TDA Environmental Consulting Services Provided:
CEQA Compliance
TDA’s primary focus as environmental consultants is to prepare CEQA documentation. Our approach is to first conduct a preliminary review of the project scope to determine the appropriate CEQA compliance mechanism. Once TDA understands the type of action a client proposes to implement, our experience allows us to quickly define an optimal path to support a project’s objectives and the environmental steps needed to implement project objectives. The types of CEQA documents we prepare include:
- Notices of Exemptions (NOEs) for projects that are Statutorily or Categorically exempt from CEQA
- Addenda
- Initial Studies/Mitigated Negative Declarations (ISMNDs)
- Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs)
While TDA prepares a number of Exemption Packages, the majority of our time is spent preparing Initial IS/MNDs and EIRs. Having prepared a multitude of IS/MNDs and EIRs over the past several decades, TDA is able to define the study areas that would require additional quantitative substantiation, and determine which of the topics required to be analyzed by CEQA can be analyzed based on information that is readily available.
TDA utilizes a group of trusted subconsultants to perform the technical studies required to substantiate the analysis in each of the environmental documents we prepare, with the types of reports required dependent on the specific project being proposed. The technical studies that might be required to substantiate CEQA documentation include: air quality impact analyses, biological resource assessments, jurisdictional delineations, multiple species habitat conservation plan (MSHCP) compliance evaluations, cultural and paleontological resources assessments, energy impact analyses, greenhouse gas impact analyses, phase I environmental assessments (ESAs), noise impact analyses, fiscal impact analyses, etc. We believe that our job as project managers overseeing the CEQA compliance documentation process is to provide guidance and a set of expectations, while each of our subconsultant teams bring their own independent knowledge and abilities to provide the best solutions.
In all cases, our goal is to work towards providing the lead agency with a fully substantiated CEQA environmental determination within a reasonable schedule that would ultimately enable the project to proceed once approved by the lead agency.
NEPA Compliance
TDA’s primary involvement with NEPA compliance is as a secondary process required for a public agency to receive grant funding from a federal entity. For instance, TDA has supported various public agencies by compiling information to support Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) applications and its counter-part environmental documentation for State Board Division of Drinking Water (DDW) applications. TDA is proficient at assembling these environmental packages. We ensure that the technical studies—air quality, biology, and cultural resources—are prepared to meet NEPA requirements, which is necessary to compile a CWSRF application. Another example, is that TDA often prepares CEQA documentation that can be utilized by the federal agency (ex: Bureau of Reclamation) to comply with NEPA by providing technical studies—air quality, biology, and cultural resources—that are prepared to meet NEPA requirements.
In addition to the above, TDA prepares NEPA documentation, including:
- Categorical Exclusions
- Environmental Assessments
- Environmental Impact Statements
Other
TDA provides peer review and comment on the content of CEQA/NEPA documents as requested by public agencies.
TDA assists Public Agencies and Developers with interpreting CEQA/NEPA procedural requirements for projects, including compliance with new requirements (such as climate change & greenhouse gas (GHG), wildfire, energy, and AB 52).
TDA assists public agencies by providing environmental input for agency Planning Commission, City Council, Board of Directors, Board of Supervisors, and various committees and staff at public agencies. With TDA’s wide range of experience in CEQA, NEPA, and Regulatory Permitting, TDA—sometimes in conjunction with TDA subconsultants—can provide expertise on a variety of environmental compliance topics.
TDA has performed routine preliminary evaluations of proposed projects and project sites as part of our services. For instance, TDA may be provided a proposed project site and would look at the environmental constraints (problems that would need to be overcome) that the agency might come upon should the given site be selected for a future project. Environmental constraints include: a preliminary review of hazards on the site through review of EnviroStor and GeoTracker databases; a preliminary review of possible jurisdictional waters requiring regulatory permitting if avoidance is not possible; reviewing the California Important Farmland Finder maps to determine whether any agricultural land conflicts exist; a preliminary review of possible biological resources that might have a potential to exist on site; a preliminary review of geologic constraints, such as whether the site is in an Alquist Priolo fault, liquefaction, or landslide zone, etc.
TDA assists public agencies by providing environmental observation services during construction projects. TDA often assists with typical problems that a lead agency might run into during construction, such as inadvertent discovery of cultural materials during ground disturbance, and observance of birds such as burrowing owl within a site prior to or during construction when not observed during the initial survey. TDA utilizes our knowledge and our network of subconsultants to address these issues and ensure they are resolved in a timely manner.
TDA assists developers and private and public agencies in preparing the following regulatory permits: Corps 404 Permit, Regional Board 401 Certification, CDFW Streambed Alteration Agreement (SAA), federal incidental take permit (Section 7 or 10), and a CDFW incidental take permit, Section 2081. TDA oversees the preparation of these permits by our team of subconsultant biologists, who have over 25 years of experience in successfully navigating the regulatory permitting processes from site visit, to recommended design modifications, to preparation of the applications, and finally negotiating permit conditions in advance of the permit being accepted and deemed complete by the regulatory agency.
TDA provides editing and CEQA/NEPA document revision support to public agencies, in addition to all circulation requirements that correspond with the respective CEQA compliance mechanism.