|
RT, the local agency sponsoring the environmental review process for this project, is governed by federal and state laws and regulatory requirements. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for major federal actions, such as the funding of fixed guideway transit projects, that significantly affect the environment. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) where there is substantial evidence that a project may have a significant effect on the environment. Under both NEPA and CEQA, opportunities exist for the public to provide input into the evaluation of alternatives and project-related environmental impacts.
For the DNA project, the first step in the environmental review process is the circulation of a Draft Program Environmental Impact Report (EIR), which occurred on December 28, 2007. The Program EIR covers the entire project from downtown to the airport. Subsequently, as individual segments of the project are advanced toward implementation, more specific project-level environmental documents will be prepared and circulated. These may be combined with NEPA where a major federal action is anticipated.
|
