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Air Quality Analysis Report TOWN CENTER REZONE PROJECT AIR QUALITY ANALYSIS REPORT PREPARED BY OCTOBER 2016 This page is intentionally left blank. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 Project Location ......................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Project Description ..................................................................................................................... 1-1 2.0 AIR QUALITY ......................................................................................... 2-1 2.1 Existing Setting ............................................................................................................................. 2-1 2.2 Regulatory Framework .............................................................................................................. 2-6 2.3 Air Quality Impact Assessment ............................................................................................... 2-10 3.0 REFERENCES .......................................................................................... 3-1 TABLES Table 1-1. Project Elements ................................................................................................................. 1-1 Table 2-1. Criteria Air Pollutants Summary of Common Sources and Effects ............................. 2-2 Table 2-2. Summary of Ambient Air Quality Data ........................................................................... 2-3 Table 2-3. Federal and State Ambient Air Quality Attainment Status for El Centro ................... 2-4 Table 2-4. Air Quality Standards ......................................................................................................... 2-7 Table 2-5. ICAPCD Significance Thresholds .................................................................................... 2-10 Table 2-6. Maximum Short-Term Construction Emissions (Pounds per Day) .............................. 2-13 Table 2-7. Long-Term Operational Emissions (Pounds per Day) .................................................. 2-14 APPENDICES APPENDIX A CRITERIA AIR POLLUTANT MODELING OUTPUTS City of El Centro El Centro Town Center Rezone October 2016 Air Quality Analysis Report i TABLE OF CONTENTS This page is intentionally left blank. El Centro Town Center Rezone City of El Centro Air Quality Analysis Report October 2016 ii 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.0 INTRODUCTION This report fulfills the Imperial County Air Pollution Control District (ICAPCD) requirement to prepare an air quality analysis report for a proposed development project that is projected to exceed the Tier II air pollutant emissions thresholds established by the Imperial County Air Pollution Control District (ICAPCD). This report contains all of the ICAPCD-required components of an air quality analysis report, including a summary of applicable air quality regulations and an analysis of potential air quality–related impacts associated with the proposed El Centro Town Center Rezone (project; proposed project), located in El Centro, California. 1.1 PROJECT LOCATION The project site is generally located at the northwest and southwest corners of Cruickshank Drive and 8th Street, in El Centro, California, and at Assessor’s Parcel Numbers (APN) 044-620- 049, -050, -051 and -053. Access to APN 04-620-053 would be via 12th Street from Cruickshank Drive. Access to the other three parcels would be via the future 10th Street from Bradshaw Avenue or Cruickshank Drive. 1.2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION The project proposes the rezoning of four parcels, generally located at the northwest and southwest corners of Cruickshank Drive and 8th Street. The four parcels are presently zoned Residential Airport (RAP) on the City of El Centro’s Zoning Map, which allows for the development of single-family homes at a maximum density of one dwelling unit per acre. Specifically, the project proposes to rezone the parcel identified as APN 044-620-053, which is bounded by 12th Street to the west, Cruickshank Drive to the south, and 8th Street to the east, from RAP to Light Manufacturing (ML). This parcel is 23.99 acres and rezoning it to ML would permit the development of 200,000 square feet of light manufacturing uses on the site. The three parcels identified by APNs 044-620-049, -050, and -051 are proposed to be rezoned from RAP to General Commercial (CG). APNs 044-620-049 and -051 are bounded by the future 10th Street to the west, Bradshaw Avenue to the south, 8th Street to the east, and Cruickshank Drive to the north. APN 044-620-50 is bounded by the future 10th Street to the east and Cruickshank Drive to the north. The three parcels total 20.36 acres, and rezoning them will permit the development of 240,000 square feet of commercial uses. See Table 1-1. TABLE 1-1. PROJECT ELEMENTS Gross Gross Maximum Actual Build Assumption APN Zone Acres Square Feet Build (sf) (sf) 044-620-049 General Commercial (CG) 2.08 90,604 45,302 20,000 044-620-050 General Commercial (CG) 1.04 45,302 22,651 20,000 044-620-051 General Commercial (CG) 17.24 750,974 375,487 200,000 044-620-053 Light Manufacturing (ML) 23.99 1,045,004 522,502 200,000 Total 44.35 1,931,884 965,942 440,000 Notes: Maximum build square footage calculated by applying 0.5 floor area ratio (FAR) that applies to the CG and ML zones (i.e., gross square feet/2). Actual Build Assumption based on conservative planning assumption of actual development that would occur, based on market demand, growth rates, and applicant/owner input. Michael Baker International El Centro Town Center Rezone October 2016 Air Quality Analysis Report 1-1 1.0 INTRODUCTION This page is intentionally left blank. El Centro Town Center Rezone City of El Centro Air Quality Analysis Report October 2016 1-2 2.0 AIR QUALITY 2.0 AIR QUALITY This section describes the existing air quality conditions in the El Centro region and the applicable air quality regulations, and analyzes potential short- and long-term air quality impacts that could result from implementation of the proposed project. 2.1 EXISTING SETTING AIR POLLUTION CLIMATOLOGY Air quality is defined by the concentration of pollutants related to human health. Concentrations of air pollutants are determined by the rate and location of pollutant emissions released by pollution sources and the atmosphere’s ability to transport and dilute such emissions. Imperial County is located in the southeastern corner of California in a relatively flat desert valley surrounded by mountain ranges to the east and west. The state and federal air quality regulations designate this region as the Salton Sea Air Basin (SSAB), which is under the jurisdiction of the Imperial County Air Pollution Control District (ICAPCD). The SSAB encompasses the entirety of Imperial County and the southeast portion of Riverside County and is generally an arid desert region, with a significant portion located below sea level. A semi-permanent high-pressure cell blocks mid-latitude storms and causes sunny skies most of the time. Regional air quality within the SSAB is affected by topography and atmospheric inversions. The area is generally very flat and bordered to the west by the Peninsular Mountain range and to the east by the Chocolate, Orocopia, and Cargo Muchacho mountains. The prevailing winds tend to come from the west-northwest through southwest. The mountains to the east act as physical barriers to the dispersion of airborne contaminants. The SSAB also experiences surface inversions almost every day of the year. These inversions are caused by the presence of the region’s typical subtropical high-pressure cell, which causes the air mass aloft to sink. Air masses are large bodies of air with similar temperature and moisture content. An air mass aloft refers to the higher-altitude air mass which inductively suggests that there is a separate (and thus different in temperature and moisture content) air mass at ground level. As this air mass sinks, the temperature of the air mass rises through compressional heating, thus exceeding the temperature of the air below. This stable atmospheric condition, known as a subsidence inversion, becomes a nearly impenetrable barrier to the vertical mixing of pollutants. These inversions often last for long periods of time, which allows air stagnation and the buildup of pollutants. During the winter, the area experiences radiation inversions in which the air near the ground surface cools by radiation, whereas the air higher in the atmosphere remains warmer. A shallow inversion layer is created between the two layers and precludes the vertical dispersion of air, thus trapping pollutants. The highest ozone levels are often associated with subsidence inversions. The air basin contains relatively few major emissions sources, but may experience emissions from significant vehicular traffic, particularly near the two international ports of entry. Emissions sources consist of geothermal power generation, food processing, plaster manufacturing, and other light industrial facilities. Additionally, the continued decrease in surface elevation of the Salton Sea is expected to generate dust containing decades’ worth of agricultural runoff from the exposure of land currently underwater. Michael Baker International El Centro Town Center Rezone October 2016 Air Quality Analysis Report 2-1 2.0 AIR QUALITY AIR POLLUTANTS OF CONCERN The air pollutants emitted into the ambient air by stationary and mobile sources are regulated by federal and state law.
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