EIR Scoping Report LA-SD Via Inland Empire-DRAFT April-2010
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Project Environmental Impact Report / Environmental Impact Statement DRAFT Scoping Report Sacramento San Francisco Stockton Transbay Terminal Millbrae-SFO Downtown Modesto Los Angeles to San Diego San Jose Redwood City Diridon Downtown Merced or Palo Alto via the Inland Empire Gilroy High-Speed Train Fresno Project EIR/EIS Visalia/Tulare/Hanford (Potential Station) April 2010 Bakersfield Palmdale Sylmar Burbank Industry Ontario Airport Los Angeles Riverside Norwalk Anaheim Murrieta Escondido University City San Diego CALIFORNIA HIGH-SPEED TRAIN PROJECT (CAHST) SCOPING REPORT LOS ANGELES TO SAN DIEGO VIA THE INLAND EMPIRE SECTION April 2010 CALIFORNIA HIGH-SPEED TRAIN PROJECT EIR/EIS DRAFT SCOPING REPORT LOS ANGELES TO SAN DIEGO SECTION Table of Contents Summary ................................................................................................................................ S-1 1.0 Introduction................................................................................................................ 1-1 1.1 Description of Project ................................................................................................ 1-1 1.2 Project Alternatives ................................................................................................... 1-4 1.3 Purpose of Public Scoping .......................................................................................... 1-5 1.4 Notification of EIR/EIS Scoping ................................................................................... 1-5 1.5 Public Scoping Process ............................................................................................... 1-7 2.0 Public and Agency Involvement During Public Scoping ............................................. 2-1 2.1 Summary of Public Scoping Meetings .......................................................................... 2-1 2.2 Summary of Outreach Activities .................................................................................. 2-7 3.0 Public Scoping Summary of Issues ............................................................................. 3-1 3.1 Scoping Summary of Alternative Alignments and Stations ............................................. 3-2 3.2 Environmental Concerns ............................................................................................ 3-6 3.3 Technical/Engineering Concerns ................................................................................. 3-8 3.4 Agency Responses to NOP/NOI ................................................................................ 3-10 3.5 Summary Comment Tables ...................................................................................... 3-26 4.0 Next Steps .................................................................................................................. 4-1 LIST OF TABLES 1-1 Published Public Notifications within the LA-SD Section 1-2 Public Scoping Meeting Locations within the LA-SD HST Project Area 2-1 Summary of Outreach Activities 3-1 Summary of Public Scoping Comments – Los Angeles County 3-2 Summary of Public Scoping Comments – San Bernardino County 3-3 Summary of Public Scoping Comments – Riverside County 3-4 Summary of Public Scoping Comments – San Diego County 3-5 Summary of Public Scoping Comments – Regulatory Agency Meetings 3-6 Summary of Public Scoping Comments – Multiple Counties 3-7 Summary of Public Scoping Comments – General Comments LIST OF FIGURES 1-1 Proposed California HST System 1-2 Los Angeles to San Diego HST Project Area APPENDICES A Notice of Preparation B Notice of Intent C Public Scoping Meeting Announcements – Public Meetings and Residents within 500 feet of Proposed Alternative Alignments D Public Scoping Meeting Announcements in the Media (Display Ad and Legal Notice in Newspapers) E Media Coverage F Public Scoping Comment Card and Handouts G Public Scoping Comments – Los Angeles County H Public Scoping Comments – San Bernardino County I Public Scoping Comments – Riverside County J Public Scoping Comments – San Diego County Page i April 2010 CALIFORNIA HIGH-SPEED TRAIN PROJECT EIR/EIS DRAFT SCOPING REPORT LOS ANGELES TO SAN DIEGO SECTION K Public Scoping Comments – Regulatory Meeting L Public Scoping Comments – Multiple Counties M Public Scoping Comments – General Comments N Written Public Agency Responses to Notice of Preparation/Intent O Formal Public Scoping Meeting Attendance List P PowerPoint Presentation and Public Scoping Boards Q Corona Chamber of Commerce Form Letters Page ii April 2010 CALIFORNIA HIGH-SPEED TRAIN PROJECT EIR/EIS DRAFT SCOPING REPORT LOS ANGELES TO SAN DIEGO SECTION Summary The purpose of this report is to summarize the public scoping process and comments received during the public scoping period for the Los Angeles to San Diego (LA-SD) via the Inland Empire Section of the High-Speed Train project. The report provides a brief project background, a description of the public scoping process and meetings, a list of other outreach activities, and a summary of the public and agency comments received during scoping. In 2005, the California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) and the Federal Rail Administration (FRA) completed the Statewide Program Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for the proposed California High-Speed Train (HST) System as the first phase of a tiered environmental review process. The Authority certified the Statewide Program EIR under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and approved the proposed HST System. FRA issued a Record of Decision on the Statewide Program EIR/EIS as required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Statewide Program EIR/EIS established the purpose and need for the HST System and compared the proposed HST System with a No Project/No Action Alternative and a Modal Alternative. In approving the Statewide Program EIR/EIS, the Authority and the FRA selected the HST Alternative, selected certain corridors/general alignments and general station locations for further study throughout the state, and incorporated mitigation strategies with design practices. Further measures were specified to guide the development of the HST System during the site-specific project environmental review that would avoid and minimize potential adverse environmental impacts. In the Statewide Program EIR/EIS, the Authority and FRA selected the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR)/I-215/I-15 corridor for the Los Angeles to San Diego (LA-SD) via the Inland Empire Section of the HST. This report summarizes the public scoping process for the LA-SD via the Inland Empire Section of the HST project. The Authority encourages broad participation during EIR/EIS public scoping and review of the draft environmental documents. Comments and suggestions are invited from all interested agencies and the public to insure the full range of issues related to the proposed action are addressed, including all reasonable alternatives. In particular, the Authority is interested in determining where there are areas of environmental sensitivity and where there could be a potential for significant impacts from the HST project. On September 17, 2009, a California State Notice of Preparation (NOP) for the LA-SD HST Project EIR/EIS was distributed to the State Clearinghouse; elected officials, local, regional, and state agencies; and the interested public. A Notice of Intent (NOI) was also published in the Federal Register on September 24, 2009 for this section. In the NOP/NOI, public agencies with legal jurisdiction were requested to advise the Authority and the FRA of the applicable permit and environmental review requirements of each agency, and the scope and content of the environmental information germane to the agency’s statutory responsibilities in connection with the proposed project. Public scoping meetings were announced and held as an important component of the public scoping process for both the state and federal environmental review. During the public scoping period, 14 public scoping meetings were held between October 13 and November 3, 2009, with a total of 812 people attending the 14 meetings. The Authority and FRA received a total of 1,243 comments from agencies, organizations, and individuals regarding the proposed LA-SD via the Inland Empire Section HST project. Major issues identified as a result of public scoping are listed below in no particular order. Location of stations Connections to local transit Location of the HST alignment Fast tracking the project Benefits of HST, including air quality, Natural resource impacts congestion relief, and economic development Noise impacts Page S-1 April 2010 CALIFORNIA HIGH-SPEED TRAIN PROJECT EIR/EIS DRAFT SCOPING REPORT LOS ANGELES TO SAN DIEGO SECTION Cost and financing of the system Ridership estimates Power source and requirements Property acquisition Economic growth issues Displacement of people Benefits/impacts on local businesses Potential devaluation of property Employment opportunities Following the public scoping process, information based on the comments received during public scoping, including alternatives proposed in public scoping comments and from the alternatives analysis (AA) will assist to determine which alternatives should be fully evaluated through the EIR/EIS process. The analysis of existing conditions and potential impacts of project alternatives will then be synthesized into the Draft EIR/EIS, and the FRA and the Authority will publish the Draft EIR/EIS. Publication is anticipated