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■ 8 Environmental Review: A Glossary <br /> This document is not a substitute for Environmental Quality Board rules and should be used in conjunction with the definitions <br /> included in Minnesota Administrative Rules Chapter 4410.0200.Copies of the rules are available from Minnesota's <br /> Bookstore,www.minnesotasbookstore.com or at the Revisor of Statues homepage at www.revisor.mn.gov.Further information about <br /> the environmental review process is available in guidance documents available on the EQB website.Upon request,this document will <br /> be made available in an alternate format,such as braille,large print or audiotape.For TTY,contact Minnesota Relay Service at 800- <br /> 282-5077 and ask for the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board. <br /> Abbreviation Phrase <br /> AUAR Alternative Urban Areawide Review <br /> EAW Environmental Assessment Worksheet <br /> EIS Environmental Impact Statem <br /> EQB Environmental Quality Board <br /> + RGU Responsible Government Unit <br /> Definitions <br /> Alternative Urban Areawide Review- Starts with a set of questions much like an Environmental Assessment <br /> Worksheet. It is designed to look at the cumulative impacts of anticipated development scenarios within a given <br /> geographic area. The AUAR is a planning tool that local governments can use to understand how different development <br /> scenarios will affect the environment of their community. It is a way of performing an environmental analysis in <br /> advance,before major development occurs in an area. It also is a way to use the information from the analysis to guide <br /> local planning and zoning decisions.Future projects in the area will not require individual EAW and EIS documents as <br /> long as they are consistent with the development scenarios discussed in the AUAR, and project proposers implement the <br /> mitigation measures required by the AUAR Mitigation Plan. The AUAR is also the only environmental review <br /> document that must be updated to stay relevant. <br /> Comprehensive plan- States the goals,policies,and standards that guide a city,township,or county in its growth and <br /> development.The comprehensive plan is the primary planning document for a community and is the one on which all <br /> related ordinances are based,including zoning ordinances and subdivision regulations. <br /> Connected actions-Are two or more projects that are related,interdependent parts,or a larger whole.Projects are <br /> considered connected if one project would directly lead to the other,if one project is a prerequisite for the other,or if <br /> neither project is considered justified by itself.Whenever two or more projects are related in any of these ways,they <br /> must be considered one project regardless of ownership or timing. If several projects are considered connected action, <br /> the RGU should consider the size of all connected projects when determining if the project has crossed a mandatory <br /> threshold. <br /> Environmental Assessment Worksheet-Provides a brief analysis and overview of the potential environmental impacts <br /> of a specific project and to help the RGU determine if an EIS is necessary. Of the three environmental review <br /> documents,EAWs are usually the shortest at 15-50 pages.The EAW consists of a list of 20 questions and is meant to <br /> set out the basic facts of the project's environmental impacts. It usually takes about two to three months for a project to <br /> complete the entire EAW process,although it may take longer depending on the complexity of the project.The EAW is <br /> not meant to approve or deny a project,but is a source of information to guide other approvals and permitting decisions. <br />