Recycled Water Program, Phase 2D Final Mitigated Negative Declaration Prepared for Castaic Lake Water Agency Prepared by: 910 Hampshire Road, Suite V Westlake Village, CA 91361 (805) 367-5720 FAX (805) 367-5733 June 2017 Final Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program Phase 2D—West Ranch Recycled Water Main Extension Project Prepared for: Castaic Lake Water Agency 27234 Bouquet Canyon Road Santa Clarita, California 91350 Prepared by: Meridian Consultants LLC 910 Hampshire Road, Suite V Westlake Village, CA 91361 June 2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page 1.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1.0-1 1.1 Purpose ......................................................................................................................... 1.0-1 1.2 Description of the Proposed Project ............................................................................. 1.0-1 1.3 Public Review Process ................................................................................................... 1.0-2 1.4 Organization of the Final IS/MND ................................................................................. 1.0-3 2.0 Comments on the Draft IS ......................................................................................................... 2.0-1 Response to California State Clearinghouse Office of Planning and Research ............. 2.0-1 Response to California State Water Resources Control Board—Division of Drinking Water .............................................................................................................. 2.0-1 Response to California Department of Transportation District 7—Office of Transportation Planning ............................................................................................... 2.0-1 List of Appendices A Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program B Castaic Lake Water Agency Recycled Water Program, Phase 2D Project Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration Meridian Consultants i Phase 2D — West Ranch Recycled Water Project 131-002-16 June 2017 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 PURPOSE This Final Initial Study (IS) and Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND; together, IS/MND) has been prepared for the Phase 2D—West Ranch Recycled Water Main Extension Project (“proposed Project”) in accordance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)1 and the State CEQA Guidelines.2 Castaic Lake Water Agency (CLWA) is acting as the Lead Agency as defined by CEQA for the environmental review of the proposed Project. 1.2 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT The proposed Project was developed to offset nonpotable irrigation and residential demands from domestic drinking water to recycled water. The proposed Project would utilize recycled water from the Santa Clarita Valley Sanitation District’s Valencia Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) to serve existing customers within the Stevenson Ranch area within unincorporated Los Angeles County. The proposed Project includes construction of approximately 5,000 linear feet of new 12-inch diameter pipeline and an enclosed pump station and hydropneumatics tank that would convey tertiary-treated recycled water from the existing Recycled Water Reservoir No. 1 to surrounding customers. The proposed Project would convey an average annual demand of approximately 186 acre-feet (af) of recycled water from the Valencia WRP to customers along Valencia Boulevard and Old Rock Road. The proposed Project is located within the northern portion of Stevenson Ranch, approved with a recorded Parcel Tract/Map. The maximum peak summer month nonpotable water demand would be 27 af. The pipeline would include isolation valves, air-release valves, blow-off valves, recycled water service connections, and all other necessary appurtenances. All pipelines would be polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or ductile iron pipe (DIP) and would be installed using typical open-trench cut-and-cover method, at a typical cover of approximately 5 feet with roadway pavement and native soils above the pipeline. Bedding and backfill material would be utilized to fill around and below the proposed water pipeline. In addition to the water pipeline, pressure-release values and wharf heads would be installed aboveground along the proposed alignment. The main transmission line would consist of a 12-inch pipeline. During construction of the proposed Project, construction equipment would need to be stored at the end of each day. Three construction staging areas were identified along the proposed pipeline alignment: a northern staging area, northcentral staging area, and a southern staging area. The northern staging area would be located at the west end of Westridge Parkway; the northcentral staging area would be located 1 California Code of Regulations, sec. 21000 et seq. 2 California Code of Regulations, sec. 15070–15075, State CEQA Guidelines. Meridian Consultants 1.0-1 Phase 2D—West Ranch Recycled Water Project 131-002-16 June 2017 1.0 Introduction adjacent to the existing Recycled Water Reservoir No. 1; and the southern staging area would be located at the west end of Valencia Boulevard. 1.3 PUBLIC REVIEW PROCESS On May 3, 2017, CLWA circulated a Notice of Intent (NOI) of the IS for a 30-day review and comment period by the public and by responsible and reviewing agencies. The review period ended on June 2, 2017. In addition, a notice was published in the Santa Clarita Valley Signal on May 3, 2017. The Final IS/MND and Draft IS are available for review at: Castaic Lake Water Agency 27234 Bouquet Canyon Road Santa Clarita, CA 91350 The Final IS/MND and Draft IS are also available online at: http://www.clwa.org/docs/ The State CEQA Guidelines3 require that the decision-making body of the Lead Agency consider the proposed IS together with any comments received during the public review process prior to approving a project. Three comment letters were received regarding the Draft IS. One letter was from the State of California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, State Clearinghouse, on June 3, 2017. The comment notes that only two State agencies, the California State Water Resources Control Board—Division of Drinking Water (SWRCB) and the California Department of Transportation (“CalTrans”) submitted comments on the Draft IS, and that CLWA has complied with the State Clearinghouse review requirements for draft environmental documents, pursuant to CEQA. SWRCB submitted a comment letter on May 19, 2017. The comment states that “CLWA must make sure the layouts of the new recycled water pipelines are in compliance with the Water Main Separation requirements of Chapter 16, California Waterworks Standards of Title 22, California Code of Regulations (CCR). CLWA must submit the project plans the Division.” CalTrans District 7—Office of Transportation Planning submitted a comment letter on May 22, 2017. The comment states that CalTrans does not expect proposed Project approval to result in direct adverse impacts to the existing State transportation facilities; notes that any transportation which requires the use of oversized transport vehicles on State highways will require a Caltrans transportation permit; and 3 California Code of Regulations, sec. 15074(b), State CEQA Guidelines. Meridian Consultants 1.0-2 Phase 2D—West Ranch Recycled Water Project 131-002-16 June 2017 1.0 Introduction further notes that the proposed Project should be mindful of stormwater runoff as a sensitive issue for the area. The Final MND, when combined with the Draft IS, constitutes the complete environmental review document for the proposed Project to be considered by CLWA Board of Directors, as the decision-making body, before it makes its decision on the proposed Project. State CEQA Guidelines4 require that the Lead Agency consider the IS together with any comments received during the public review prior to approving a project. The decision-making body shall adopt the Final IS/MND only if it finds, on the basis of the whole record before it (including the IS and any comments received), that no substantial evidence exists that the proposed Project will have a significant effect on the environment and that the Final IS/MND reflects the Lead Agency’s independent judgment and analysis. Additionally, the State CEQA Guidelines5 require that the Lead Agency adopt a mitigation monitoring program for reporting on or monitoring the physical changes of the Project site and mitigating significant environmental effects. 1.4 ORGANIZATION OF THE FINAL IS/MND As required by the State CEQA Guidelines, the Final IS/MND consists of the following elements: • Comments received from reviewing agencies and the public on the Draft IS during the public review process and responses to those comments (see Section 2.0). • A Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP), which provides a summary of impacts, mitigation measures, and implementation procedures (see Appendix A). • The Draft IS (see Appendix B). A disc containing these documents is also attached to the inside back cover of this Final IS/MND. 4 California Code of Regulations, sec. 15074(b), State CEQA Guidelines. 5 California Code of Regulations, sec. 15074(d), State CEQA Guidelines. Meridian Consultants 1.0-3 Phase 2D—West Ranch Recycled Water Project 131-002-16 June 2017 2.0 COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT IS The State CEQA Guidelines6 require that the decision-making body of the Lead Agency consider the proposed IS together with any comments received during the