Environmental Process and Documents

Environmental Process

Both the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) require evaluation of major projects for their impacts on the environment. CEQA is the California law that requires State and local agencies to identify the significant environmental impacts of their actions and to avoid or mitigate those impacts, if feasible. For this project, CEQA requires the completion of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). An EIR informs public agency decision–makers and the public of the significant environmental impacts of the proposed project and its alternatives. Currently the proposed project is going through the CEQA process.

NEPA spells out the federal requirements for a similar environmental assessment and review. BART will initiate the NEPA process after completion of the CEQA process.

Wine Country Landscape

Photo Credit, Keith Cuddeback, flickr, 2011.


BART and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)

CEQA requires that one agency be designated as the Lead Agency for the environmental review process. For the BART to Livermore Extension Project, BART was the Lead Agency and the City of Livermore was a Responsible Agency. In accordance with the CEQA guidelines, a Draft EIR was prepared to evaluate the Proposed Project and the four alternatives.  Click here to see the schedule for the EIR

The Draft EIR evaluates the project’s potential environmental impacts and identifies ways to reduce those impacts to less-than-significant levels. Typically, project impacts are reduced or eliminated through the implementation of mitigation measures or avoided through the selection of alternatives to the proposed project.

The Draft EIR was released for public review on July 31, 2017. The public review period ended on October 16, 2017, and included two public hearings. After public review and comment, BART prepared the Final EIR. The Final EIR contains all the comments received on the Draft EIR and a written response to each substantive comment. The Final EIR was released on May 11, 2018. On May 24, 2018, the BART Board of Directors considered the Final EIR and the alternatives evaluated. Based on the Final EIR and public comment, the BART Board of Directors decided to not advance the BART to Livermore Project.

 


BART to Livermore EIRs

Notice of Availability (NOA) of Final Environmental Impact Report for the BART to Livermore Extension Project 

Notice of Availability

Final Project Environmental Impact Report (FEIR)

Response to Comments Cover and Title Page

Response to Comments Table of Contents

BART to Livermore Acronym List

Response to Comments: Intro

Response to Comments: List of Commenters

Response to Comments: Master Responses

Response to Comments: Agency

Response to Comments: Local

Response to Comments: Organizations

Response to Comments: Individuals

Response to Comments: Public Hearings

Response to Comments: Draft EIR Revisions

Appendix A

Appendix B

Appendix C


Notice of Avaliability (NOA) of Draft EIR for the BART to Livermore Extension Project and Public Meetings

Notice of Availability

Draft Project Environmental Impact Report (DEIR)

Volume 1 (complete volume 1 for download)

Volume 2 (complete volume 2 for download)

Volume 3 (complete volume 3 for download)

Comment Period. The public comment period for the DEIR began on July 31, 2017. The deadline for receipt of comments was 5:00 pm, October 16, 2017. The public comment period is closed.

Public Meetings. Two public meetings to receive public comments on the DEIR were held:

  • Tuesday, August 22, 2017, Robert Livermore Community Center, 4448 Loyola Way, Livermore, CA 94550. 6:00 pm Open House/7:00 pm Meeting
  • Tuesday, August 29, 2017, Shannon Community Center, 11600 Shannon Avenue, Dublin, CA 94568. 6:00 pm Open House/7:00 pm Meeting

Related Documents


Program EIR Completed 2010


Presentations

Enviormental Wetlands Crane in water

Photo Credit, John C. Bruckman, flickr, 2015.


NEPA

BART anticipates that a BART extension would require review under NEPA. A NEPA review would be required due to the proposed project’s modification of a interstate freeway (I-580), and because in all likelihood federal funds would be necessary for the project.