Orientation to Sustainable Environmental Assessment

This week-long training is for agency or consultant staff with environmental assessment responsibilities, local government staff working on Federal programs, development professionals, and members of the public wanting to comment and influence federally-funded projects.

The online class will be interactive; The first half of each day will be lecture-based and the second half will be in small groups in virtual break-out rooms. The class is structured so that small teams put together an environmental review for a case study site, working each day on the modules being studied. This will include a (virtual) site visit on Tuesday.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, participants should be able to:

• Comply with Federal environmental planning requirements: under NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) which acts as an umbrella for an environmental planning process that includes about 20 other Federal environmental mandates that cover historic preservation, floodplains, wetlands, noise, site contamination, etc.
• Use the NEPA process to promote local or tribal environmental goals and objectives, such as those promoting sustainability
• Use the NEPA process to influence the design and structure of Federal projects, both from an implementing agency’s perspective and from that of an affected local or tribal government.

 

Principle Differences from Conventional Training:
• Inter-agency coordination with Federal and state agencies
USACE  FEMA  ACHP USEPA  SHPO  USDOT
• Expert speakers (public and private)
• More exercises (including simulation of Environmental Assessment)
• Field trip to site under redevelopment for hands-on experience
• One-on-one classroom interaction
• Integration of sustainability into core curriculum
• Textbook (Using Environmental Assessment to Move Toward Sustainability)
• Extensive handout materials, including textbook, form book, and DVD with resource materials and videos
• Opportunities for Peer-to-Peer education

 

Who Should Attend? Local government staff involved in such programs as HUD, subsidized housing, planning and redevelopment; development professionals

 

Questions about the course should be referred to Eugene Goldfarb at egoldf1@uic.edu or 847-831-9142.

Questions about registration/logistics should be referred to erc@ph.ucla.edu or lmlorenzana@ucla.edu or 310-206-2304.

 

Agenda

Monday: NEPA, Getting Started and Water 

AM session:

  • Overview 
  • NEPA Intro 
  • First Steps
  • Water (Flood Plain, Wetlands, 
  • Guest Speaker – Sustainable Stormwater Practice

PM session:

  • Go over name that level
  • Teams start case study review on HEROS
  • Including flood plain, wetlands

Tuesday: Historic Preservation and Site Visit

AM session:

  • American Legacy: The Work of the Natl Reg of Hist Places (video)
  • Historic Preservation (106 process), including tax credits
  • Guest speaker – historic preservation

PM session:

  • Historic Preservation Problems
  • Case Study – Historic Preservation
  • Virtual Site Visit
  • Go over homework problems & case study

Wednesday: Site Contamination, Brownfield Redevelopment

AM session:

  • This is Superfund (EPA video)
  • HUD Site Contamination Policy
  • ESA Site Characterization & Cleanup
  • guest speaker environmental site assessments
  • Brownfield Redevelopment

PM session:

  • Go over HP problems, homework
  • Work on case study (HEROS)

Thursday: Other Authorities, Planning Factors

AM session:

  • HUD Standards – 51B-Noise,51C– Explosive & Flammable Hazards & 51D  – Airport Clear Zones
  • Other Authorities – Coastal Zones & Barriers
  • Sole Source Aquifer, Prime Farmland, Air Quality, Wild & Scenic Rivers
  • Biodiversity – Endangered Species featuring iPAC
  • Planning Factors
  • Environmental Justice
  • guest speaker

PM session:

  • Go over Homework
  • Work on Case Study EA

Friday: Procedures, Presentations, and Wrap Up

AM session:

  • Procedures II
  • Tiering & Programmatic Reviews
  • State & Local EA Processes (including CEQA)
  • Using EA Process to promote Local Goals & Objectives, Energy Efficient Rehab  

PM session:

  • Go over Pretest, Homework
  • Complete Case Study EA
  • Present Group Case Study EA
  • Take Home Final Exam
*Agenda subject to modification

 

 

Other Registration Options

Call Us: 310-206-2304

Email Us: lmlorenzana@ucla.edu, erc@ph.ucla.edu

 

Payment Terms

(rev. 11/6/09):

Substitutions may be made without additional charge. Cancellations must be in writing. Refund schedule:

  • Cancellation 15 or more business days before the class 80% of registration fee
  • Cancellation 7-14 business days before the class 50%
  • Cancellation less than 7 days before the class and “no shows” No refund

If course materials such as books have been sent to course participants in advance, the cost of that material will be subtracted from the refund.

UCLA reserves the right to postpone an offering 7 days prior to the course date should minimum enrollment requirements not be met. If a program is canceled, you will be notified and your registration fee will be refunded in full, less the cost of course materials sent in advance if they are not returned in the condition in which they were received. The liability of UCLA is limited to the course fee.