November 1, 2011 located along Modjeska Canyon Road, which runs southeast off of Santiago Canyon Road To: Interested Parties and is approximately 1 mi south of Williams Canyon Road. Subject: NOTICE OF INTENT TO ADOPT A MITIGATED NEGATIVE Project Description: IRWD is proposing DECLARATION FOR THE PROPOSED replacement of the portable generators at SANTIAGO CANYON AREA BOOSTER each of the five BPS sites identified to PUMP STATION (BPS) PERMANENT improve the reliability of the water system GENERATORS PROJECT during power outages, particularly when the outages are caused by fires in the canyons. The Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD) is This Proposed Project would replace the proposing replacement of the existing portable portable generators at each of the sites with generators at five BPS sites with permanent permanent electrical emergency generators, electrical emergency generators set with a each set with a diesel engine and integral 24- diesel engine and integral 24-hour fuel storage hour fuel storage on a concrete pad. Four of set on a concrete pad. As the Lead Agency the five permanent generators would be under the California Environmental Quality contained within a concrete masonry unit Act (CEQA), the IRWD has prepared an (CMU) block wall for protection against Initial Study/Draft Mitigated Negative fires. Construction is anticipated to be phased Declaration (IS/MND) which evaluates the to allow work at no more than two sites at potential environmental effects of the any given time in order to minimize proposed project. disruption to local residents and avoid extended work stoppages at any individual Project Location: The Proposed Project site site. is located within the Santiago Canyon- Modjeska Canyon area within an Public Review Period: The IS/MND is being unincorporated portion of the County. The made available for public review for a period Proposed Project site is located within five of 30 days beginning November 2, 2011 and separate IRWD BPS sites. Three of the BPS concluding December 1, 2011. The electronic sites (Fleming BPS, Shaw BPS, and Read version of the IS/MND may be viewed at the BPS) are along Silverado Canyon Road, which following website address: runs east from Santiago Canyon Road. The http://www.irwd.com/environment/ceqa.html fourth site (Williams BPS) is located along Printed copies of the IS/MND are also Williams Canyon Road, which also runs east available for review at the Irvine Ranch Water from Santiago Canyon Road and is District Headquarters, located at 15600 Sand approximately 1 mile (mi) south of Silverado Canyon Avenue, Irvine, California 92618- Canyon Road. The fifth site (Manning BPS) is 3102. Comments on the IS/MND must be received in writing no later than 5:00 p.m., December 1, 2011 and sent to: Irvine Ranch Water District Attention: Christian Kessler 15600 Sand Canyon Avenue Irvine, California 92618-3102 Comments may also be emailed to Christian Kessler at [email protected]. All comments received related to issues discussed in the IS/MND will be included in the final package that is forwarded to the Board of Directors for final consideration. Public Meeting: The Board will consider the adoption of the IS/MND and any comments received on the IS/MND, along with the proposed project at a regularly scheduled Board meeting to be held on December 12, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. at Irvine Ranch Water District Headquarters, located at 15600 Sand Canyon Avenue, Irvine, California 92618. All parties are welcome to attend and provide testimony as to the proposed project and/or the IS/MND. If you have any questions regarding the IS/MND, please contact Mr. Christian Kessler at (949) 453- 5441. The project site is not listed as a hazardous waste site under Government Code Section 65962.5. DRAFT INITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION SANTIAGO CANYON AREA BOOSTER PUMP STATION PERMANENT GENERATORS PROJECT October 2011 DRAFT INITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION SANTIAGO CANYON AREA BOOSTER PUMP STATION PERMANENT GENERATORS PROJECT Submitted to: Christian Kessler Water Resources and Environmental Compliance Irvine Ranch Water District 15600 Sand Canyon Avenue Irvine, California 92618 (949) 453-5300 Prepared by: LSA Associates, Inc. 20 Executive Park, Suite 200 Irvine, California 92614-4731 (949) 553-0666 October 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................1-1 1.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE................................................................................................1-1 1.2 FINDINGS OF THIS INITIAL STUDY........................................................................1-2 1.3 EXISTING DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE..............................1-2 1.4 REVIEW OF THE INITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION............................................................................................................1-3 1.5 PROJECT CONTACT PERSONS.................................................................................1-3 2.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION.......................................................................................................2-1 2.1 EXISTING SETTING ....................................................................................................2-1 2.2 BACKGROUND INFORMATION ...............................................................................2-3 2.3 PROPOSED PROJECT..................................................................................................2-3 2.4 PROJECT OBJECTIVES.............................................................................................2-22 2.5 DISCRETIONARY ACTIONS....................................................................................2-22 3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CHECKLIST FORM.............................................................................3-1 4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS AND EXPLANATION OF CHECKLIST RESPONSES ............................................................................................................................4-1 4.1 AESTHETICS ................................................................................................................4-1 4.2 AGRICULTURE AND FOREST RESOURCES ..........................................................4-4 4.3 AIR QUALITY ..............................................................................................................4-6 4.4 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES......................................................................................4-13 4.5 CULTURAL/SCIENTIFIC RESOURCES ..................................................................4-18 4.6 GEOLOGY AND SOILS .............................................................................................4-21 4.7 GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS ............................................................................4-24 4.8 HAZARDS AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ........................................................4-29 4.9 HYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITY .................................................................4-34 4.10 LAND USE AND PLANNING ...................................................................................4-40 4.11 MINERAL RESOURCES............................................................................................4-42 4.12 NOISE ..........................................................................................................................4-43 4.13 POPULATION AND HOUSING ................................................................................4-47 4.14 PUBLIC SERVICES ....................................................................................................4-48 4.15 RECREATION.............................................................................................................4-49 4.16 TRANSPORTATION/CIRCULATION ......................................................................4-50 4.17 UTILITIES AND SERVICE SYSTEMS .....................................................................4-53 4.18 MANDATORY FINDINGS OF SIGNIFICANCE......................................................4-55 5.0 REFERENCES .........................................................................................................................5-1 6.0 LIST OF PREPARERS.............................................................................................................6-1 6.1 LSA ASSOCIATES, INC...............................................................................................6-1 6.2 IRVINE RANCH WATER DISTRICT .........................................................................6-1 APPENDICES A: Air Quality Emissions Worksheets B: Biological Assessment C: Cultural Resources Report D: Environmental FirstSearch Report P:\IRW0901_P6\Draft PD and MND\IS-MND\IS-MND Oct 2011.doc «10/27/11» i FIGURES AND TABLES FIGURES Figure 2.1: Project Location Map........................................................................................................2-2 Figure 2.2: Fleming Booster Pump Station Vicinity Map...................................................................2-4 Figure 2.3: Fleming Booster Pump Station Existing and Proposed Site Improvements .....................2-5 Figure 2.4: Shaw Booster Pump Station Vicinity Map .......................................................................2-8 Figure 2.5: Shaw Booster Pump Station Existing and Proposed Site Improvements..........................2-9 Figure 2.6: Read Booster Pump Station Vicinity Map......................................................................2-12