An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is part of the CEQA Process.  CEQA stands for California Environmental Quality Act, and it is California's version of NEPA, the National Environmental Policy Act. NEPA was implemented to ensure the protection of the environment for natural and human use when Federal agency-sponsored projects (e.g. development) are undertaken.  CEQA requires State and local agencies within California to follow a specific process to ensure adequate analysis of potential environmental impacts that may result from project implementation.  It also requires that those analyses are disclosed to the public.  The first agency that would give the project a discretionary approval is designated as the lead agency, and they are responsible for following the CEQA process to determine the CEQA pathway for a project.

The first step of the CEQA process is for the lead agency to undertake an Initial Study.  An Initial Study is a preliminary look at a proposed project to see if it might have significant adverse impacts on the environment.  Experts and interested agencies are consulted on a wide array of topics, including noise, archaeological resources, and expected air emissions to name just a few.  A list of basic questions covering each of these topics must be addressed to evaluate whether the project may result in significant environmental impacts. 

There are three possible outcomes of an Initial Study: a Negative Declaration (ND), a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND), or an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). In an ND the lead agency determines that the proposed project will not result in any significant impacts on the environment.  In an MND the lead agency determines that potentially significant impacts can be reduced to a less than significant level by taking measures to avoid, minimize, or mitigate adverse impacts.  If the lead agency determines that an ND or MND is appropriate, the Initial Study (including any proposed mitigation measures) is posted at an easily accessible public location for a 30-day period of public review.  After consideration of comments received by the public, the lead agency may approve both the project and the ND/MND and certify the project through CEQA by sending a Notice of Determination to the State Clearinghouse and the County Clerk's office, or they may opt to pursue an EIR.

The lead agency directs the preparation of an EIR if  the Initial Study determines that a proposed project could have a significant impact on the environment, especially if mitigation measures cannot be taken to clearly lessen that impact to a less than significant level.  A Notice of EIR Preparation that includes the project description and basic Initial Study results are made available to the public for a 30-day review period.  Then the lead agency incorporates the comments received by the public and releases the revised document for a 45-day period of public review.  Finally, the lead agency approves the project and the final EIR after all comments have been incorporated or otherwise addressed (including a Statement of Overriding Consideration if there would be any significant and unavoidable impacts), and completes the Notice of Determination process. 

• existing site conditions
• design criteria
• project description
• sill structure design analyses
• hydraulic modeling
• 30 percent design construction schedule and cost estimate
• operation and maintenance
• future design considerations

A full-sized version of the above sill design is available in the 30 Percent Design report, which can be found on the Parsons Slough Restoration webpage.