HAR §11-200-12. Significance criteria

(a) In considering the significance of potential environmental effects, agencies shall consider the sum of effects on the quality of the environment, and shall evaluate the overall and cumulative effects of an action. (b) In determining whether an action may have a significant effect on the environment, the agency shall consider every phase of a proposed action, the expected consequences, both primary and secondary, and the cumulative as well as the short-term and long-term effects of the action. In most instances, an action shall be determined to have a significant effect on the environment if it: (1) Involves an irrevocable commitment to loss or destruction of any natural or cultural resource; (2) Curtails the range of beneficial uses of the environment; (3) Conflicts with the state’s long-term environmental policies or goals and guidelines as expressed in chapter 344, HRS, and any revisions thereof and amendments thereto, court decisions, or executive orders; (4) Substantially affects the economic welfare, social welfare, and cultural practices of the community or State; (5) Substantially affects public health; (6) Involves substantial secondary impacts, such as population changes or effects on public facilities; (7) Involves a substantial degradation of environmental quality; (8) Is individually limited but cumulatively has considerable effect upon the environment or involves a commitment for larger actions; (9) Substantially affects a rare, threatened, or endangered species, or its habitat; (10) Detrimentally affects air or water quality or ambient noise levels; (11) Affects or is likely to suffer damage by being located in an environmentally sensitive area such as a flood plain, tsunami zone, beach, erosion-prone area, geologically hazardous land, estuary, fresh water, or coastal waters; (12) Substantially affects scenic vistas and viewplanes identified in county or state plans or studies; or, (13) Requires substantial energy consumption. [Eff 12/6/85; am and comp AUG 31 1996] (Auth: HRS §343-5, 343-6) (Imp: HRS §343-2, 343-6)