Section 22a-1a-3 - Determination of environmental significance(a) To determine whether an action is an action which may significantly affect the environment, an agency shall:(1) Consider the direct, indirect, and cumulative effects of an action as those effects are described in subsection (b) and (c) of this section, and(2) Assess the setting, duration, irreversibility, controllability, geographic scope, and magnitude of those effects as the potential or actual consequences of an action.(b)Direct and indirect effects. Direct effects are the primary environmental consequences which would result from the implementation of an action. Indirect effects are the secondary consequences on local or regional social, economic or natural conditions or resources which could result from additional activities (associated investments and changed patterns of social and economic activities) induced or stimulated by the action, both in the short-term and in the long-term. As required by subsection (a) of this section, an agency shall consider direct and indirect effects of an action, including but not limited to, the following:(1) Effect on water quality, including surface water and groundwater ;(2) Effect on a public water supply system ;(3) Effect on flooding, in-stream flows, erosion or sedimentation ;(4) Disruption or alteration of an historic, archeological, cultural, or recreational building, object, district, site or its surroundings;(5) Effect on natural communities and upon critical plant and animal species and their habitat; interference with the movement of any resident or migratory fish or wildlife species;(6) Use of pesticides, toxic or hazardous materials or any other substance in such quantities as to cause unreasonable adverse effects on the environment ;(7) Substantial aesthetic or visual effects;(8) Inconsistency with:(A) the policies of the state plan of conservation and development developed in accordance with section 16a-30 of the Connecticut General Statutes ;(B) other relevant state agency plans; and(C) applicable regional or municipal land use plans.(9) Disruption or division of an established community or inconsistency with adopted municipal and regional plans, including impact on existing housing where sections 22a-1b(c) and 8-37t of the Connecticut General Statutes require additional analysis;(10) Displacement or addition of substantial numbers of people;(11) Substantial increase in congestion (traffic, recreational, other);(12) A substantial increase in the type or rate of energy use as a direct or indirect result of the action;(13) The creation of a hazard to human health or safety;(14) Effect on air quality;(15) Effect on ambient noise levels;(16) Effect on existing land resources and landscapes, including coastal and inland wetlands;(17) Effect on agricultural resources;(18) Adequacy of existing or proposed utilities and infrastructure;(19) Effect on greenhouse gas emissions as a direct or indirect result of the action;(20) Effect of a changing climate on the action, including any resiliency measures incorporated into the action; and(21) Any other substantial effect on natural, cultural, recreational, or scenic resources.(c)Cumulative effects. Cumulative effects are the effects on the environment which result from the incremental impact of the action when considered with past, present or reasonably foreseeable future actions to be undertaken by the sponsoring or participating agencies. In reviewing an action for its cumulative effects as required by subsection (a) of this section, an agency shall consider that cumulative effects include the incremental effects of similar actions with similar environmental effects and the incremental effects of a sequence of actions undertaken pursuant to an ongoing agency program which may have a significant environmental effect even though the individual component actions would not.Conn. Agencies Regs. § 22a-1a-3
Effective November 6, 1978; Amended 9/9/2019