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Local Guidelines for Implementing the California Environmental Quality Act (2019) ACTIVITIES EXEMPT FROM CEQA 2019 City of Santa Ana Local Guidelines 3-19 ©Best Best & Krieger LLP Prior to determining that a bicycle transportation plan for an urban area is exempt, the lead agency must hold noticed public hearings in areas affected by the bicycle transportation plan to hear and respond to public comments. Publication of the notice must comply with Government Code Section 6061 and be in a newspaper of general circulation in the area affected by the proposed project. The lead agency must also prepare an assessment of any traffic and safety impacts of the project and include measures in the bicycle transportation plan to mitigate potential vehicular traffic impacts and bicycle and pedestrian safety impacts. See Public Resources Code Sections 21080.20 and 21080.20.5. This exemption shall remain in place until January 1, 2021. 3.22 CATEGORICAL EXEMPTIONS. The State CEQA Guidelines establish certain classes of categorical exemptions. These apply to classes of projects which have been determined not to have a significant effect on the environment and which, therefore, are generally exempt from CEQA. For any project that falls within one of these classes of categorical exemptions, the preparation of environmental documents under CEQA is not required. The classes of projects are briefly summarized below. (Reference to the State CEQA Guidelines for the full description of each exemption is recommended.) The exemptions for Classes 3, 4, 5, 6 and 11 below are qualified in that such projects must be considered in light of the location of the project. A project that is ordinarily insignificant in its impact on the environment may, in a particularly sensitive environment, be significant. Therefore, these classes are considered to apply in all instances except when the project may impact an environmental resource of hazardous or critical concern that has been designated, precisely mapped, and officially adopted pursuant to law by federal, state, or local agencies. All classes of categorical exemptions are qualified. None of the categorical exemptions are applicable if any of the following circumstances exist: (1) The cumulative impact of successive projects of the same type in the same place over time is significant; (2) There is a reasonable possibility that the activity will have a significant effect on the environment due to unusual circumstances; (3) The project may result in damage to a scenic resource or may result in a substantial adverse change to a historical resource; or (4) The project is located on a site which is included on any hazardous waste site or list compiled pursuant to Government Code Section 65962.5. However, a project’s greenhouse gas emissions do not, in and of themselves, cause an exemption to be inapplicable if the project otherwise complies with all applicable regulations or requirements adopted to implement statewide, regional, or local plans consistent with State CEQA Guidelines Section 15183.5. With the foregoing limitations in mind, the following classes of activity are generally exempt from CEQA: