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AGENDA ITEM 7C (REVISED) STAFF ORIGINATOR: Jeff Smyser Michael Grochala CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: July 23, 2001 TOPIC: Resolution No. 01-98 Lino Lakes Marketplace Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) Review ACTION REQUESTED: 3/5 Vote on Negative Declaration Resolution BACKGROUND The purpose of the Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) is to determine whether an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is needed for a project. The EAW is defined by state statute as a "brief document, which is designed to set out the basic facts necessary to determine whether an EIS is required for a proposed action." The purpose of the EAW process is to disclose information about potential environmental impacts of the project; it is not an approval process. The information disclosed in the EAW process has two functions: 1) to determine whether an EIS is needed, and 2) to indicate how the project can be modified to lessen its environmental impacts; such modifications may be imposed as permit conditions by regulatory agencies. The Environmental Quality Board rules assign responsibility for preparing the EAW and determining the need for an EIS to a specific unit of government. The Responsible Governmental Unit (RGU) is generally the unit with the greatest responsibility for approving or supervising the project as a whole. The City of Lino Lakes is the RGU for the Marketplace project. The RGU (city council) is required to make a decision on the need for an EIS between three working days and thirty (30) days after the comment period ends. The comment period for the Marketplace project ended on July 11, 2001. The purpose of the EAW, comments and comment responses is to provide the record on which the RGU can base a decision about whether an EIS needs to be prepared for a project. EIS need is described in the rules: "An EIS shall be ordered for projects that have the potential for significant environmental effects." In deciding whether a project has the potential for significant environmental effects, the RGU "shall compare the impacts that may reasonably be expected to occur from the