Our Work
- Connect SoCal
- Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Awareness
- Programs & Projects
- Housing
- Economy & Demography
- Federal & State Compliance
- Sustainability
- Transportation
- Active Transportation
- Aviation Program
- Regional Pilot Initiatives Program
- The Future Communities Initiative
- Transportation Demand Management
- Transit Program
- FreightWorks
- Passenger Rail Program
- Corridor Planning
- Transportation Safety
- Transportation Finance
- Intelligent Transportation Systems
- Southern California Transportation Study
- Local Resources
- Funding & Programming
- Legislation & Advocacy
- Publications & Reports
Federal & State Compliance
SCAG is responsible for fulfilling certain state and federal requirements, including, among others, applicable requirements related to the following federal programs. Visit program pages to learn more.
At SCAG, environmental planning involves establishing programs and policies that encourage environmentally conscious transportation and land use patterns that protect the region’s environmental resources. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is intended to inform governmental decision-makers and the public about the potential environmental effects of projects; identify ways to reduce or avoid significant adverse environmental impacts; offer alternatives to the project; and disclose to the public why a project is approved despite the project’s potential significant and unavoidable adverse environmental impacts. SCAG’s CEQA Program fulfills two basic roles: Lead Agency and Commenting Agency.
Lead Agency
The Lead Agency is the public agency with principal responsibility for carrying out or approving a project. As CEQA Lead Agency for SCAG projects and programs, SCAG focuses on preparing environmental documentation for regulatory compliance with applicable environmental laws. Most notably, every four years, SCAG is the Lead Agency responsible for preparing the Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) for the Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Plan (RTP/SCS), also known as Connect SoCal. The PEIR conducts a region-wide assessment of potential significant environmental effects of the RTP/SCS.
Please visit the PEIR website for more information. SCAG staff works closely with local and regional agencies and stakeholders and conducts consultation and public outreach while preparing environmental documentation.
Commenting Agency
The Commenting Agency reviews and comments on the environmental analysis in CEQA documents prepared by other public agencies. SCAG’s role as a Commenting Agency applies to regionally significant projects. CEQA Guidelines Section 15206 defines projects of statewide, regional, or areawide significance and instructs public agencies to submit environmental documents, including Negative Declarations and Draft Environmental Impact Reports, to the State Clearinghouse and the appropriate subregional council of governments for review and comment. SCAG staff encourages public agencies in the SCAG region to submit CEQA public notices to SCAG’s Intergovernmental Review (IGR) Program via the IGR Submissions website. SCAG staff reviews and may prepare comments on CEQA documents for regionally significant projects received by SCAG’s IGR Program.
To learn more about the IGR Program, please visit the IGR website.
contacts
CEQA Program
Lijin Sun
(213) 236-1804
sunl@scag.ca.gov
Connect SoCal 2024 PEIR
Karen Calderon
(213) 236-1983
calderon@scag.ca.gov
Send specific questions on Connect SoCal 2024 PEIR to ConnectSoCalPEIR@scag.ca.gov
Intergovernmental Review
Ryan Banuelos
(213) 630-1532
Submit CEQA Notices to IGR@scag.ca.gov
CEQA Streamlining Efforts
The CEQA program also monitors changes in environmental compliance requirements, and provides tools and services related to CEQA and CEQA streamlining efforts, such as SB 375 and SB 743, to support local jurisdictions in taking advantage of existing CEQA streamlining opportunities and to provide a forum for regional dialogue on important environmental topics.
CEQA has provisions and tools that streamline the environmental review process for qualifying housing projects. These streamlining tools are often narrow, include many exceptions, and can be confusing for both local jurisdictions and developers. Although SCAG has no land-use authority and does not implement nor approve housing developments, Connect SoCal does provide pathways to streamline CEQA review for housing developments that qualify as Transit Priority Projects or Residential/Mixed-Use Projects, as defined in SB 375. Furthermore, SB 743 and SB 226 provide additional CEQA streamlining provisions for certain projects (e.g., projects in transit priority areas and infill development projects).
As part of SCAG’s efforts to accelerate housing production, SCAG has prepared a series of guidance materials for streamlining housing development. The guidance material topics were carefully selected based on feedback and include a combination of streamlining options or exemptions under CEQA and other state laws. To view and learn more about the guidance materials, please visit the Development Streamlining Efforts page.
Resources
Site Check
Site Check is a free, online, interactive tool funded by the California Housing and Community Development Department as part of the technical assistance for Senate Bill 2, the Building Homes and Jobs Act, which may be used to identify streamlining options under CEQA that may apply to facilitate planning decisions that accelerate the production of housing in California.
Users can search and filter parcels to determine whether they meet certain requirements in specific CEQA provisions for a variety of housing types. Site Check will provide a downloadable report identifying the accelerated pathways to CEQA compliance that may apply based on the parcel(s) selected, providing a helpful starting point and guiding users to the appropriate provisions within CEQA.
Please visit the Site Check website for further information and access to the tool.
SCAG’s Air Quality Planning Program coordinates with various air quality and transportation stakeholders in Southern California to ensure compliance with the federal, state, and regional air quality planning requirements. The federal Clean Air Act Section 176© (42 U.S.C. 7401 to 7671q) requires transportation conformity to ensure that federal funding and approval are given to highway and transit projects consistent with (i.e., “conform to”) the air quality goals established by an applicable air quality management plan (AQMP) or a state implementation plan. Conformity, for the state implementation plan, means that federally supported transportation activities will not cause or contribute to new violations of federal air quality standards, worsen existing violations, or delay timely attainment of the applicable national ambient air quality standards.
As the federally designated metropolitan planning organization for the six-county Southern California region, SCAG is required by law to be responsible for the transportation conformity determination on the Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy, the Federal Transportation Improvement Program, and their amendments. SCAG is also responsible for preparing the regional transportation strategy and transportation control measures portion of AQMP for the South Coast Air Basin. In addition, SCAG provides the socio-economic growth forecast and transportation activity projections to all the air districts in the SCAG region.
Air Quality Plans
Air Quality Management Plans and State Implementation Plans (SIPs)
The SCAG region contains four air basins and five air districts. The South Coast Air Basin is within the jurisdiction of the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The Ventura County portion of the South Central Coast Air Basin is within the jurisdiction of the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District. The Mojave Desert Air Basin is under the jurisdiction of three air districts: the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District, the South Coast Air Quality Management District, and the Antelope Valley Air Quality Management District. The Salton Sea Air Basin is under the jurisdiction of the Imperial County Air Pollution Control District and the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
Areas in California designated as “Maintenance” or “Nonattainment” for one or more national primary ambient air quality standards are required under the federal Clean Air Act to develop plans meeting specific air quality planning requirements depending on the classification based on severity. Air quality plans and corresponding documents are maintained and available on the California Air Resources Board website.
Resources
- Air Quality Districts
- Antelope Valley Air Quality Management District
- Imperial County Air Pollution Control District
- Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District
- South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD)
- SCAQMD, Air Quality Management Plans (AQMP)
SCAQMD is responsible for preparing an overall AQMP update to meet federal requirements and incorporate the latest planning information concerning its air district region. - SCAQMD Guidance Document for Addressing Air Quality Issues in General Plans and Local Planning (May 2005)
- SCAQMD, Air Quality Management Plans (AQMP)
- Ventura County Air Pollution Control District
- California Air Resources Board
- Air Quality and Land Use Handbook: A Community Health Perspective (March 2005)
The handbook serves as a general reference guide for evaluating and reducing air pollution impacts associated with new projects that go through the land use decision-making process. - ARB Formal Rulemaking Activity
The California Air Resources Coard (CARB) is responsible for conducting rulemaking to adopt and amend regulations covering a variety of areas. - CARB 2020 Mobile Source Strategy
CARB staff is developing the 2020 Mobile Source Strategy to take an integrated planning approach to identify the level of transition to cleaner mobile source technologies needed to achieve all of California’s targets. - EMFAC202Y Updates
July 30, 2020 - EMFAC2021
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (U.S. EPA) Approved) - EMFAC2017
(U.S. EPA Approved) - EMFAC2014
(U.S. EPA Approved) - School Health, The Children’s School Bus Exposure Study
Informs communities about children’s exposure to pollutants during school bus commuting and simple steps to reduce exposure. - Strategies to Reduce Air Pollution Exposure Near High-Volume Roadways: Technical Advisory
This Technical Advisory was released in April 2017 as a supplement to CARB’s Air Quality and Land Use Handbook: A Community Health Perspective. It is intended to provide planners and other stakeholders involved in land use planning and decision-making with information on scientifically based strategies to reduce exposure to traffic emissions near high-volume roadways in order to protect public health and promote equity and environmental justice.
- Air Quality and Land Use Handbook: A Community Health Perspective (March 2005)
- California Department of Transportation
- Air Quality Analysis and Coordination
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Headquarters Air Quality Branches manage Caltrans air quality analysis and transportation conformity policy, assist Caltrans district office environmental and planning staff with regional and project-level air quality issues; consult and coordinate with state, federal, and regional air and transportation planning agencies; build and maintain air quality analysis tools and guidance; and manage research studies related to transportation air quality issues.
- Air Quality Analysis and Coordination
- Non-Governmental Organizations
- American Lung Association, State of the Air
The American Lung Association protects people from air pollution impacts that lead to lung disease and other related harmful effects. - Coalition for Clean Air
The Coalition for Clean Air is dedicated to restoring clean, healthy air to California by advocating for effective public policy and practical business solutions. - Environmental Defense Fund
Guided by science and economics, the Environmental Defense Fund finds solutions to the most serious environmental problems. - Surface Transportation Policy Partnership
The Surface Transportation Policy Partnership is a diverse, nationwide coalition working to ensure transportation choices that enhance the economy, improve public health, promote social equity, and protect the environment.
- American Lung Association, State of the Air
- Universities and Research Centers
- Southern California Particle Center
Investigating the underlying mechanisms that produce the health effects associated with exposure to particulate matter. - UCLA Center for Occupational & Environmental Health
Air Pollution Helping to assess exposure and understand the health effects of air pollution in Southern California.
- Southern California Particle Center
- U.S. Department of Transportation
- Federal Highway Administration, MAP-21
The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) provides funding for surface transportation programs in 2013 and 2014. - Federal Highway Administration, SAFETEA-LU
The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) guaranteed public transportation funding totaling $244.1 billion and marked the largest surface transportation investment in the nation’s history. - Federal Highway Administration, Transportation Conformity
Ensures Federal funding and approval for transportation activities are consistent with air quality goals in nonattainment and maintenance areas. - Federal Transit Administration
- Federal Highway Administration, MAP-21
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Air Actions, Region 9
List of most recent air actions implemented or passed in the SCAG region. - Air Toxics Website
Information and details on air toxics from the U.S. EPA - Clean Air Excellence Awards
Recognizes and honors outstanding innovative efforts to help make progress in achieving cleaner air. - Climate Change
Find out more information about climate change, impacts, what U.S. EPA is doing, and what you can do. - Office of Transportation and Air Quality
Learn more about U.S. EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality programs that address emissions from a range of mobile sources. - State Implementation Plan Status Reports
Reports on the current status of air quality state implementation plan submittals and U.S. EPA actions. - Transportation Conformity
Information on the U.S. EPA transportation conformity program.
- Air Actions, Region 9
Transportation conformity is required under the federal Clean Air Act Section 176© to ensure federally supported transportation activities conform to or are consistent with the purpose of the applicable air quality management plan or State Implementation Plan (SIP). The Transportation Conformity Regulations are found in 40 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) Part 93. Provisions related to conformity SIPs are found in 40 CFR Section 51.390. SCAG’s Transportation Conformity Working Group serves as the primary forum for interagency consultation on all matters related to both regional and project-level transportation conformity to comply with federal transportation and air quality planning requirements and improve air quality in Southern California.
Tracing roots back to the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s and the environmental movement of the 1960s and 1970s, the environmental justice movement in the United States responds to discriminatory environmental practices—including toxic dumping, municipal waste facility siting and land use and transportation decisions that negatively affected communities of color.
The federal government defines environmental justice as “the just treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of income, race, color, national origin, Tribal affiliation, or disability, in agency decision-making and other Federal activities that affect human health and the environment so that people: (i) are fully protected from disproportionate and adverse human health and environmental effects (including risks) and hazards, including those related to climate change, the cumulative impacts of environmental and other burdens, and the legacy of racism or other structural or systemic barriers; and (ii) have equitable access to a healthy, sustainable, and resilient environment in which to live, play, work, learn, grow, worship, and engage in cultural and subsistence practices.” (Executive Order 14096)
Environmental justice in the SCAG region is challenged by diverse demographics, geography and economics, with extremes in household income and public health outcomes caused by numerous social, economic and environmental factors. The region includes heavily urban and entirely rural areas, each with its unique environmental risks, as well as terrain that creates obstacles to achieving environmental goals, such as air quality improvements.
SCAG pursues environmental justice by implementing improved planning practices and meeting federal and state requirements.
SCAG’s ongoing equity efforts directly inform and intersect with the environmental justice movement. For more information on SCAG’s equity efforts, visit the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Awareness webpage.
Contact
Help us keep our contact information updated. If you have any questions or comments, please contact:
Anita Au
(213) 236-1874
environmentaljustice@scag.ca.gov
Annaleigh Ekman
(213) 630-1427
environmentaljustice@scag.ca.gov
Connect SoCal 2024 Equity Analysis
Every four years, SCAG updates its visionary plan for the future of the region. On April 4, 2024, SCAG’s Regional Council adopted Connect SoCal 2024, including the “Equity Analysis Technical Report,” which documents the environmental justice analysis.
The Equity Analysis evaluates the potential impacts of implementing the Connect SoCal 2024 on communities, including both protected populations defined by federal regulation and priority communities identified by SCAG and regional stakeholders. This involved the development and evaluation of Priority Equity Communities, census tracts in the SCAG region that have a greater concentration of populations that have been historically marginalized and are susceptible to inequitable outcomes based on several socioeconomic factors.
Without a region-wide movement toward more equitable planning practices and policies, SCAG cannot guarantee that 2050 will show any progress on the equity performance measures. The Equity Resources for Action (ERA) Toolbox, previously called the EJ Toolbox, is a compilation of resources and example policies and actions that local agencies and groups can use to advocate for and advance racial equity in their communities.
Resources
- Connect SoCal 2024 Equity Analysis Technical Report
- Connect SoCal 2024 Equity Analysis Fact Sheet
- Priority Equity Community Technical Methodology and Analysis
- Priority Equity Community Shapefile
- Equity Resources for Action (ERA) Toolbox
Past Projects
- 2020 Connect SoCal Environmental Justice Technical Report
- Environmental Justice Toolbox (2021)
- 2016-2040 RTP/SCS Environmental Justice Appendix
- 2012-2035 RTP/SCS Environmental Justice Appendix
- Final 2008 RTP Environmental Justice Report
- 2004 RTP Technical Appendix G: Environmental Justice
- 2000 Compliance Procedure for Environmental Justice in the Transportation Planning Process
Equity Working Group
As part of the Regional Planning Working Groups (RPWG), SCAG launched a Equity Working Group (EWG) in June 2021, combining the former Environmental Justice and Public Health Working Groups. The purpose of the EWG is to engage stakeholders regarding SCAG’s regional and local planning activities and share efforts across the region to eliminate racial bias and barriers in land use and transportation planning. The EWG also highlights national best practices. Discussions focus on equity-related plans, programs, projects, tools, resources, and best practices. Because equity is intersectional, the EWG addresses multiple planning areas, including environmental justice (EJ), public health, and other related fields.
EWG meetings are typically held quarterly. To be notified about resources and upcoming meetings, subscribe to updates for the Equity Working Group.
Agendas and presentations for all RPWGs can be found on the RPWG webpage. A summary of topics covered by the EWG since June 2021 is available here: Equity Working Group History.
For more information, please contact Anita Au at environmentaljustice@scag.ca.gov.
Resources & Links
Policies and Guidance
- Executive Order 12898 on Environmental Justice
- Executive Order 14008 on Tacking the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad
- Executive Order 14096 on Revitalizing our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All
- U.S. Department of Transportation – Environmental Justice
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Environmental Justice
- California Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Justice Program
- Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) General Plan Guidelines, Chapter 4.8 Environmental Justice Element
- National Resources Defense Council – The Environmental Justice Movement
Tools
SCAG’s Intergovernmental Review (IGR) Program is responsible for providing informational resources to regionally significant plans, projects and programs, per the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, to facilitate the consistency of these projects with SCAG’s adopted regional plan. CEQA Section 15206 defines projects of statewide, regional, or areawide significance and instructs public agencies to submit environmental documents, including Negative Declarations and Draft Environmental Impact Reports (DEIRs), to the State Clearinghouse and the appropriate metropolitan area council of governments for review and comment. SCAG encourages local agencies to submit CEQA notices to the IGR Program via the IGR Submissions form below.
As the designated Regional Transportation Planning Agency under state law responsible for preparing the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), including the Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) pursuant to Senate Bill (SB) 375, SCAG helps lead agencies to identify the project’s impact on a regional scale and how the proposed project contributes to our region’s plan and vision. Informational resources, such as SCAG’s Connect SoCal goals and strategies, jurisdictional-level growth forecast, and mitigation measures contained in the Connect SoCal Program Environmental Impact Report, are provided as guidance for lead agencies for consideration during project development.
Additionally, SCAG’s IGR Program is responsible for functioning as a clearinghouse for applications for federal grants and financial assistance programs, federally required state plans, federal development activities, and federal environmental documents pursuant to Presidential Executive Order 12372.
On October 18, 2022, SCAG staff shared an overview of the IGR program at a Toolbox Tuesday.
Contact
SCAG’s IGR Team receives, processes, and reviews all projects, plans and programs submitted. For questions about submittals, please contact:
Ryan Banuelos
(213) 630-1532
IGR@scag.ca.gov
