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What's New

Postings on this page will be highlighted for 90 days.  Postings older than 90 days can be accessed on the Posting History page.

Sign up for the Standard Environmental Reference (SER) Subscription List to receive an automatic notice when updates have been made to the SER.

  • 06-25-24 The FHWA Submittal Package Checklist has been updated to provide additional information about required documentation needed for submittal. A reminder has been added that the preferred project alternative must be clearly stated in the Transportation Improvement Program and all relevant documents. Also, clarification has been provided regarding the documentation for interagency consultation to be sent after the 40 CFR 93.105(e) public consultation process is complete.

In addition, Appendix D of the Air Quality Conformity Analysis Annotated Outline has been updated to clarify the documentation required for interagency consultation. Both documents can be found on the SER Forms and Templates page.

  • 06-24-24 The Division of Environmental Analysis has posted a California Environmental Quality Act Signature Authorities Policy Memo that reaffirms the delegation of CEQA signature authority from the Caltrans Director to the 12 District Directors. Additional information on who may sign certain CEQA documents, determinations, and notices is included in the “Signature Authorities Under the California Environmental Quality Act” document, located on the SER Other Guidance page.
  • 06-17-24 The Environmental Management Office has made additional updates to the annotated outlines for climate change analysis, which are now available on the SER Forms and Templates page for both capacity-increasing and non-capacity increasing projects.
    • The table "VMT Evaluation of Induced Demand for GHG Emissions Analysis" has been removed from the capacity-increasing annotated outline and instructions updated accordingly.
    • The new NEPA Phase 2 regulations have been included.
      • The final rule codifies that environmental effects include climate change-related effects.
    • Updated U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board GHG inventory text and figures.
    • Other minor updates to references and blue instructions.

    Revisions to sea-level rise are in progress to incorporate Caltrans’ internal sea-level rise guidance. Updated annotated outlines will be posted again once finalized.

    Districts should utilize the most recently posted versions of the Climate Change Annotated Outlines for projects that have not yet circulated the draft environmental document.

  • 06-10-24 The Hazardous Waste, Air, Noise, and Paleontology (HWANP) Office has updated Section 3.4.3 of the Air Quality Report Annotated Outline to clarify the interagency consultation requirement.
  • 05-07-24 An update to the CEQA Administrative Record policy memo has been finalized.  This memo supersedes the April 18, 2022 memo "CEQA Administrative Record and Email Retention."

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide updates, clarification, and guidance on Caltrans practices regarding retention of email communications relating to highway projects in conformance with state law (Public Resources Code, section 21167.6[e]), federal guidance (Federal Highway Administration Records Disposition Manual), and existing Caltrans policies.

Updates from the April 18, 2022 memo include the removal of active management of the email project inboxes, clarification pertaining to the confidentiality laws and requirements of Caltrans' cultural resource documents, clarification of email project inboxes for projects that reached Project Initiation Document stage prior to the issuance of this memo, and minor adjustments to the closure of email project inboxes and roles and responsibilities.

This memo can be found on the SER Policy Memos page.

  • 04-05-24 The Environmental Management Office has updated the Community Impact Assessment Template. The updates include adjustments to boilerplate language for environmental justice, as well as the addition of language from FHWA Order 6640.23A (2012), under Section 4.5 – Environmental Justice.  The Community Impact Assessment Template can be found on the SER Forms and Templates page.

The environmental justice updates are not currently reflected in the annotated outlines, which will be updated soon.

  • 03-01-24 The Environmental Management Office has updated the NEPA/CEQA Re-Validation Form to add a reminder to check conformity status (if applicable) prior to approval.