5. Environmental Analysis

Transcription

1 5.11 The potential for adverse impacts on utilities and service systems was evaluated based on information concerning current service levels and the ability of the service providers to accommodate the increased demand created by the proposed project Environmental Setting Water Supply and Distribution Systems The project site is currently served by the City of Banning Water/Wastewater Utilities. As listed on the City of Banning Water/Wastewater Utilities website, the City of Banning serves a population of about 30,000 people with 10,865 service connections. The City of Banning Water/Wastewater Utilities obtains and treats water from their network of groundwater wells and the State Water Project. The project site itself is partially developed and contains utility service connections on the northwest corner of the site. Water connections would be extended from existing water lines under Sunset Avenue and Westward Avenue for the proposed development at the project site. Wastewater Treatment and Collection Wastewater services are provided by the City of Banning Water/Wastewater Utilities, serving about 30,000 people in Banning. The City of Banning water reclamation plant (WRP) provides wastewater treatment in the City of Banning. This plant is approximately three miles east of the project site and has a design capacity of 3.6 million gallons per day (mgd). The average volume of wastewater treated at the plant is 2.4 mgd. Sewer lines in the region are operated and maintained by the City of Banning Water/Wastewater Utilities. As listed on their website, the City of Banning serves approximately 12,800 businesses and dwellings within the city. The nearest sewer line is under Westward Avenue north of the project site, and the existing buildings on the northwest portion of the site are connected to this sewer line. Storm Drainage Systems The City of Banning Public Works Department is responsible for the maintenance of streets and gutters in the city, whereas the Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District (RCFCD) is responsible for the maintenance of storm drains in the vicinity of the project site. The project site is located within Zone 5 of the RCFCD, which encompasses over 255 square miles, three cities, and portions of two watersheds. Solid Waste Waste hauling services from properties in Banning are provided by Waste Management, Inc. The area is served by landfills operated by the Riverside County Waste Management Department and Waste Management, Inc. Solid waste from the area is distributed to a number of areas. As listed in the Riverside County Waste Management Department website, for the period between April 2011 and June 2011, solid waste from Banning was disposed of at the Badlands County Landfill, Lamb Canyon County Landfill, and El Sobrante Landfill. Badlands County Landfill as of February 1, 2012, has a remaining capacity of 14,730,025 cubic yards, is permitted to accept 4,000 tons of waste per day, and is estimated to close as early as Lamb Canyon County Landfill as of February 1, 2012, has a remaining capacity of 18,955,000 cubic yards, is permitted to accept 3,000 tons of waste per day, and is estimated to close in El Sobrante Landfill as of February 1, 2012, has a remaining capacity of 145,530,000 cubic yards, is permitted to accept 16,054 tons of waste per day, and is estimated to close in Although some of these landfills will likely be closed by the time Phase III is complete, the policy of the Riverside County Waste Management Department is to continually maintain reserve landfill capacity for a minimum of 15 years. Therefore, there would be other, newer landfills with sufficient San Gorgonio Pass Campus Master Plan Draft EIR Mt. San Jacinto Community College District Page

2 capacity by the time the project is built out. In addition, the waste generated from school operations is far less than 1 percent of the amount of waste that is disposed of at any one landfill and has a minimal impact on waste generation totals compared to the city as a whole. Dry Utilities Utilities would be provided to the proposed facilities by the following service providers, among others: Electricity City of Banning Electric Department Natural Gas Southern California Gas Company Telephone and Internet Service Verizon Communications The City of Banning Electric Department provides electricity services to the City of Banning, including the project area. The City of Banning Electric Department serves a peak demand of 34.5 megawatts of electricity within its service area. Their operation delivers power over a 34.5-kilovolt subtransmission system to five distribution substations. Power is then delivered to customers over distribution lines of 2,400/4,160Y volts and 7,200/12,470Y volts. Plans are in the works to construct an additional two substations and to upgrade existing substation transformer capacity at three substations. The Southern California Gas Company provides natural gas services to the region. The Southern California Gas Company provides natural gas to 20.9 million consumers through 5.8 million meters in more than 500 communities. The company s service territory encompasses approximately 20,000 square miles throughout central and southern California. Verizon Communications provides telephone, internet, and cable television services to the region. Verizon is a global corporation that serves more than 140 million customer connections with telephone, internet, and television services Thresholds of Significance According to Appendix G of the CEQA Guidelines, a project would normally have a significant effect on the environment if the project: U-1 Would exceed wastewater treatment requirements of the applicable Regional Water Quality Control Board. U-2 Would require or result in the construction of new water or wastewater treatment facilities or expansion of existing facilities, the construction of which could cause significant environmental effects. U-3 Would require or result in the construction of new storm water drainage facilities or expansion of existing facilities, the construction of which could cause significant environmental effects. U-4 Would not have sufficient water supplies available to serve the project from existing entitlements and resources, and new and/or expanded entitlements would be needed. U-5 Would result in a determination by the wastewater treatment provider which serves or may serve the project that is has inadequate capacity to serve the project's projected demand in addition to the provider's existing commitments. U-6 Would be served by a landfill with insufficient permitted capacity to accommodate the project's solid waste disposal needs. U-7 Would not comply with federal, state, and local statutes and regulations related to solid waste. Page The Planning Center DC&E January 2013

3 The Initial Study, included as Appendix A, substantiates that impacts associated with the following thresholds would be less than significant: Threshold U-7 This impact will not be addressed in the following analysis Environmental Impacts The following impact analysis addresses thresholds of significance for which the Initial Study disclosed potentially significant impacts. The applicable thresholds are identified in brackets after the impact statement. IMPACT : WATER SUPPLY AND DELIVERY SYSTEMS ARE ADEQUATE TO MEET PROJECT REQUIREMENTS. [THRESHOLDS U-2 (PART) AND U-4] Impact Analysis: The proposed project includes extension of utility lines, including water service lines, to the project site. These utility lines would be built in the proposed access roadways that would connect to Sunset Avenue and Westward Avenue. The proposed water lines would likely connect to an existing line under either Sunset Avenue or Westward Avenue, or both. The proposed utility extension lines would be installed during construction of Phase II. These improvements are part of the proposed project, and the associated environmental effects are analyzed throughout this EIR. Full buildout of the proposed project would not require any new or expanded entitlements, and the project would not require the construction of any new infrastructure or support systems beyond the extensions described above. Buildout of the proposed project would result in 250,000 square feet of indoor campus space. Students using that space would consume an estimated 3,750 gallons per day of potable water. In addition, it is estimated that irrigation of landscaping would contribute to a total of 35,251 additional gallons of water per day, for a total of approximately 39,001 gallons per day. Based on communication with the Director of the City of Banning Water /Wastewater Utilities, the available water supplies are anticipated to be sufficient to serve the project. The projection for total water consumption in the City of Banning in 2035 is 14.3 million gallons per day. No significant impacts related to water service would occur as a result of the proposed project and no mitigation measures are necessary. IMPACT : PROJECT-GENERATED WASTEWATER COULD BE ADEQUATELY TREATED BY THE WASTEWATER SERVICE PROVIDER FOR THE PROJECT. [THRESHOLDS U-1, U-2 (PART), AND U-5] Impact Analysis: Most of the proposed project site is currently undeveloped and does not have wastewater services. Development of Phase II of the proposed project would include the installation of new sewer lines, which would connect to existing sewer systems. Wastewater generated by the proposed campus would be typical of community college uses and would not contain substantial levels of pollutants or hazardous substances. The proposed project at full buildout would not exceed the wastewater treatment requirements of the Colorado River Regional Water Quality Control Board. The project includes the extension of utility lines, including wastewater lines, to the project site. Environmental effects associated with this action are analyzed throughout this EIR. No specific physical changes to the sewerage system would be required beyond extending existing structures to the site. Full buildout of the proposed project would generate approximately 2,813 gallons of wastewater per day. The existing wastewater treatment plant treats 2.4 million gallons of wastewater in a typical day. This volume represents a negligible increase and the local treatment plant is expected to have sufficient capacity to treat the project s wastewater. No significant impacts to wastewater infrastructure or service would occur, and no mitigation measures are necessary. San Gorgonio Pass Campus Master Plan Draft EIR Mt. San Jacinto Community College District Page

4 IMPACT : EXISTING AND/OR PROPOSED STORM DRAINAGE SYSTEMS ARE ADEQUATE TO SERVE THE DRAINAGE REQUIREMENTS OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT. [THRESHOLD U-3] Impact Analysis: Currently, drainage for the project site is via overland (sheet) flow, with the exception of the dry creek stream bed bisecting the site. The existing 2.7-acre San Gorgonio Pass Campus located at the northwest corner of the project site is drained via surface and piped flow until reaching an existing infiltration/detention basin, the dry creek bed, and Pershing Channel. The Pershing Channel, an unimproved natural drainage course, is immediately adjacent to the southern border of the site. Surface runoff enters the project site from Westward Avenue to the north and Sunset Avenue to the west. One 60-inch storm drain along Sunset Avenue intercepts flows northwest of the site and conveys the runoff south to the Pershing Channel. Stormwater runoff from undeveloped areas of the site is conveyed via overland flow into the dry creek bed bisecting the site and Pershing Channel adjacent to the southern border of the project site, as seen in Figure 5.7-3, Project Site Drainage. A detention basin has been constructed in the southern portion of the existing campus development that is designed to contain the 100-year, 3-hour storm. Additional detention basins in the southern portion of the campus are planned as part of the proposed project to detain and treat pollutants from the surface runoff prior to discharge to the Pershing Channel and Smith Creek; additional details are provided in Section The implementation of the project s proposed drainage improvements would ensure that potential impacts from onsite or offsite flooding would be less than significant. IMPACT : EXISTING AND/OR PROPOSED FACILITIES WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE PROJECT-GENERATED SOLID WASTE. [THRESHOLD U-6] Impact Analysis: The proposed project would not directly affect any solid waste systems or facilities. The project involves the proposed construction of a new college campus at a mostly vacant site. Existing modular buildings would be relocated offsite during Phase III of the project. Full buildout of the project would not demolish any existing structures and would therefore not generate demolition debris. Construction of the proposed project would generate a relatively small amount of solid waste construction debris on a temporary basis. Operation of the proposed project would generate solid waste at the site. The State of California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) is the state's leading authority on recycling, waste reduction, and product reuse. While CalRecycle does not officially endorse any solid waste generation rate, they have provided a list of cited waste generation rates for colleges that they suggest may be useful in providing a general level of information for planning purposes. In applying the suggested college solid waste generation rate factor of 0.6 pounds of waste per student per day, at project buildout, based on a 365-day school year, the school would generate up to approximately 548 tons of solid waste annually. Furthermore, the proposed project would be compliant with California Education Code sections to 32376, which encourage each college to establish and maintain a paper recycling program in all classrooms, administrative offices, and other areas owned or leased by the college. The rate of waste generation would not significantly increase the amount of regional waste generated and disposed of or otherwise overwhelm or significantly impact solid waste facilities. The proposed project would not trigger the need for new solid waste facilities or services. As listed in the Riverside County Waste Management Department website, for the period between April 2011 and June 2011, solid waste from Banning was disposed of at the Badlands County Landfill, Lamb Canyon County Landfill, and El Sobrante Landfill. Badlands County Landfill has a remaining capacity of 14,730,025 cubic yards, Lamb Canyon County Landfill has a remaining capacity of 18,955,000 cubic yards, and El Sobrante Landfill has a remaining capacity of 145,530,000 cubic yards. Although these landfills will likely be closed by the time Phase III is complete, the ongoing policy of the Riverside County Waste Management Department is to maintain reserve landfill capacity for a minimum of 15 years. Therefore, there should be other, newer landfills by the time the project is built out. In addition, the City of Banning will be more developed by 2030, and thus the campus development will have less impact on waste generation totals compared to the city as a whole. During construction and operation of the proposed project, the District would comply with all city, county, and state solid waste diversion, reduction, and recycling mandates, including compliance with the Countywide Integrated Waste Page The Planning Center DC&E January 2013

5 Management Plan. The District would cooperate, to the extent feasible, with the city s effort to achieve the goals of Assembly Bill 939 (AB 939), the Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989, which requires source reduction, reuse, recycling, and composting programs to reduce tonnage of solid waste going to landfills by 50 percent. The District would make every reasonable effort to reuse and/or recycle the construction debris that would otherwise be taken to a landfill and would also dispose of hazardous wastes, including paint used during construction, only at facilities permitted to receive them, and in accordance with local, state, and federal regulations. Full buildout of the proposed project would comply with all applicable federal, state, and local statues and regulations related to solid waste disposal. The District would arrange for an existing independent contractor such as Waste Management to remove waste from the project site. Neither construction nor operation of the proposed project would generate enough solid waste to overwhelm or otherwise significantly impact landfills or other solid waste systems and facilities in the area. The project would comply with all federal, state, and local statutes and regulations related to solid waste. No significant impacts related to solid waste would occur as a result of the proposed project. IMPACT : EXISTING AND/OR PROPOSED FACILITIES WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE PROJECT-GENERATED UTILITY DEMANDS. [NO SPECIFIC THRESHOLD] Impact Analysis: The proposed project would extend existing utility service to the project site from the existing development along Sunset Avenue and Westward Avenue. Extension of these utilities and construction of this road are considered part of the proposed project, and the environmental effects of these actions are considered throughout this EIR. The proposed project would not increase the population of the city as no student housing is proposed, and no increase in the regional demand for utility services would occur as a result of the proposed project. The proposed project would consume relatively small amounts of electricity and gas. The gas and telephone service providers in the area are large regional providers and are capable of providing the level of service necessary for a college campus. The electricity service provider is local, but is planning for continued development in the city and is capable of providing the level of service necessary for a college campus. No significant impacts related to dry utilities would occur as a result of the proposed project Cumulative Impacts Should several projects be constructed which encourage population growth in a region, a cumulative impact to service providers may occur. However, the proposed project would not draw new population to the project area. The project does not include the construction of any new housing, and implementation of the proposed project would not substantially change the population of the area. Cumulative impacts related to water service could occur if new development would require the use of the same existing facilities as the proposed project, increasing the strain on existing facilities. Additionally, the proposed project would extend infrastructure to the project site, including access roadways and utility connections. These infrastructure extensions would lower barriers for future development projects. However, all new projects to be implemented in the area would be required to complete environmental analysis per CEQA and to disclose and analyze any potentially significant impacts on water services. No cumulative impacts would occur Existing Regulations and Standard Conditions California Assembly Bill 1881 required local governments to adopt the State Department of Water Resources Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance or an equivalent. This includes requirements to reduce water use in landscaping. The City of Banning has adopted the 2010 Urban Water Management Plan, which establishes recommendations and requirements for the city in order to accommodate future growth with adequate water supplies. The City of Banning has also adopted the 10-Year Electric System Master Plan , which provides recommendations for the city regarding improvements to the electrical distribution system based on existing deficiencies and projected growth. A new San Gorgonio Pass Campus Master Plan Draft EIR Mt. San Jacinto Community College District Page

6 10-Year Electric System Master Plan is prepared every 10 years to help the city accommodate future growth with adequate electricity supplies. The project site is within the jurisdiction of the Colorado River Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB). In the State of California, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) and local RWQCBs have assumed the responsibility of implementing US EPA s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Program and other programs under the Clean Water Act such as the Impaired Waters Program and the Antidegradation Policy. The primary quality control law in California is the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Act (Water Code Sections et seq.). Under Porter-Cologne, the SWRCB issues joint federal NPDES Storm Water permits and state Waste Discharge Requirements (WDRs) to operators of municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s), industrial facilities, and construction sites to obtain coverage for the storm water discharges from these operations. Assembly Bill (AB) 939 (Chapter 1095, Statutes of 1989), the Integrated Waste Management Act, requires, among other things, every California city and county to divert 50 percent of its waste from landfills by the year In addition, AB 939 requires each county and incorporated cities to prepare a Source Reduction and Recycling Element for its jurisdiction, identifying waste characterization; source reduction; recycling; composting; solid waste facility capacity; education and public information; funding; special waste (asbestos, sewage sludge, etc.); and household hazardous waste in addition to a countywide siting element specifying areas for transformation or disposal sites to provide capacity for solid waste generated in the jurisdiction that cannot be reduced or recycled for a 15-year period Level of Significance Before Mitigation The proposed project would not result in any significant or potentially significant impacts related to utilities and service systems Mitigation Measures No mitigation measures are necessary Level of Significance After Mitigation The proposed project would not result in any significant or potentially significant impacts related to water supply and delivery systems, wastewater treatment systems, stormwater drainage systems, solid waste or dry utilities. Page The Planning Center DC&E January 2013