CEQA for Airport Projects

GDB assists its airport proprietor clients in achieving CEQA compliance via the preparation and adoption of environmental impact reports, negative declarations, exemptions, and other technical or regulatory documents. 

GDB has a reputation throughout California for effectively handling environmental planning matters involving CEQA compliance related to airport facilities projects, airport master plans, and airport land use compatibility plans. 

The firm’s attorneys are well versed in preparing environmental impact reports, negative declarations and mitigated negative declarations, exemptions, and supporting technical or regulatory documents for airport-related projects, and evaluating those same documents for adequacy under CEQA’s implementing statutes, guidelines and case law. The firm has substantial depth of experience in underlying resource-specific and technical issues, including expertise in aeronautical operation forecasts for commercial, cargo and general aviation aircraft; biological resources; air quality, human health risk and greenhouse gas emissions; noise from roadway sources and aircraft; water quality; and transportation and multi-modal access.    

In conjunction with this practice, the firm’s attorneys regularly engage with interested stakeholders during the CEQA process, including local land use jurisdictions, air carriers and pilot associations, neighboring residents and local business organizations.  GDB works with its airport proprietor clients and each project’s consulting team to ensure that the CEQA process is informative to those stakeholders and culminates in documentation that can be used by decision-making bodies to make informed choices on proposed projects.