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Enhanced CEQA Review Program Components
In 1991 the District committed to an Enhanced CEQA Review control measure in
its Air Quality Attainment Plan. This program requires the District to provide
technical assistance to Lead Agencies in addressing air quality issues in
environmental documents. In addition, it requires the District to comment on air
quality impacts and suggest mitigation measures to reduce air quality impacts
from land-use related developmental projects.
In August 1998, the District’s CEQA staff produced a document entitled the Guide
for Assessing and Mitigating Air Quality Impacts (GAMAQI). The GAMAQI is an
advisory document that provides Lead Agencies, consultants, and project
applicants with uniform procedures for addressing air quality in environmental
documents. Printed copies of the document can be obtained from the District. Presented
here are some pertinent highlights for your use.
- Air Quality Attainment Status – Pollutants for which the
District is classified nonattainment for either National or California Ambient
Air Quality Standards
- Air Quality Mitigation Strategies – Methods available to
mitigate adverse air quality impacts from land-use related developmental
projects
- Air Quality Models – Calculation methods used to quantify
the air quality effects of a project
- CEQA & District Rules Connection – Specific
relationships between CEQA and certain of the District’s Rules and
Regulations
- Common Odor Sources & Screening Distances
– List of
sources with the potential to frequently expose members of the public to
objectionable odors and the appropriate distances from receptors that would
trigger the need for further environmental review
- Points of Contact – When you have further questions regarding the
District’s CEQA participation, contact your appropriate
CEQA
Representative. When you have further questions regarding
transportation issues in your area, contact your local Transportation
Planning Agency.
- Project Analysis Levels – The District’s three-tiered approach
to determine project significance using pre-calculated levels for comparison.
The three levels are as follows:
- Small Project Analysis Level (SPAL) – A level at which there
is virtually no possibility of exceeding the District’s Thresholds of
Significance (TOS)
- Cursory Analysis Level (CAL) – Projects over the SPAL
but may be close to the District’s TOS (and may be able to drop below with
good mitigation)
- Full Analysis level (FAL) – Projects of sufficient
magnitude that the emissions would definitely be greater than the
District’s TOS’s
- Thresholds of Significance (TOS) – District recommended
thresholds for determining whether projects have a significant adverse air
quality impacts as defined by CEQA
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