FINAL JOINT NEPA ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND CEQA INITIAL STUDY / MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION Volume I FOR THE DIGITAL 395 MIDDLE MILE PROJECT San Bernardino, Kern, Inyo, and Mono Counties in California Douglas, Carson City, and Washoe Counties in Nevada Lead Agencies: NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION Broadband Technology Opportunities Program 1401 Constitution Avenue NW Washington, DC 20230 Contact: Genevieve Walker, (202) 482-2345 CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION 505 Van Ness Avenue San Francisco, CA 94102 Contact: Andrew Barnsdale, (415) 703-3221 Prepared for Project Applicant: CALIFORNIA BROADBAND COOPERATIVE, INC. 1101 Nimitz Avenue Vallejo, California 94592 Contact: Michael Ort Prepared by: CHAMBERS GROUP, INC. 5 Hutton Centre Drive, Suite 750 Santa Ana, CA 92707 (949) 261-5414 May 2012 THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Joint NEPA Environmental Assessment and CEQA Initial Study/MND Digital 395 Middle Mile Project TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................... 1 ES-1 PROPOSED PROJECT LOCATION ................................................................................................... 2 ES-2 ALTERNATIVES .............................................................................................................................. 3 ES-2.1 No Action Alternative ....................................................................................................... 3 ES-2.2 Alternatives Eliminated from Detailed Analysis............................................................... 3 ES-2.3 Preferred Alternative ....................................................................................................... 4 SECTION 1.0 – INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1 1.1 ACTIVITIES TO BE AUTHORIZED, FUNDED, OR CARRIED OUT BY THE FEDERAL ACTION AGENCY 1 1.2 OBJECTIVES, PURPOSE, AND NEED FOR THE PROJECT ................................................................. 1 1.3 RELATIONSHIP TO NEPA GUIDELINES ........................................................................................... 3 1.3.1 Environmental Assessment .............................................................................................. 3 1.3.2 Public Review and Involvement ....................................................................................... 3 1.3.3 Response to Comments/Final EA ..................................................................................... 3 1.3.4 Adoption of the EA/Project Consideration ...................................................................... 3 1.3.5 Finding of No Significant Impact ...................................................................................... 4 1.4 RELATIONSHIP TO CEQA GUIDELINES ........................................................................................... 5 1.4.1 Intended Uses of the Mitigated Negative Declaration .................................................... 5 1.5 COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE REGULATORY STATUTES AND PERMIT REQUIREMENTS ......... 6 1.5.1 Federal Environmental Regulations ................................................................................. 6 1.5.2 State Environmental Regulations ................................................................................... 13 1.5.3 Local Environmental Regulations ................................................................................... 15 1.6 RESPONSIBLE, TRUSTEE, AND COOPERATING AGENCIES ........................................................... 15 SECTION 2.0 – PROPOSED ACTION .................................................................................................... 16 2.1 LOCATION ................................................................................................................................... 17 2.1.1 San Bernardino ............................................................................................................... 17 2.1.2 Kern ................................................................................................................................ 17 2.1.3 Inyo South (Lone Pine) ................................................................................................... 20 2.1.4 Inyo North (Bishop) ........................................................................................................ 21 2.1.5 Mono South (Lee Vining/June Lake/Mammoth Lakes).................................................. 21 2.1.6 Mono North (Coleville/Walker/Bridgeport) .................................................................. 21 2.1.7 Nevada (Douglas, Carson City, and Washoe Counties) .................................................. 22 2.2 CONSTRUCTION METHODS ........................................................................................................ 22 2.2.1 Conduit Construction Strategy ....................................................................................... 23 2.2.2 Cable Plowing ................................................................................................................. 23 2.2.3 Trenching ....................................................................................................................... 24 2.2.4 Horizontal Directional Drilling ........................................................................................ 24 2.2.5 Fiber-optic Cable in Existing Conduit ............................................................................. 25 2.2.6 Bridge Crossings ............................................................................................................. 26 2.3 RAILROAD CROSSINGS ................................................................................................................ 35 Chambers Group, Inc. i 20260 Joint NEPA Environmental Assessment and CEQA Initial Study/MND Digital 395 Middle Mile Project 2.4 AERIAL ATTACHMENTS ............................................................................................................... 40 2.5 CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT ..................................................................................................... 40 2.6 OTHER PROJECT COMPONENTS ................................................................................................. 41 2.6.1 Project Facilities ............................................................................................................. 41 2.6.2 Access Vaults .................................................................................................................. 42 2.6.3 Subsurface Warning Tape and Cable Locating Technology ........................................... 43 2.6.4 Marker Posts .................................................................................................................. 43 2.6.5 Staging and Laydown Areas ........................................................................................... 43 2.6.6 Construction Schedule ................................................................................................... 44 2.6.7 Applicant-Proposed Measures ....................................................................................... 44 2.6.8 Operation and Maintenance .......................................................................................... 45 2.7 ALTERNATIVES ............................................................................................................................ 45 2.7.1 No Action Alternative ..................................................................................................... 45 2.7.2 Alternatives Eliminated from Detailed Analysis............................................................. 45 2.7.3 Preferred Alternative ..................................................................................................... 46 SECTION 3.0 – EXISTING ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................... 48 3.1 NOISE .......................................................................................................................................... 48 3.1.1 General Characteristics of Community Noise ................................................................ 48 3.1.2 Noise Environment in the Project Area ......................................................................... 50 3.1.3 Sensitive Receptors ........................................................................................................ 50 3.1.4 Applicable Regulations, Plans, and Standards ............................................................... 52 3.2 AIR QUALITY ................................................................................................................................ 56 3.2.1 Atmospheric Setting ....................................................................................................... 56 3.2.2 Air Quality Standards ..................................................................................................... 57 3.2.3 Air Pollutants of Concern ............................................................................................... 58 3.2.4 Regulatory Context ........................................................................................................ 61 3.2.5 Attainment Status .........................................................................................................