Draft Initial Study/ Mitigated Negative Declaration Putah Creek Energy Farm Use Permit Parcel 030-200-016 Zone File # 2019-006 Lead Agency Yolo County Department of Community Services Planning Division 292 West Beamer Street Woodland, CA, 95695-2598 Technical assistance provided by September 2019 Yolo County Department of Community Services CONTENTS Contents 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1 2. Regulatory Framework ............................................................................................................... 1 CEQA 1 Yolo County ........................................................................................................................................... 1 3. Environmental Checklist Form ..................................................................................................... 3 Environmental Factors Potentially Affected ......................................................................................... 5 Environmental Determination .............................................................................................................. 5 4. Detailed Project Description ........................................................................................................ 6 4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 6 4.2 Project Objectives ....................................................................................................................... 7 4.3 Project Construction ................................................................................................................... 7 Equipment Staging Areas ............................................................................................................ 7 4.4 Operation and Maintenance ...................................................................................................... 8 Project Design Features .............................................................................................................. 8 4.5 Project Schedule ......................................................................................................................... 9 4.6 Facility Closure ............................................................................................................................ 9 4.7 Applicant Proposed Measures .................................................................................................... 9 5. Environmental Setting and Environmental Impacts .................................................................... 14 5.1 Aesthetics ................................................................................................................................. 14 Environmental Setting .............................................................................................................. 14 Applicant Proposed Measures .................................................................................................. 15 Impact Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 15 Aesthetics Impact Conclusions ................................................................................................. 17 5.2 Agriculture and Forestry Resources ......................................................................................... 18 Environmental Setting .............................................................................................................. 18 Impact Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 19 Mitigation Measures ................................................................................................................. 20 Agriculture and Forestry Services Impact Conclusions ............................................................. 20 5.3 Air Quality ................................................................................................................................. 21 Environmental Setting .............................................................................................................. 21 Applicant Proposed Measures .................................................................................................. 22 Impact Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 23 Air Quality Impact Conclusions ................................................................................................. 24 5.4 Biological Resources ................................................................................................................. 25 Environmental Setting .............................................................................................................. 25 Impact Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 26 Mitigation Measures ................................................................................................................. 28 Biological Resources Impact Conclusions ................................................................................. 29 5.5 Cultural Resources .................................................................................................................... 32 Environmental Setting .............................................................................................................. 32 Cultural Setting ......................................................................................................................... 33 Ethnographic Setting ................................................................................................................ 33 Historical Background ............................................................................................................... 34 CRHR Evaluations ...................................................................................................................... 36 Impact Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 36 Mitigation Measures ................................................................................................................. 37 Cultural Resources Impact Conclusions .................................................................................... 38 September 2019 i Draft Initial Study Yolo County Department of Community Services PUTAH CREEK ENERGY FARM USE PERMIT 5.6 Energy ....................................................................................................................................... 39 Environmental Setting .............................................................................................................. 39 Impact Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 40 5.7 Geology and Soils ...................................................................................................................... 41 Environmental Setting .............................................................................................................. 41 Applicant Proposed Measures .................................................................................................. 42 Impact Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 42 Geology and Soils Impact Conclusions ..................................................................................... 44 5.8 Greenhouse Gas Emissions ....................................................................................................... 45 Background ............................................................................................................................... 45 Applicant Proposed Measures .................................................................................................. 46 Impact Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 46 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Impact Conclusions....................................................................... 47 5.9 Hazards and Hazardous Materials ............................................................................................ 48 Environmental Setting .............................................................................................................. 48 Impact Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 49 Hazards and Hazardous Materials Impact Conclusions ............................................................ 51 5.10 Hydrology and Water Quality ................................................................................................... 52 Environmental Setting .............................................................................................................. 52 Impact Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 53 Hydrology and Water Quality Impact Conclusions ..................................................................