Sec. 2500.5. Responsibilities of applicants

(a) Applicants to the authority for approval of proposed actions shall include in their application documents an environmental assessment prepared in a form prescribed by the authority which describes and analyzes the environmental impacts of the proposed action. The assessment shall contain sufficient information for the authority to conduct an environmental review to determine, pursuant to section 2500.6 of this Part, whether the action may have a significant effect on the environment. An environmental document review notice will be prepared by the authority citing the results of the environmental review. If, in the judgment of the authority, the information provided in the assessment is insufficient to complete an adequate environmental review under SEQR, the applicant will be required to furnish additional information on the proposed action as is deemed necessary for compliance with this Part.

(b) Each application to the authority shall include an identification of those other agencies, including Federal agencies, which to the best knowledge of the applicant, have jurisdiction by law over the action or any portion of it.

(c) Where appropriate, an applicant may append to the environmental assessment a concise statement of reasons why, in the judgment of the applicant, the proposed action is one which will not require the preparation of an EIS under SEQR.

(d) Applicants shall consider the environmental impacts of proposed actions and alternatives at the earliest possible point in their planning processes and shall develop, wherever possible, measures to mitigate or avoid adverse environmental impacts.