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California Environmental Quality Act Paper

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The California Environmental Quality Act is a statute. This statute requires all state and local agencies to identify any significant environmental impacts of their actions. It also requires that they avoid these actions and mitigate negative environmental impacts from their actions whenever possible.
An Overview of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
CEQA is the state’s broadest environmental law. It provides guidance to the Department in regards to issuing permits and approving projects. It is interpreted by the courts to provide the fullest protection of the environment without venturing outside the statutes of California. It is applied to any discretionary project proposed to or approved by a California public agency. The scope of CEQA includes private projects that require discretionary government approval. …show more content…

The Act is also intended to prevent or minimize environmental damage through project alternative development, mitigation measures and monitoring. Through CEQA, the agency’s decision making process is disclosed to the public. This is the process by which discretionary projects gain approval after the presentation of findings and statements. It has been seen to enhance the public’s participation in the environmental review process (i.e. scoping meetings, public notice, public review, hearings, and the judicial process). Most agree that CEQA effectively improves the interagency coordination with early consultations, scoping meetings, notices of preparation, and State Clearinghouse

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