Environment: CEQA exemption: roadway improvement.

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report (EIR) on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. CEQA exempts from its requirements specified projects or activities. This bill would, until January 1, 2016, exempt a project or an activity to repair, maintain, or make minor alterations to an existing roadway, as defined, if the project or activity is carried by a city or county to improve public safety meeting specified requirements. CEQA authorizes a local agency, whenever it determines that a project is not subject to CEQA pursuant to designated provisions and the local agency approves or determines to carry out the project, to file a specified notice of that approval or determination with the county clerk of each county in which the project will be located. This bill would require a local agency that makes such a determination and approves and determines to carry out that project, to file a specified notice with the Office of Planning and Research, and with the county clerk in the county in which the project will be located.