The SEQR Handbook 
                         FOURTH EDITION, 2020 
                       DIVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITS  
                   Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor   |   Basil Seggos, Commissioner 
      
      
           
          Since it was first published in March 1982, the SEQR Handbook (the Handbook) has been a standard 
          reference book for local government officials, environmental consultants, attorneys, permit applicants, and 
          the public.  
          DEC published the Second Edition of the Handbook in 1992, and later published the Third Edition of the 
          Handbook in 2010, but only in an electronic version. From 2010 to the present, DEC made minor updates 
          to the electronic version of the Third Edition of the Handbook. This Fourth Edition is a general update of 
          the Handbook and includes coverage of the 2018 amendments to the SEQR regulation that became 
          effective on January 1, 2019. (In addition to the SEQR Handbook, DEC also publishes the SEQR full and 
          short Environmental Assessment Form (EAF) workbooks, which guide applicants, agencies, and the 
          public through the completion of the environmental assessment forms, and the SEQR Cookbook (the 
          Cookbook), which is an illustrated procedural guide through the SEQR process.) 
          As with prior editions of the SEQR Handbook, DEC has addressed the topics, concerns, and confusions 
          that have been identified by users of the Handbook. As with earlier handbooks, each topic is presented in 
          an easy-to-understand question-and-answer format. 
          DEC welcomes your suggestions and corrections! To send suggestions or corrections, please send an 
          email with the proposed changes to SEQRA617@dec.ny.gov. If you prefer to send suggestion or 
          comments through the United States Postal Service, you may send them to the following address: 
          Division of Environmental Permits (attention: SEQR Handbook), 625 Broadway, 4th Floor, Albany, NY 
          12233-1750. 
          Daniel T. Whitehead 
          Director  
          Division of Environmental Permits 
          Department of Environmental Conservation 
          March 2020 
           
                    
                   Table of Contents 
                   Table of Abbreviations for Commonly Used Terms ................................................................................ 1 
                   SEQR Handbook: Introduction .................................................................................................................. 2 
                         A. The SEQR Handbook – What Is It? .................................................................................................. 2 
                         B. What Is the Purpose of the Act? ....................................................................................................... 3 
                         C. What Are the Key Elements? ........................................................................................................... 3 
                         D. What Is the Environmental Notice Bulletin (ENB)? ........................................................................... 4 
                         E. Where Can I Find the “SEQR Flow Chart and Time Frames” Publication? ..................................... 5 
                         F. What Is the Concept of “Reasonableness” as It Applies to SEQR? ................................................. 5 
                         G. History............................................................................................................................................... 6 
                   Chapter 1: Agencies and Decisions Subject to SEQR ............................................................................ 8 
                         A. Agencies Subject to SEQR: The Who, What, and When ................................................................. 8 
                         B. Decisions Subject to SEQR: The Who, What, and When............................................................... 11 
                         C. When to Begin SEQR ..................................................................................................................... 13 
                   Chapter 2: Review Required Under SEQR .............................................................................................. 15 
                         A. SEQR Handbook: Type I Actions ................................................................................................... 15 
                         B. SEQR Handbook: Type II Actions .................................................................................................. 26 
                         C. Critical Environmental Areas (CEAs) .............................................................................................. 49 
                         D. Segmentation .................................................................................................................................. 53 
                   Chapter 3: Participation in the SEQR Process ....................................................................................... 56 
                         A. Coordinated Review ........................................................................................................................ 56 
                         B. Uncoordinated Review .................................................................................................................... 57 
                         C. Establishment of Lead Agency ....................................................................................................... 58 
                         D. Lead Agency Responsibilities ......................................................................................................... 61 
                         E. Involved Agency Responsibilities .................................................................................................... 62 
                         F. Project Sponsor/Applicant ............................................................................................................... 64 
                         G. Interested Agency and Public Involvement ..................................................................................... 66 
                         H. Lead Agency Disputes .................................................................................................................... 68 
                   Chapter 4: Determining Significance ...................................................................................................... 70 
                         A. Environmental Assessments .......................................................................................................... 70 
                         B. Determining Significance ................................................................................................................ 76 
                         C. Positive Declarations ...................................................................................................................... 86 
                         D. Negative Declarations ..................................................................................................................... 87 
                         E. Conditioned Negative Declarations (CNDs) .................................................................................... 90 
                   Chapter 5: Environmental Impact Statements ....................................................................................... 97 
                         A. General Concepts ........................................................................................................................... 97 
                         B. Scoping a Draft EIS ...................................................................................................................... 100 
                         C. Contents of a Draft EIS ................................................................................................................. 112 
                         D. Review of the Draft EIS ................................................................................................................ 127 
                         E. SEQR Hearings ............................................................................................................................ 132 
                         F. Final EISs ...................................................................................................................................... 135 
                         G. Supplemental EISs ....................................................................................................................... 137 
                         H. Generic EISs ................................................................................................................................. 140 
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                         I. Findings .......................................................................................................................................... 145 
                         J. Fees for EIS Preparation or Review .............................................................................................. 149 
                   Chapter 6: SEQR Housekeeping ............................................................................................................ 153 
                         A. Time Frames ................................................................................................................................. 153 
                         B. Required Notices and Filings ........................................................................................................ 157 
                         C. Record Keeping and Disclosure ................................................................................................... 163 
                         D. Challenges .................................................................................................................................... 164 
                         E. Making SEQR More Efficient ........................................................................................................ 166 
                   Chapter 7: SEQR and Local Government Development Decisions ................................................... 170 
                         A. General Applicability of SEQR to Local Governments .................................................................. 170 
                         B. SEQR and Land Use Decisions .................................................................................................... 173 
                         C. SEQR and Capital Improvements ................................................................................................ 180 
                         D. SEQR and Municipal Annexations ............................................................................................... 181 
                         E. SEQR and Municipal Development Incentives ............................................................................. 182 
                         F. SEQR and Parkland ...................................................................................................................... 183 
                   Chapter 8: SEQR and Related Federal and State Review ................................................................... 184 
                         A. SEQR and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) .......................................................... 184 
                         B. Archeological and Historic Resources .......................................................................................... 188 
                         C. Coastal (and Inland Waterways) Management Programs ............................................................ 192 
                         D. Agricultural Districts ...................................................................................................................... 195 
                   Chapter 9: Notable Court Decisions on SEQR ..................................................................................... 198 
                         Action-Forcing Component ................................................................................................................ 198 
                         Alternatives ........................................................................................................................................ 198 
                         Community Character ....................................................................................................................... 198 
                         Cumulative Impact ............................................................................................................................. 199 
                         Conditioned Negative Declaration ..................................................................................................... 200 
                         Findings/Balancing ............................................................................................................................ 201 
                         Hard Look Test .................................................................................................................................. 201 
                         Lead Agency Responsibilities ............................................................................................................ 201 
                         Litigation Ripeness ............................................................................................................................ 202 
                         Low Threshold ................................................................................................................................... 202 
                         Procedural Compliance ..................................................................................................................... 202 
                         Remedy for Noncompliance .............................................................................................................. 202 
                         Rule of Reason .................................................................................................................................. 203 
                         Segmentation .................................................................................................................................... 203 
                         Standing ............................................................................................................................................ 204 
                         Substantive Compliance .................................................................................................................... 205 
                         Supplements ..................................................................................................................................... 205 
                         Time Period to Commence SEQR Litigation (Statute of Limitations) ................................................ 206 
                         Visual Impact ..................................................................................................................................... 207 
                    
                    
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