SEPA Glossary: Key Terms & Definitions for Developers and Consultants
SEPA Key Terms & Definitions
Best management practices (BMPs): Techniques, measures, or structural controls that are used to minimize the negative environmental impacts of development activities, such as erosion, sedimentation, and stormwater runoff.1
Cumulative impacts: The combined environmental effects of a proposed project when considered together with other past, present, or reasonably foreseeable future projects or activities.2
Direct impacts: Environmental effects that are caused by a proposed project and occur at the same time and place as the project.3
Environmental assessment (EA): A concise public document that provides sufficient evidence and analysis to determine whether a proposed project may have significant environmental effects and to aid an agency's compliance with SEPA.4
Environmental impact statement (EIS): A detailed written statement that is required under SEPA for proposed projects that may significantly affect the quality of the environment. An EIS describes the positive and negative environmental effects of a proposed action and considers alternatives to the proposed action.5
Indirect impacts: Environmental effects that are caused by a proposed project but occur later in time or farther removed in distance than direct impacts, but are still reasonably foreseeable.6
Lead agency: The state agency or local government responsible for preparing an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement under SEPA.7
Major development project: Any project that requires a permit or other approval from a state agency or local government and that may have a significant adverse impact on the environment.8
Mitigation: Measures taken to avoid, minimize, or compensate for the negative environmental impacts of a proposed project.9
North Carolina Department of Administration: The state agency responsible for the administration and enforcement of SEPA, with the assistance of other state agencies.10
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ): The state agency responsible for protecting North Carolina's environment and natural resources, including the implementation and enforcement of various environmental regulations.11
North Carolina Environmental Management Commission: The commission responsible for adopting rules for the protection, preservation, and enhancement of the state's air and water resources, including rules related to SEPA.12
Permit: A document issued by a state agency or local government that authorizes a specific activity or project, subject to certain conditions or requirements.13
Project proponent: The state agency, local government, private developer, or other entity proposing to undertake a project that may be subject to SEPA review.14
Public participation: The process by which the public is informed about and invited to provide input on a proposed project or agency action, typically through public meetings, hearings, or comment periods.15
Scoping: The process of identifying the significant issues, alternatives, and potential impacts to be addressed in an environmental impact statement.16
Significant adverse impact: A substantial negative effect on the environment that cannot be avoided or mitigated.17
State agency: Any department, board, commission, or other unit of the North Carolina state government.18
Sustainable development: Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.19
Threshold determination: The decision by a lead agency whether a proposed project may have a significant adverse impact on the environment, and thus whether an environmental impact statement is required under SEPA.20
Footnotes
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113A-3(1) ↩
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113A-3(2) ↩
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113A-3(3) ↩
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113A-3(4) ↩
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113A-3(5) ↩
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113A-3(6) ↩
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113A-3(7) ↩
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113A-3(8) ↩
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113A-3(9) ↩
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113A-4 ↩
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 143B-279.1 ↩
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 143B-282 ↩
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113A-3(10) ↩
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113A-3(11) ↩
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113A-3(12) ↩
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113A-3(13) ↩
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113A-3(14) ↩
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113A-3(15) ↩
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113A-3(16) ↩
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113A-3(17) ↩
A Note to Our Readers: We hope this guide is a valuable resource in helping you better understand the . However, it's not a substitute for professional advice and doesn't cover every scenario. Always consult with regulatory bodies and professionals for the most current advice and project-specific guidance.