PADC shall perform or have performed an environmental assessment to determine if a proposal requires an environmental impact statement. However, it may be readily apparent that a proposed action will have a significant impact on the environment; in such cases, an environmental assessment is not required and PADC will immediately begin to prepare or have prepared the environmental impact statement. To assist in determining if a proposal or action normally requires the preparation of an environmental impact statement, the following criteria and categories of action are provided.

(a) Criteria. Criteria used to determine whether or not actions or proposals may significantly affect the environment and therefore require an environmental impact statement are described in 40 CFR 1508.27 of the CEQ Regulations and as follows:

(1) Buildings or facades designated for retention in the Plan will be adversely affected by the proposal or action.

(2) Traffic generated by the proposal or action would represent a substantial increase over the traffic projections assessed in the Final EIS in the average daily traffic volume on avenues and streets within the Development Area or its environs;

(3) Air quality in the Development Area and its environs would be substantially affected by the proposal or action based upon the District of Columbia's adopted standard for hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide;

(4) Solid waste disposal generated by a project of the Corporation or of a developer who is constructing, reconstructing, or rehabilitating that project, would have an adverse effect on the capacity of the relevant solid waste disposal facility and compliance with “Solid Waste Management Guidelines” of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and related local and regional controls;

(5) Public utilities have insufficient capacity to provide reliable service to a project within the Development Area; and

(6) A project will be inconsistent with major elements of the Zoning Regulations of the District of Columbia as they are applicable to the Development Area.

(b) Categories of action. The following categories of action normally require an environmental impact statement:

(1) Amendments or supplements to the Plan that constitute a “substantial change” to the Plan as defined in 40 U.S.C. 874(c) of the Act.

(2) Acquisition or disposal of real property by the Corporation not related to any specific decision, plan, or program adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation for which an environmental assessment or an assessment and an EIS has been prepared.

(3) Legislative proposals made to Congress.

(4) Funding and/or construction by the Corporation or its agents or representatives of any building, if that activity is not consistent with the Plan and the Final EIS.