Cal/EPA Recommended Enforcement Guidance
These guidance documents are a resource of information on issues affecting enforcement of California’s environmental laws. Distribution is intended to assist Cal/EPA in meeting its statutory duty to develop a program to ensure that the state boards, departments, offices, and local agencies that implement laws within its jurisdiction take consistent and effective enforcement actions to protect public health and the environment (Government Code section 12812.2).
The current Cal/EPA Recommended Guidance on Enforcement documents are:
- Cal/EPA Recommended Guidance on Search Warrants (PDF)
- Cal/EPA’s Recommended Guidance on Voluntary Disclosure (PDF) (formally known as the Policy on Self Audit)
- Cal/EPA’s Recommended Guidance on Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEP) (PDF)
- Inspection Report Writing Guidance
- Who Enforces CEQA/EIRs?
- Cal/EPA Suggested Guidelines for Digital Photos
Who Enforces CEQA/EIRs?
CEQA is a self-enforcing statute. CEQA contains procedural and substantive requirements that public agencies must follow before they can approve an action that may potentially adversely affect the environment. If you are concerned that a public agency is not following CEQA's requirements, CEQA requires that you participate in its procedural process to make those concerns known directly to that public agency. If that public agency does not address your concerns to your satisfaction, then you may choose to hire an attorney and seek enforcement through private litigation, or call the Attorney General's Complaint Unit at: 1-800-952-5225 to ask if they are interested in litigating the matter.
CalEPA is not authorized to enforce CEQA's requirements nor can it compel another public agency to perform CEQA differently. For this reason, inquiries and complaints regarding compliance CEQA for a proposed project, and/or failure to prepare an Environmental Impact Report be made directly to the public agency responsible for the project. Information on CEQA and its requirements is available at www.ceres.ca.gov/ceqa/.
Other CEQA Resources
- California Resource Agency's CEQA page
- CEQA Guidelines (Resources Agency)
- Interactive CEQA Flowchart (Resources Agency)
- CEQA Definitions (Resources Agency)
- Governor's Office of Planning and Research (State Clearinghouse)
If you have any questions or comments on these documents, please contact Lisa Brown, Assistant Counsel for Enforcement at lbrown@calepa.ca.gov.
Compliance & Enforcement Program, http://www.calepa.ca.gov/Enforcement/
Diane Trujillo-Carrillo, dtrujill@calepa.ca.gov (916) 327-7780
Jami Ferguson, jferguso@calepa.ca.gov (916) 322-2935