California Supplemental (CSE) Practice Exam

Which agency is primarily responsible for completing the environmental review process under CEQA?

1. Responsible Agency

2. Commenting Agency

3. Lead Agency

4. Trustee Agency

The correct answer is: Lead Agency

The agency primarily responsible for completing the environmental review process under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is the Lead Agency. The Lead Agency is tasked with overseeing the CEQA process for a specific project, including preparation of the necessary environmental documents such as Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs) or Negative Declarations. This agency is typically the one that has the principal responsibility for approving or carrying out the project in question. The Lead Agency's role is crucial because it ensures that environmental considerations are integrated into the decision-making process. It coordinates with other agencies, manages public input, and determines the scope of the environmental review. This includes analyzing potential environmental impacts, proposing mitigation measures, and ultimately deciding whether to approve the project based on the findings of the environmental review. In contrast, the Responsible Agency is one that may have some degree of jurisdiction or responsibility over a portion of the project but does not lead the environmental review process. Commenting Agencies provide input and feedback on the environmental documents but do not have a decision-making role in the approval of the project. Trustee Agencies have specific responsibilities relating to the management of natural resources and have a role in protecting particular environmental resources, but like Responsible Agencies, they do not take the lead in the CEQA review process.