PRC §21189.80: The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) This division requires that the environmental impacts of development projects be identified and mitigated.

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) This division requires that the environmental impacts of development projects be identified and mitigated. (b) This division also guarantees the public an opportunity to review and comment on the environmental impacts of a project and to participate meaningfully in the development of mitigation measures for potentially significant environmental impacts. (c) Historic federal and state investments in infrastructure will lead to the development of numerous transportation-related, water-related, technology, and energy facilities across the state that would further California’s commitments to reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and protecting its people from the worst extremes of climate change while also leveraging federal resources to increase access to quality jobs in our communities. (d) These projects will further generate full-time jobs during construction and additional jobs once the projects are constructed and operating. (e) The transportation-related projects would help state, regional, and local agencies more quickly meet the goals of advancing safety, rehabilitating the aging transportation infrastructure, and addressing the impacts of climate change. (f) The transportation-related projects will accelerate critical state, regional, and local “fix it first” projects supported by a historic federal and state partnership through Chapter 5 of the Statutes of 2017, and the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58). (g) The purpose of this chapter is to provide unique streamlining benefits under this division for critical state, regional, and local investments in climate resiliency, safety, and infrastructure maintenance while maintaining the environmental and public engagement benefits of this division for projects that provide the public benefits, including environmental and climate-related benefits, described above and to both achieve those benefits and put people to work as soon as possible.