Categorical Exemption – Classes of projects that the State has determined not to have a significant effect on the environment and which shall, therefore, be exempt from the provisions of CEQA.
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) – An informational document which will inform the public agency decision makers and the public of any significant environmental effects of a project and ways to minimize or avoid those negative effects. An EIR also provides reasonable alternatives to the proposed project for the public agency to consider. A Draft EIR (DEIR) is the first review document released as part of the EIR process. A Final EIR (FEIR) contains the information of the DEIR, plus any comments received during the DEIR’s public review process, and the evaluation and response to those comments.
Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) – A Negative Declaration prepared for a project when the Initial Study has identified potentially significant effects on the environment but revisions or mitigation is agreed upon by the applicant prior to document release that would avoid or substantially lessen the effects of the project to the point where clearly no significant effect on the environment would occur.
Negative Declaration (ND) – A Negative Declaration is prepared after an Initial Study does not identify substantial evidence that the project may have a significant effect on the environment and does not require the preparation of an EIR.
