Institutional and Practical Characteristics of Strategic Environmental Assessment in California, U.S.

Abstract

In Japan, project level EIAs have become a prevailing concept; however, environmental consideration at the policy/plan/program level is still difficult. A guideline for SEA has been introduced in April 2007, but there is little practical experience at the national level. In the U.S., by contrast, SEA systems exist at the federal level NEPA as programmatic EIAs, and also in some states as “mini-NEPAs.” In this study, a survey of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) was conducted, which involves a system called program EIR, considered equivalent to SEA. The characteristics of the institution were clarified by classifying the state level SEA systems, and comparing them to the Japanese local SEA system. As a result, the deep involvement of responsible agencies, the minimum public participation required, and tiering were identified as main characteristics. Subsequently, the effects of these characteristics were analyzed using the case study of a large-scale redevelopment project in Sacramento, California.