ESA has been implementing the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) since its inception and our founding in 1969.

We have built a legacy of successful CEQA compliance, leading to approval and implementation of tens of thousands of projects throughout California’s metropolitan and rural areas. We combine our firm’s technical depth in natural resources science and environmental planning with deep knowledge of CEQA practice and procedure, including the most current legislation and case law, to create value-added, cost-effective, and legally defensible solutions for our clients.

ESA has successfully managed CEQA documentation for some of the most complex and high-profile projects in California. Our approach is to use all of the tools available under CEQA, including the most current streamlining methods, to save time and money while minimizing litigation risk. When ESA prepares a full Environmental Impact Report (EIR), our focus is on comprehensiveness and clarity, and the result is that our EIRs are frequently recognized by professional organizations with awards for creative approach and quality.

The breadth of ESA’s CEQA practice is as diverse as California’s geography and economy. We prepare CEQA documents for:

  • Jurisdictions and agencies regarding their delivery of needed water, wastewater, drainage, energy, and surface transportation and airport infrastructure.
  • Public and private developers of residential, commercial, higher-education, health care, energy and industrial, and sports and entertainment uses.
  • Agencies and non-governmental organizations seeking to implement open space, land management, and environmental restoration plans.

In preparing these documents, our CEQA practitioners collaborate with our in-house experts on biological resources and wetlands permitting, cultural resources and Assembly Bill (AB) 52 consultation, climate action and adaptation planning and design, acoustics and vibration, air quality, aesthetics and visual resources analyses, and other such technical disciplines. The result is that ESA offers a cohesive team to solve any CEQA challenge, delivering solutions and facilitating successful projects and plans.

Related specialties and services:

  • Addenda
  • Constraint reports and technical studies
  • Due diligence and CEQA strategy
  • Findings of fact & Statements of Overriding Consideration
  • Infill environmental checklists, MNDs, and EIRs
  • Initial studies/notices of preparation
  • Joint CEQA/NEPA documents
  • Mitigation monitoring and reporting program development & implementation
  • Negative Declarations/Mitigated Negative Declarations
  • Notices of Determination
  • Program and project Environmental Impact Reports
  • Section 508 and ADA Compliance
  • Statutory and categorical exemptions
  • Sustainable communities environmental assessments
  • Tiered and supplemental CEQA documents

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