Environmental Review Process

The environmental review process consists of all actions taken to determine compliance with environmental standards. Some aspects of the review may begin as soon as an application for Community Development Block Grant funds is submitted to the Department of Economic Opportunity. Recipients should be careful, however, not to incur expenditures or obligate funds that may later be considered "ineligible" for Community Development Block Grant reimbursement.

Although most projects require limited environmental review and seldom generate opposition, recipients are required by federal and state law to consider the environmental impact of all projects. At the time a Community Development Block Grant application is submitted to the department, copies of the application are also sent to the Florida State Clearinghouse at the Department of Environmental Protection. The response from the clearinghouse is an important part of the environmental assessment process.

Technical Assistance Resources

• Terms and Definitions
• Levels of Environmental Review
• Environmental Compliance Steps
• Summary of Procedures and Requirements
• Mailing List (Agency Contact List)
• Sample Notices for Publication:
  1. Unspecified Site Strategy - Notice of Intent to Request Release of Funds
  2. Sample Early and Final Floodplain Notices
  3. Sample Notice of Intent to Release Funds
  4. Sample Concurrent Notice
• Forms and Examples:
  1. Certification of Exemption or Categorically Excluded Not Subject to Section 58.5 
  2. Categorical Exclusion Subject to 58.5 (Statutory Worksheet 24 CFR 58.5 Statutes, Executive Orders and Regulations)
  3. Environmental Assessment for HUD-funded Proposals
  4. Steps for Developing an Unspecified Site Strategy for Housing Related Activities
  5. Form 7015.15 - Request for Release of Funds and Certification (expiration date 3/31/2023)
  6. Noise Abatement and Control
  7. Noise Abatement and Control Checklist
  8. Delegation of Authority to Act as Certifying Officer
  9. Site Specific Environmental Review Checklist
• Related Links - Federal Agency Websites
  1. Environmental Review Process for the Neighborhood Stabilization Fund
  2. Environmental Review Requirements
  3. Housing and Urban Development Census Data (LMI Population Data)
  4. United States Census Bureau
  5. Housing and Urban Development Environmental Laws and Regulations
  6. Smart Growth for Coastal and Waterfront Communities
• Related Links - State and Local Agency Websites
  1. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
  2. National Flood Insurance Program, Florida Division of Emergency Management
  3. Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Business Resources (Enterprise Zones, Economic Development Initiatives, etc.)
  4. Florida Department of Environmental Protection (State Clearinghouse, Coastal Zone Management, Floodplains and Wetlands, Water Resources, Permitting, etc.)
  5. Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission
  6. Florida Department of State (Cultural and Historical Resources)
  7. Florida Department of Transportation (Right of Way, Runway Clear Zones, etc.)
  8. Northwest Florida Water Management District
  9. South Florida Water Management District
  10. Southwest Florida Water Management District
  11. St. Johns River Water Management District
  12. Suwannee River Water Management District
• Local Governments - Check with the following to determine if their records indicate whether a housing unit is 50 years old or more or if a site has previously been used as a gas station, dry cleaner, etc.:
  1. Property Appraiser's Office
  2. Official Records - (Clerks Office, Clerk of the Circuit Court)
  3. Planning and Zoning Department
  4. Code Enforcement Department