CARMEL AREA WASTEWATER DISTRICT CALLE LA CRUZ PIPELINE REPLACEMENT PROJECT SCH # 2018041005 Final Initial Study and MitigatEd NEgativE DEclaration ________________________________________________________________________________ Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration Calle La Cruz Pipeline Replacement Project ________________________________________________________________________________ Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration Calle La Cruz Pipeline Replacement Project CARMEL AREA WASTEWATER DISTRICT CALLE LA CRUZ PIPELINE REPLACEMENT PROJECT Final Initial Study and MitigatEd NEgativE DEclaration PrEparEd for: CarMEl ArEa WastEwatEr District P.O. Box 221428 3945 Rio Road CarMEl, CA 93922 PrEparEd by: GrassEtti EnvironMEntal Consulting 7008 Bristol Drive BerkElEy, California 94705 JunE 2018 ________________________________________________________________________________ Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration Calle La Cruz Pipeline Replacement Project This page intentionally blank. ________________________________________________________________________________ Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration Calle La Cruz Pipeline Replacement Project TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 2. PROJECT DESCRIPTION ......................................................................................... 3 CHAPTER 3. ENVIRONMENTAL CHECKLIST ............................................................................. 17 A. Summary of Project Information: ............................................................................................... 17 B. Environmental Factors Potentially Affected: .............................................................................. 19 C. Determination............................................................................................................................ 19 D. Evaluation of Environmental Impacts ........................................................................................ 20 I. AESTHETICS ............................................................................................................................ 21 II. AGRICULTURE AND FOREST RESOURCES: ........................................................................ 23 III. AIR QUALITY .......................................................................................................................... 25 IV. BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES ................................................................................................... 32 V. CULTURAL RESOURCES ....................................................................................................... 65 VI. GEOLOGY AND SOILS .......................................................................................................... 69 VII. GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS ......................................................................................... 72 VIII. HAZARDS AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ........................................................................ 74 IX. HYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITY ................................................................................... 77 X. LAND USE AND PLANNING .................................................................................................... 89 XI. MINERAL RESOURCES ......................................................................................................... 91 XII. NOISE .................................................................................................................................... 92 XIII. POPULATION AND HOUSING ............................................................................................. 99 XIV. PUBLIC SERVICES: ........................................................................................................... 100 XV. RECREATION: .................................................................................................................... 102 XVI. TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC ................................................................................... 103 XVII. TRIBAL CULTURAL RESOURCES ................................................................................... 105 XVIII. UTILITIES AND SERVICE SYSTEMS .............................................................................. 107 XIX. MANDATORY FINDINGS OF SIGNIFICANCE ................................................................... 109 E. Report Preparers ..................................................................................................................... 112 CHAPTER 4. REFERENCES ...................................................................................................... 113 APPENDICES Appendix A. Air Quality Calculations Appendix B. Biological Resource Study Appendix C: Hydrology Report Appendix D: Noise Appendix Appendix E. Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program ________________________________________________________________________________ Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration Calle La Cruz Pipeline Replacement Project ________________________________________________________________________________ Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration Calle La Cruz Pipeline Replacement Project CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION The Carmel Area Wastewater District (CAWD) has prepared this Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) to provide the public, responsible agencies, and trustee agencies with information about the potential environmental effects of construction and operation of the proposed Calle la Cruz Pipeline Replacement Project (Proposed Project). The Proposed Project and its location are described in depth in Chapter 2. This document was prepared in accordance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) of 1970 (as amended) and the CEQA Guidelines (14 California Code of Regulations [CCR] § 15000 et seq.). Intent and Scope of this Document This IS/MND has been prepared in accordance with CEQA, under which the Proposed Project is evaluated at a project level (CEQA Guidelines § 15378). The CAWD, as the Lead Agency under CEQA, will consider the Proposed Project’s potential environmental impacts when considering whether to approve the project. This IS/MND is an informational document to be used in the planning and decision-making process for the Proposed Project and does not recommend approval or denial of the Proposed Project. The site plans for the Proposed Project included in this IS/MND are conceptual. The CAWD anticipates that the final design for the Proposed Project would include some modifications to these conceptual plans, and the environmental analysis has been developed with conservative assumptions to accommodate some level of modification. This IS/MND describes the Proposed Project; its environmental setting, including existing conditions and regulatory setting, as necessary; and the potential environmental impacts of the Proposed Project on or with regard to the topics on the CEQA Initial Study checklist, in Chapter 3. Public Involvement Process Public disclosure and dialogue are priorities under CEQA. CEQA Guidelines §15073 and §15105(b) require that the lead agency designate a period during the IS/MND process when the public and other agencies can provide comments on the potential impacts of the Proposed Project. Accordingly, the CAWD is now circulating this document for a 30- day public and agency review period. All comments received before 5:00 p.m. from the date identified for closure of the public comment period in the Notice of Intent will be considered by the CAWD during its deliberations on whether to approve the Proposed Project. To provide input on this project, please send comments to the following contact: Drew Lander Principal Engineer Carmel Area Wastewater District P.O. Box 221428 3945 Rio Road Carmel, CA 93922 [email protected] Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration Calle la Cruz Pipeline Replacement Project 1 Organization of this DocuMEnt This IS/MND contains the following components: Chapter 1, Introduction, provides a brief description of the intent and scope of this IS/MND, the public involvement process under CEQA, and the organization of and terminology used in this IS/MND. Chapter 2, Project Description, describes the Proposed Project, including its objectives, the project site where the Proposed Project would be constructed, the construction approach and activities, operation-related activities, and related permits and approvals. Chapter 3, Environmental Checklist, presents the environmental checklist used to assess the Proposed Project’s potential environmental effects, which is based on the model provided in Appendix G of the CEQA Guidelines. This chapter also includes a brief environmental setting description for each resource topic and identifies the Proposed Project’s anticipated environmental impacts, as well as any mitigation measures that would be required to reduce potentially significant impacts to a less than-significant level. Chapter 4, References, provides a bibliography of printed references, websites, and personal communications used in preparing this IS/MND. Appendices Appendix A. Air Quality Calculations Appendix B. Biological Resource Study Appendix C: Hydrology Report Appendix D: Noise Appendix Appendix E. Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration Calle la Cruz Pipeline Replacement Project 2 CHAPTER 2. PROJECT DESCRIPTION 1. Background