A series of webinars to instruct government agencies and the public on how to use the streamlined and revised Environmental Assessment Forms (EAF) will be held this spring according to a press release issued by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).

The revised EAFs are used primarily by state and local agencies to assess the potential environmental impact from proposed actions such as development projects requiring a discretionary approval by a state or local agency. Examples of such projects include residential subdivisions, solid waste management facilities and commercial developments.

“DEC has designed new tools and a streamlined process to reduce the time a project sponsor spends completing the paperwork associated with proposed projects,” DEC Commissioner Joseph Martens said in the statement to the media.  “The EAF Mapper will provide project sponsors with spatial data from DEC’s Geographic Information database that previously required either calling a DEC office or submitting a written request for data that could take days or even weeks to obtain.  Now, using the EAF Mapper, that information can be obtained in under three minutes for most projects.”

The revised EAFs became effective on October 7, 2013.  DEC designed the new forms and the web-based framework for the guidebooks and software mapping program, EAF Mapper. The webinar will demonstrate how the three tools work together to speed the completion of EAFs by both project sponsors and reviewing agencies.

Webinars have been scheduled for:

• April 29 – 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
• May 6 – 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
• May 13 – 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• May 15 – 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
• May 22 – 2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Registration is required and is limited to 100 people at each webinar. To reserve a spot at a webinar, go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nysdec-environmental-assessment-form-webinar-series-tickets-10515689711 and select a date and time. Registrants will receive further information on how to join the webinar after they sign up.

For additional information, contact DEC’s Division of Environmental Permits & Pollution Prevention at 518-402-9167 or send an e-mail to:  depprmt@gw.dec.state.ny.us.