Environmental Assessment for the City of San Bernardino Municipal Water Department’S Palm #3 Reservoir Project
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INITIAL STUDY / ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO MUNICIPAL WATER DEPARTMENT’S PALM #3 RESERVOIR PROJECT Project Proponent and CEQA Lead Agency: City of San Bernardino Municipal Water Department 300 North “D” Street San Bernardino, California 92418 NEPA Lead Agency: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 75 Hawthorne Street San Francisco, California 94105 Preparer: Tom Dodson & Associates 2150 North Arrowhead Avenue San Bernardino, California 92405 December 2008 INITIAL STUDY / ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO MUNICIPAL WATER DEPARTMENT’S PALM #3 RESERVOIR PROJECT Project Proponent and CEQA Lead Agency: City of San Bernardino Municipal Water Department 300 North “D” Street San Bernardino, California 92418 NEPA Lead Agency: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 75 Hawthorne Street San Francisco, California 94105 Preparer: Tom Dodson & Associates 2150 North Arrowhead Avenue San Bernardino, California 92405 December 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 – PURPOSE AND NEED ........................................ 1 1.1 Introduction ................................................. 1 1.2 Regulatory Requirements of NEPA ............................... 1 1.3 Purposes of this Environmental Review ........................... 1 1.4 Project Purpose and Need ...................................... 2 Chapter 2 – PROPOSED ACTION, INCLUDING ALTERNATIVES ................ 3 2.1 Proposed Action .............................................. 3 2.1.1 Location............................................. 3 2.1.2 Environmental Setting .................................. 3 2.1.3 Project Characteristics ................................. 4 2.2 Alternatives ................................................. 4 2.2.1 No Action Alternative................................... 4 2.2.2 Alternative Sites ...................................... 4 Chapter 3 – AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT ................................... 6 3.1 Air Quality .................................................. 6 3.1.1 Environmental Setting .................................. 6 3.1.2 Air Quality Regulations ................................. 10 3.2 Hydrology and Water Quality .................................... 15 3.2.1 Surface Water ........................................ 15 3.2.2 Groundwater ......................................... 16 3.2.3 Water Quality ........................................ 16 3.3 Utilities / Service Systems ...................................... 17 3.3.1 Domestic Water Supply ................................. 17 3.3.2 Sewage Treatment .................................... 17 3.3.3 Solid Waste Disposal .................................. 17 3.3.4 Natural Gas .......................................... 17 3.3.5 Electric Power ........................................ 17 3.4 Land Use / Planning ........................................... 18 3.5 Transportation / Traffic......................................... 18 3.6 Natural Resources ............................................ 18 3.6.1 Biological Resources................................... 18 3.6.2 Geology and Soils ..................................... 19 3.6.3 Mineral Resources .................................... 20 3.6.4 Visual Resources / Aesthetics............................ 20 3.7 Population and Housing ........................................ 21 3.8 Construction................................................. 21 3.9 Energy Issues ............................................... 21 -iii 3.10 Coastal Zone Management Act .................................. 21 3.11 Cultural Resources ........................................... 22 3.11.1 Prehistoric Context .................................... 22 3.11.2 Historic Context....................................... 22 3.12 Wild and Scenic Rivers ........................................ 23 3.13 Endangered Species .......................................... 23 3.14 Floodplain Management and Protection of Wetlands ................. 27 3.15 Farmland Protection ........................................... 27 3.16 Coastal Barrier Resources...................................... 28 3.17 Other Environmental Issues..................................... 28 3.17.1 Hazards and Hazardous Materials ........................ 28 3.17.2 Noise ............................................... 28 3.17.3 Public Services ....................................... 29 3.17.4 Recreation........................................... 30 3.17.5 Airport Hazards ....................................... 30 3.17.6 Environmental Justice .................................. 30 3.17.7 Unique Natural Features and Areas ....................... 30 3.17.8 Sole Source Aquifer ................................... 30 3.17.9 Site Access and Compatibility ............................ 31 3.18 Invasive Species ............................................. 31 Chapter 4 – ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ........................... 32 4.1 Air Quality .................................................. 32 4.2 Hydrology and Water Quality .................................... 38 4.3 Utilities / Service Systems ...................................... 41 4.4 Land Use / Planning ........................................... 42 4.5 Transportation / Traffic......................................... 43 4.6 Natural Resources ............................................ 45 4.6.1 Biological Resources................................... 45 4.6.2 Geology and Soils ..................................... 47 4.6.3 Mineral Resources .................................... 48 4.6.4 Visual Resources / Aesthetics............................ 49 4.7 Population and Housing ........................................ 50 4.8 Construction Aspects.......................................... 51 4.9 Energy Issues ............................................... 50 4.10 Coastal Zone Management Act .................................. 50 4.11 Cultural Resources ........................................... 51 4.12 Wild and Scenic Rivers ........................................ 55 4.13 Endangered Species .......................................... 56 4.14 Floodplain Management and Protection of Wetlands ................. 56 4.15 Farmland Protection ........................................... 56 4.16 Coastal Barrier Resources...................................... 56 4.17 Other Environmental Issues..................................... 57 4.17.1 Hazards and Hazardous Materials ........................ 57 4.17.2 Noise ............................................... 58 4.17.3 Public Services ....................................... 61 -iv 4.17.4 Recreation........................................... 62 4.17.5 Airport Hazards ....................................... 62 4.17.6 Environmental Justice .................................. 62 4.17.7 Unique Natural Features and Areas ....................... 62 4.17.8 Sole Source Aquifer ................................... 62 4.17.9 Site Access and Compatibility ............................ 63 4.17.10 Irreversible/Irretrievable Commitments of Resources .......... 63 4.18 Invasive Species ............................................. 63 Chapter 5 – CEQA CHECKLIST FORM ..................................... 64 Chapter 6 – ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS ................................... 83 6.1 No Action Alternative .......................................... 83 6.2 Alternative Sites.............................................. 83 Chapter 7 – CUMULATIVE IMPACTS ...................................... 85 Chapter 8 – SUMMARY OF MITIGATION MEASURES ......................... 86 Chapter 9 – PREPARERS ................................................ 89 Chapter 10 – REFERENCES ............................................. 90 -v LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1-1 State of California Air Resources Board Ambient AQ Standards ...... 7 Table 3.1-2 Health Effects Summary for Air Pollutants ....................... 9 Table 3.1-3 Air Quality Data for Monitoring Stations ......................... 10 Table 3.13-1 CNDDB Records Search .................................... 24 Table 4.1-1 Project Schedule .......................................... 33 Table 4.1-2 Overall Maximum Unmitigated Daily Construction Emissions ........ 34 Table 4.1-3 Summary of Carbon Dioxide Emissions ......................... 34 Table 4.1-4 General Conformity Emission Levels ........................... 37 Table 4.1-5 Project Emissions ......................................... 37 LIST OF FIGURES (at end of document) Figure 1 Regional Map Figure 2 Site Location Figure 3 Site Photographs Figure 4 Site Photographs Figure 5 Palm Site Improvement Plan APPENDICES Appendix A – Historical / Archaeological Resources Report Appendix B – Informal Section 7 Consultation and Site Review Appendix C – Air Quality Analysis -vi Chapter 1 PURPOSE AND NEED 1.1 INTRODUCTION The project generally consists of constructing a 4 million gallon (MG) water storage reservoir on the existing City of San Bernardino Municipal Water Department’s (CSBMWD) 4.29-acre Palm Reservoir site. The site contains an existing 5 MG and a 325,000 gallon above groundwater storage reservoirs, a water pumping station, hydro-generation station which produces electricity from the energy in water delivered to the site from higher elevations, and various other water supply equipment (pipes, valves, etc.). The Palm Reservoir water system provides water to the CSBMWD’s College-Palm pressure zone. Presently, the College-Palm pressure zone has about a 3.2 MG deficiency in emergency and fire flow water storage capacity to comply