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Environmental process | Environmental review | State Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW)

Environmental Assessment and Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EA/EAW) - Class III Actions

MnDOT Guidance on State EAW: Climate Adaptation and Resilience, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions/Carbon Footprint

Purpose

An Environmental Assessment (EA) is the document required for federal National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Class III actions. The Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) is a state form required for the Minnesota Environmental Policy Act (MEPA). Both documents are designed to summarize the basic facts of a proposed project for public notification, permit applications, and to determine whether the project requires an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). MnDOT typically uses a combined EA/EAW form for federal actions. Projects requiring a state EAW that do not have any federal actions can use the EAW form alone.

When to use this subject

An EAW is a MEPA document required for any project listed under the mandatory EAW categories in 4410.4300 - MN Rules Part. On the NEPA side an EA is prepared if results from the scoping process identifies that environmental impacts from a proposed project, either individually or cumulatively, cannot be clearly established.

How this subject fits into the overall project development process

The environmental review process is a lengthy process that begins in scoping  and ends with the Findings of Fact and Conclusions (FOF&C) and Negative Declaration (EIS Need Decision) for MEPA,  and the Findings of No Significant Impacts (FONSI) for NEPA.  

Process guidance and templates