Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Analysis: Proposed Chino Villas Assisted Living and Memory Care Project, City of Chino, California (LSA Project No
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CARLSBAD FRESNO IRVINE LOS ANGELES PALM SPRINGS POINT RICHMOND RIVERSIDE MEMORANDUM ROSEVILLE SAN LUIS OBISPO DATE: April 23, 2020 TO: Robert Chiang Clover Estate, Inc. 2361 Fullercreek Road Chino Hills, California 91709 FROM: Michael Slavick, Senior Air Quality Specialist SUBJECT: Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Analysis: Proposed Chino Villas Assisted Living and Memory Care Project, City of Chino, California (LSA Project No. CHV1901) INTRODUCTION AND PROJECT DESCRIPTION The air quality and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions analysis has been prepared to evaluate the potential air quality and GHG impacts associated with the proposed Chino Villas Assisted Living and Memory Care Project (proposed project) located within the Santa Ana del Chino Land Grant in the City of Chino (City). The approximately 7.3-acre project site is currently undeveloped and is adjacent to the north side of Philadelphia Street approximately 330 feet west of Benson Avenue and 1,800 feet east of Central Avenue. The proposed project comprises Assessor’s Parcel Numbers (APNs) 1014-591-06 and 07, and consists of development of two lots (Lots A and B) totaling 7.01 acres. Lot A (APN 1014-591-07) is 2.61 acres and includes development of a three-story senior assisted living (87,200 square feet with 96 beds) and memory care (12,688 square feet with 24 beds) facility totaling 99,888 square feet and 120 beds. The proposed residential spaces range in size from studios (354 square feet) to two- bedroom suites (727 square feet). Lot B (APN 1014-591-06) is 4.4 acres and includes development of two three-story office buildings with a total area of 65,000 square feet. Attachment A, Figure 1 presents the location map of the proposed project and Figure 2 presents the conceptual site plan. SURROUNDING SENSITIVE USES Certain land uses are considered sensitive to air quality. Examples of these include residential areas, educational facilities, hospitals, childcare facilities, and senior housing. The closest off-site sensitive receptors are the residential land uses east and northwest of the proposed project site. The nearest residential units (i.e., single-family residences) are approximately 100 feet east of proposed project site. APPROACH TO ANALYSIS To evaluate air pollutant emissions from the construction and operation of the project, LSA conducted the California Emission Estimator Model (CalEEMod) analysis, which is the current air quality and land use emissions model recommended by the California Air Resources Board (ARB) for evaluating emissions from land use projects. Emissions from construction were based on the CalEEMod default for the construction phase scenario and anticipated opening date schedule. Emissions from operation of the proposed Chino Villas Assisted Living and Memory Care facility include vehicle emissions, area source emissions, and energy use emissions. The construction and operational emissions were then compared with the CEQA air quality significance thresholds from 4/23/20 (\\riv10\Projects\CHV1901 Chino Senior Living\03 AQ-GHG\LSA_AQ_Tech_Memo_4-23-2020_CHV1901.docx) 1500 Iowa Avenue, Suite 200, Riverside, California 92507 951.781.9310 www.lsa.net LSA is a business name of LSA Associates, Inc. the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). A climate action plan GHG screening tables evaluation was conducted to determine whether or not the proposed project would be consistent with the City of Chino’s Climate Action Plan. EXISTING SETTING The proposed project site is located in the City of Chino, which is part of the South Coast Air Basin (Basin) and is under the jurisdiction of the SCAQMD. Climate/Meteorology Air quality in the planning area is affected not only by various emission sources (e.g., mobile, stationary, and area sources) but also by atmospheric conditions such as wind speed, wind direction, temperature, and rainfall. The combination of topography, low mixing height, abundant sunshine, and emissions from the second largest urban area in the United States gives the Basin the worst air pollution problem in the nation. Climate in the Basin is determined by its terrain and geographical location. The Basin is a coastal plain with connecting broad valleys and low hills. The Pacific Ocean forms the southwestern border, and high mountains surround the rest of the Basin, which lies in the semi-permanent high-pressure zone of the eastern Pacific, resulting in a climate that is mild and tempered by cool ocean breezes. This climatological pattern is rarely interrupted; however, periods of extremely hot weather, winter storms, or Santa Ana wind conditions do occur. The annual average temperature varies throughout the Basin, ranging from the low- to middle-60s, measured in degrees Fahrenheit (°F). With a more pronounced oceanic influence, inland areas, including the City, show more variability in annual minimum and maximum temperatures than coastal areas. The monthly average maximum temperature at Chino Airport ranges from 67.8°F in January to 93.8°F in August. The monthly average minimum temperature ranges from 37.7°F in December to 60.1°F in July (Western Regional Climate Center 2020). December and January are typically the coldest months, and July and August are typically the warmest months in this area of the Basin. The majority of annual rainfall in the Basin occurs between November and April. Summer rainfall is minimal and is generally limited to scattered thunderstorms in inland regions and slightly heavier showers in the eastern portion of the Basin and along the coastal side of the mountains. The monthly average rainfall at Chino Airport typically varies from 2.86 inches in February to 0.00 inch in August with an annual total of 8.89 inches (Western Regional Climate Center 2020). Patterns in monthly and yearly rainfall totals are unpredictable due to fluctuations in the weather. Although the Basin has a semi-arid climate, air near the surface is generally moist because of the presence of a shallow marine layer. With very low average wind speeds, there is a limited capacity to disperse air contaminants horizontally. Winds at Chino Airport blow predominantly from the west- northwest, with relatively low velocities (Western Regional Climate Center 2020). Wind speeds in Chino average between 4 and 7 miles per hour (mph). The typical wind flow pattern fluctuates only with occasional winter storms or strong northeasterly (Santa Ana) winds from the mountains and deserts northeast of the Basin. Summer wind flow patterns represent worst-case conditions because this is the period of higher temperatures and more sunlight, which result in ozone (O3) formation. 4/23/20 (\\riv10\Projects\CHV1901 Chino Senior Living\03 AQ-GHG\LSA_AQ_Tech_Memo_4-23-2020_CHV1901.docx) 2 Temperature normally decreases with altitude, and a reversal of this atmospheric state, where temperature increases with altitude, is called an inversion. The height from the Earth to the inversion base is known as the mixing height. Persistent low inversions and cool coastal air tend to create morning fog and low stratus clouds. Cloudy days are less likely in the eastern portions of the Basin and are about 25 percent more likely along the coast. The vertical dispersion of air pollutants in the Basin is limited by temperature inversions in the atmosphere close to the Earth’s surface. Inversions are generally lower in the nighttime when the ground is cooler than during daylight hours when the sun warms the ground and, in turn, the surface air layer. As this heating process continues, the temperature of the surface air layer approaches the temperature of the inversion base, causing heating along its lower edge. If enough warming takes place, the inversion layer becomes weak and opens up to allow the surface air layers to mix upward. This can be seen in the middle-to-late afternoon on a hot summer day when the smog appears to clear up suddenly. Winter inversions typically break earlier in the day, preventing excessive smog buildup. The combination of stagnant wind conditions and low inversions produces the greatest pollutant concentrations. On days of no inversions or high wind speeds, ambient air pollutant concentrations are lowest. During periods of low inversions and low wind speeds, air pollutants generated in urbanized areas are transported predominantly onshore into San Bernardino County. In the winter, the greatest pollution problem is the accumulation of carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) due to extremely low inversions and air stagnation during the night and early morning hours. In the summer, the longer daylight hours and the brighter sunshine combine to cause a reaction between hydrocarbons and NOx to form photochemical smog. Local Air Quality The SCAQMD, together with the California ARB, maintains ambient air quality monitoring stations in 1 the Basin. The air quality monitoring station closest to the site is the Upland station, which monitors most air pollutant data, except for sulfur dioxide (SO2), which were obtained from the Fontana station.2 The air quality trends from these two stations are used to represent the ambient air quality in the vicinity of the proposed project site. The ambient air quality data monitored at these stations within the past three years are listed in Table A. As shown in Table A, the ambient air quality data indicate that CO, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and SO2 levels are consistently below the relevant State and federal standards. The State 1-hour O3 standard was exceeded between 25 and 66 times and the State 8-hour O3 standard was exceeded between 54 and 89 times in the last three years. The Federal 8-hour O3 standard was exceeded between 57 and 88 times in the last three years. The State 24-hour and annual PM10 standards were exceeded at least once in the last three years. The federal 24-hour and State annual PM2.5 standards were exceeded at least once in the last three years.