Division of Environmental Analysis (DEA)

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In response to enactment of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), in 1969, and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), in 1973, Caltrans formally initiated an environmental function. Subsequently, in response to the passage of a host of environmentally-related lawsand regulations and heightened public support for the environment, the Program has grown to become a substantive and inseparable part of Caltrans' planning, development, construction, operation and maintenance efforts.

Read more about DEA . . .
The Division of Environmental Analysis administers Caltrans' responsibilities under federal and state environmental law. The Program develops and maintains Caltrans environmental standards, policies, procedures, and practices that are implemented by the Department's 12 District Environmental Branches. Program staff work with the districts to identify and assess the effects of Caltrans projects on the state's natural and cultural environments, and identify ways to avoid or mitigate those effects.

The Division of Environmental Analysis acts as the Department compliance lead and assists the Districts and our transportation partners in:
- Complying with state and federal environmental laws;
- Encouraging the public to participate in the environmental evaluation process;
- Determining the environmental consequences of our activities;
- Proposing prudent, feasible and cost effective strategies and alternatives to avoid or minimize adverse impacts of the Department's activities, and;
- Ensuring the mitigation selected is appropriate.

Vacant - Districts 7 and 12
Jeremy Ketchum - District 4
Kristen Helton - District Coordinator - Districts 5, 6, 9, and 10 and interim District 7

Kelly Hobbs - District Coordinator – Districts 1, 2, and 3
John Chisholm - District Coordinator - Districts 8 & 11 and interim District 12

The Environmental Management Office (EMO) has posted a new Community Impact Assessment (CIA) template which can be found on the SER Other Guidance page. EMO would like to thank the CIA Statewide Working Group for all of their hard work and dedication in developing this template!
A new CE Checklist has been posted to the Forms and Templates page. The CE Checklist posted on July 8, 2016 was missing the hazardous waste section. Staff who completed a CE during this time do not need to prepare a new CE or Checklist. However, a brief memo to the project file should be prepared that addresses the hazardous waste questions found in the CE Checklist.
The Environmental Management Office has updated the CE Checklist to:
- Update the dollar amounts for CEs under 23 CFR 771.117(c)(23) “Projects with limited federal assistance”
- Add a checkbox confirming that the project description matches that found in the FSTIP and RTP and that the appropriate page of the FSTIP has been added to the project file
- Add a section on US Coast Guard Coordination
- Make clarifications to the Cultural Resources, Biology, and Wetlands sections based on NEPA Assignment Monitoring Reviews
Additionally, a peer review is no longer required for categorical exclusions under 23 USC 326 or 23 USC 327. The CE checklist as well as Chapters 30 and 38 of the SER have been updated accordingly.
The CE/CE form has been updated to clarify when a categorical exemption under CEQA would not be prepared and to change the effective date of the 23 USC 326 CE Assignment MOU.
The Environmental Management Office has prepared a new fact sheet outlining the requirements for FSTIP considerations in NEPA approvals. In addition, a sample ESR has been provided on the SER forms and templates page. The ESR contains a new checkbox for the FSTIP/RTP project page attachment. Districts are encouraged to incorporate the changes into their ESRs.
The Environmental Management Office has updated SER Chapter 11 "Air Quality," as well as the "Air Quality Conformity Findings Checklist" to clarify that certain categorical exclusions under 23 USC 326 may require the preparation of an Air Quality Conformity Analysis.
The Stormwater Office has a new campaign called Protect Every Drop.
On May 31, 2016, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) renewed the 23 USC 326 CE MOU for another three year term. No comments related to this MOU were received during the public comment period that ended May 11, 2016.
The Environmental Management Office has prepared a short Fact Sheet on Section 1309 of the FAST Act, "Program for Eliminating Duplication of Environmental Reviews," sometimes referred to as "CEQA for NEPA" or "CEQA/NEPA Reciprocity."
The Environmental Management Office has updated the "Fact Sheet for Categorical Exclusions under 23 CFR 771.117(c)(22) and 771.117(c)(23)" for projects within an existing operational right-of-way and projects receiving limited federal funding. This update was required to reflect that Section 1314 of the FAST Act provided for annual inflation adjustments based on the Consumer Price Index.