This law clarifies the procedures for determining the environmental impact of city or county projects as required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

CA Public Resources Code §21083.9

Amended by S.B. No. 226
Effective January 1, 2012

The adoption or amendment to a general plan by a city, county or special district may be conducted concurrently with the scoping meeting required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for any building project of statewide, regional or area-wide significance.

Editor’s note — A general plan is a plan made by a local agency for the adoption or amendment of zoning or subdivision ordinances, improvements or other public works projects. A “scoping meeting” is a meeting organized by a city, county or special district open to the public for input about environmental information to be considered in the adoption or amendment of a general plan.

CA Public Resources Code §21084

Amended by S.B. No. 226
Effective January 1, 2012

If a project’s greenhouse gas emissions have no significant impact on the environment, the project is not necessarily exempt from CEQA requirements.

Editor’s note — The “projects” to which these laws are referring include the enactment or amendment of zoning ordinances, the issuance of zoning variances, the issuance of conditional use permits and the approval of tentative subdivision maps, excluding any actions undertaken to prevent or mitigate an emergency.