Chapter 7.20
EVALUATING PROJECTS
Sections:
7.20.020 Purposes of initial study.
7.20.030 Contents of initial study.
7.20.040 Uses of initial study.
7.20.050 Determining significant effect.
7.20.060 Mandatory findings of significance.
7.20.010 Initial studies.
If a project is subject to CEQA and is not exempted by these guidelines, the district engineer shall conduct an initial study. If the board determines from the initial study that any aspects of the project, either individually or cumulatively, may cause a significant effect on the environment, regardless of whether the overall effect of the project is adverse or beneficial, then an EIR must be prepared. All phases of project planning, implementation and operation must be considered in the initial study of the project. To meet the requirements of this section, an initial study prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act may be used. (Ord. 8 Art. 5 § 1, 1977)
7.20.020 Purposes of initial study.
The purposes of an initial study are to:
A. Identify environmental impacts.
B. Enable the district to modify a project, mitigating adverse effects before an EIR is written.
C. Focus an EIR, if one is required, on potentially significant environmental effects.
D. Facilitate environmental assessment early in the design of a project.
E. Provide documentation of the factual basis for the finding in a negative declaration that a project will not have a significant effect on the environment.
F. Eliminate unnecessary EIRs. (Ord. 8 Art. 5 § 2, 1977)
7.20.030 Contents of initial study.
An initial study shall contain in brief form:
A. A description of the project.
B. An identification of the environmental setting.
C. An identification of environmental effects by use of a checklist, matrix, or other method.
D. A discussion of ways to mitigate the significant effects identified, if any.
E. An examination of whether the project is compatible with existing zoning and plans.
F. The name of the person or persons who prepared or participated in the initial study. (Ord. 8 Art. 5 § 3, 1977)
7.20.040 Uses of initial study.
The initial study shall be used to provide a written determination of whether a negative declaration or an EIR shall be prepared for a project. Where a project is revised in response to an initial study so that potential adverse effects are mitigated to a point where no significant environmental effects would occur, a negative declaration may be prepared instead of an EIR. If the project would still result in one or more significant effects on the environment after mitigation measures are added to the project, an EIR shall be prepared. The EIR shall emphasize study of the impacts determined to be significant and can omit further examination of those impacts found to be clearly insignificant in the initial study. (Ord. 8 Art. 5 § 4, 1977)
7.20.050 Determining significant effect.
In evaluating the significance of the environmental effect of a project, both primary or direct and secondary or indirect consequences shall be considered. Primary consequences are immediately related to the project (construction of a new treatment plant may facilitate population growth in the area), while secondary consequences are related more to primary consequences than to the project itself (an impact upon the resource base, including air, water and energy use of the area, may result from the population growth). A project will normally have a significant effect on the environment if it will:
A. Conflict with adopted environmental plans and goals of the community where it is located;
B. Have a substantial and demonstrable negative aesthetic effect;
C. Substantially affect a rare or endangered species of animal or plant or the habitat of the species;
D. Interfere substantially with the movement of any resident or migratory fish or wildlife species;
E. Breach published national, state, or local standards relating to solid waste or litter control;
F. Substantially degrade water quality;
G. Contaminate a public water supply;
H. Substantially degrade or deplete ground water resources;
I. Interfere substantially with ground water recharge;
J. Disrupt or alter an archaeological site over 200 years old, an historic site or a paleontological site except as part of a scientific study of the site;
K. Induce substantial growth or concentration of population;
L. Cause an increase in traffic which is substantial in relation to the existing traffic load and capacity of the street system;
M. Displace a large number of people;
N. Encourage activities which result in the use of large amounts of fuel or energy;
O. Use fuel or energy in a wasteful manner;
P. Increase substantially the ambient noise levels for adjoining areas. (Ord. 8 Art. 5 § 5, 1977)
7.20.060 Mandatory findings of significance.
A project shall be found to have a significant effect on the environment if:
A. The project has the potential to degrade the quality of the environment, substantially reduce the habitat of a fish or wildlife species, cause a fish or wildlife population to drop below self-sustaining levels, threaten to eliminate a plant or animal community, reduce the number or restrict the range of a rare or endangered plant or animal or eliminate important examples of the major periods of California history or prehistory;
B. The project has the potential to achieve short-term environmental goals to the disadvantage of long-term environmental goals;
C. The project has possible environmental effects which are individually limited but cumulatively considerable. As used in this subsection, “cumulatively considerable” means that the incremental effects of an individual project are considerable when viewed in connection with the effects of past projects, the effects of other current projects, and the effects of probable future projects; and
D. The environmental effects of a project will cause substantial adverse effects on human beings, either directly or indirectly. (Ord. 8 Art. 5 § 6, 1977)
7.20.070 Mitigations.
The board of directors may determine that no significant impact will occur where the initial study determines that mitigation measures are feasible to reduce impacts below the threshold limits specified in SCSDC 7.20.050 and 7.20.060. (Ord. 8 Art. 5 § 7, 1977)