Environmental Planning

1. How do I Contact Environmental Planning Services?

Our office is located at the 300 Richards Boulevard. We are available for public assistance during public counter hours, Monday through Friday. You can call (916) 264-5011 during our open hours.

2. What is the Purpose of the EPS?

Environmental Planning Services contains two sections. The first is the CEQA section, which is responsible for major analysis required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The second section is Toxics. This section addresses and coordinates the City's interests in the redevelopment/ development of properties that may be contaminated with toxic materials.

3. What Services are Provided by EPS?

We review and/or prepare environmental documents for the City of Sacramento. We also can discuss environmental aspects of projects and supply public environmental documents that are available for review.

4. What is the California Environmental Quality Act?

The basic goal of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (Pub. Res. Code §21000 et seq.) is to develop and maintain a high-quality environment now and in the future, while the specific goals of CEQA are for California's public agencies to:

Identify the significant environmental effects of their actions; and, either
Avoid those significant environmental effects, where feasible; or
Mitigate those significant environmental effects, where feasible.

5. What is an Environmental Impact Report (EIR)?

The purpose of an EIR is to provide State and local agencies and the general public with detailed information on the potentially significant environmental effects that a proposed project is likely to have and to list ways in which the significant environmental effects may be minimized and indicate alternatives to the project.

6. What is a Negative Declaration (Neg Dec)?

"Negative Declaration" means a written statement by the Lead Agency briefly describing the reasons that a proposed project, not exempt from CEQA, will not have a significant effect on the environment and therefore does not require the preparation of an EIR.

"Mitigated negative declaration" means a negative declaration prepared for a project when the initial study has identified potentially significant effects on the environment, but (1) revisions in the project plans or proposals would avoid the effects or mitigate the effects to a point where clearly no significant effect on the environment would occur, and (2) there is no substantial evidence in light of the whole record before the public agency that the project, as revised, may have a significant effect on the environment.

7. What Services are Provided by the Toxics Program?

Provide City Departments with facts needed to make informed decisions regarding the purchase or acceptance of property, the current use and leasing of property, and the remediation of property prior to development.
Administer and maintain the City wide list of toxics consultants and contractors.
Manage environmental oversight authority which provides for a streamlined permitting process for development in the Southern Pacific Sacramento Railyards and ensures the health and safety of workers and residents during railyard clean up and development.