Environmental Assessment for thet Carlsbad Village Double Track Project Prepared for Prepared by BRG Consulting, Inc. This page intentionally left blank. Environmental Assessment for the Carlsbad Village Double Track Project prepared for Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) 1200 New Jersey Avenue, and San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) 401 B Street, Suite 800 San Diego, CA 92101 prepared by BRG Consulting, Inc. 304 Ivy Street San Diego, CA 92101 April 2018 This page intentionally left blank. Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page ACRONYMS ......................................................................................................................................... A-1 1.0 PURPOSE AND NEED OF PROJECT .................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Project Background ................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.3 Study Area ................................................................................................................................ 1-3 1.4 Project Purpose and Need......................................................................................................... 1-3 1.5 Applicable Regulations and Permits ........................................................................................... 1-4 2.0 ALTERNATIVES .................................................................................................................................... 2-1 2.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 2-1 2.2 Criteria for Evaluating Alternatives ............................................................................................. 2-1 2.3 Evaluated Alternatives ............................................................................................................... 2-1 2.4 Alternatives Dismissed .............................................................................................................. 2-8 3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES, IMPACTS AND MITIGATION ........................................................ 3.1-1 3.1 Aesthetic and Scenic Resources ............................................................................................ 3.1-1 3.2 Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Emissions ............................................................................ 3.2-1 3.3 Biological Resources and Wetlands ........................................................................................ 3.3-1 3.4 Community Impacts and Environmental Justice/Section VI ...................................................... 3.4-1 3.5 Cultural and Historical Resources ........................................................................................... 3.5-1 3.6 Geology/Soils .................................................................................................................. 3.6-1 3.7 Hazardous Materials/Hazardous Waste .................................................................................. 3.7-1 3.8 Hydrology/Floodplains ............................................................................................................ 3.8-1 3.9 Land Use, Zoning, and Property Acquisitions .......................................................................... 3.9-1 3.10 Noise and Vibration .............................................................................................................. 3.10-1 3.11 Parks and Recreational Areas .............................................................................................. 3.11-1 3.12 Public Health and Safety ..................................................................................................... 3.12-1 3.13 Relocation Impacts .............................................................................................................. 3.13-1 3.14 Water Quality and Water Resources .................................................................................... 3.14-1 3.15 Section 4(f) and 6(f) Evaluation ............................................................................................ 3.15-1 3.16 Construction Impacts ........................................................................................................... 3.16-1 3.17 Cumulative Impacts ............................................................................................................. 3.17-1 4.0 COORDINATION AND CONSULTATION ............................................................................................... 4-1 4.1 Agency Coordination ................................................................................................................. 4-1 4.2 Public Outreach ..................................................................................................................... 4-2 4.2 Public Outreach ..................................................................................................................... 4-2 5.0 DISTRIBUTION LIST .............................................................................................................................. 5-1 6.0 LIST OF PREPARERS ........................................................................................................................... 6-1 7.0 REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................................... 7-1 Carlsbad Village Double Track Project i April 2018 Environmental Assessment Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) List of Figures Figure No. Page 1-1 Regional Location .......................................................................................................................... 1-5 1-2 Project Location ............................................................................................................................. 1-6 2-1 Area of Potential Effect (APE) ........................................................................................................ 2-3 2-2 Tamarack Signal Work Area ........................................................................................................... 2-6 3.1-1 Viewpoint Locations .................................................................................................................... 3.1-3 3.1-2 Viewpoint 1 with Photosimulation................................................................................................. 3.1-4 3.1-3 Viewpoint 2 with Photosimulation................................................................................................. 3.1-5 3.1-4 Viewpoint 3 with Photosimulation................................................................................................. 3.1-6 3.1-5 Viewpoint 4 with Photosimulation................................................................................................. 3.1-7 3.3-1 Wet Season Protocol Sample Areas ............................................................................................ 3.3-7 3.3-2 Biological Impacts ..................................................................................................................... 3.3-11 3.5-1 Direct and Indirect Effects APE.................................................................................................... 3.5-2 3.9-1 Existing Land Use ....................................................................................................................... 3.9-9 3.10-1 Allowable Increase in Cumulative Noise Levels for Land Use Categories 1 and 2 ....................... 3.10-2 3.10-2 Sensitive Land Uses: Clusters R1 to R7 .................................................................................... 3.10-8 3.10-3 Sensitive Land Uses: Clusters R8 to R10 ................................................................................... 3.10-9 3.10-4 Sensitive Land Uses: Clusters R11 to R14 and I-1 ................................................................... 3.10-10 3.12-1 Emergency Service Locations ................................................................................................... 3.12-2 3.15-1 Land Evaluated for 4(f) Eligibility ............................................................................................... 3.15-3 3.15-2 Section 6(f) Resources .............................................................................................................. 3.15-7 3.17-1 Cumulative Projects .................................................................................................................. 3.17-4 3.17-2 Adjacent Cumulative Projects .................................................................................................... 3.17-5 List of Tables Table No. Page 3.2-1 Federal and State Ambient Air Quality Standards ......................................................................... 3.2-1 3.2-2 Ambient Air Quality Summary ...................................................................................................... 3.2-6 3.2-3 Estimated Annual Construction Air Pollutant Emissions ................................................................ 3.2-9 3.2-4 Estimated Annual Construction GHG Emissions ........................................................................ 3.2-10 3.3-1 Vegetation Types