Purpose

A. The purposes of environmental impact reports (EIRs)

1.    The environmental impact report (EIR) is intended to inform proponent agencies, oversight agencies, and other decision-makers of the environmental consequences of development activities by state agencies, and to ensure that construction of state facilities is carried out in an environmentally sound manner.

2.    Preparing the EIR for a proposed project enables proponent agencies to identify potential impacts on environmental resources, and to revise project plans in order to avoid, reduce, or compensate for those impacts.

3.    The EIR provides essential information that allows DEQ and other reviewing agencies to carry out their review in an efficient and timely manner.

4.    The EIR is a commitment by the proponent agency that it has carried out a reasonable review and analysis of the environmental impacts of its facility development proposal, and that it will implement all design and mitigation actions specified in the document.  DEQ's comments about the environmental impacts of a project presume that those commitments will be carried out.

B. The purpose of environmental impact review

1.    DEQ reviews the EIR in order to provide comments to the Governor on the environmental impact of each major state facility.

2.    The review assures that environmental impacts requiring modification of a major state project are identified in a timely manner, before acquisition of a parcel or before construction begins on existing state land.

3.    Reviewing agencies determine whether any of their proprietary, management, policy, or regulatory responsibilities are likely to affect or be affected by the project under review.

4.    If permitting will be required, regulatory agencies may identify criteria or permit conditions to aid the proponent agency in preparing a permit application.

5.    Reviewing agencies may apply existing agency or state policies, or make recommendations to deal with the issues raised by the project under review.  The objective of such comments is to assure that state agency projects provide a model for environmentally sound development.