
CEQA Guidelines.
Determination of A document None Limited to no additional Consistency with confirming a analysis.
Prior CEQA subsequent project is
Clearance consistent with a
previously adopted
CEQA clearance
such as an EIR.
Common for each
phase of a multiple
project with no
changes to the
original project.
Addendum to A document None Analysis may be required to Previously Adopted confirming changes determine that changes to a Environmental to a project with a project do not result in new Impact Report or previously adopted significant impacts or an Negative EIR or Negative increase in severity of a
Declaration/Mitigated Declaration/Mitigated previously identified impact Negative Declaration Negative Declaration per CEQÁ Guidelines Section do not result in 15162. For Addendums to
conditions in CEQA Program Level EIRs like DTS
Guidelines Section 2040 EIR, analysis evaluates
15162 requiring the individual project impacts.
preparation of a
subsequent CEQA
document.
Type of CEQA Definition Public Scope of Analysis
Clearance Comment
Period
Negative Statement that a 20 - 30 days
Declaration/Mitigated project will not have a
Negative Declaration significant effect on
legally defensible document.
han significant level
neasures (CEQA
15070).
Environmental The highest level of Notice of Requires a Notice of Impact CEQA document, Preparation Preparation and scoping Report/Supplemental requires analysis of scoping period at project start Environmental impacts, mitigation period: 30 analysis of impacts and Impact Report days. Public mitigation measures, and
project alternatives. A circulation 45 alternatives to the project that Supplemental EIR is days. reduce significant impacts.
Response to comments
changes to a project received during public
circulation required.
significant impacts Supplemental EIRs may
not previously focus on new impacts not
identified in a prior addressed in previous EIR.
EIR (CEQA
Guidelines Section
15162).
Ministerial Approval CEQA not applicable None Analysis may be required to to ministerial projects demonstrate project meets
per Section 21080 of objective standards.
California Public
Resources Code.