The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) has long required a full analysis of project's potential adverse effects on the environment. The environmental impact report (EIR)-known as the "heart of CEQA"-is intended to further many laudable goals: to help inform governmental decisionmakers and the public about the potential significant environmental effects of their actions; to identify ways environmental damage can be avoided or reduced; to prevent significant, avoidable environmental damage by requiring the adoption of feasible alternatives and mitigation measures; and to disclose to the public the reasons why a governmental agency approved a project if significant environmental impacts will follow.
