January 2015 ALTAMONT WINDS INC. 86 MW Altamont Wind Farms Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report 2018 CUP Extension PROJECT NUMBER: ` PROJECT CONTACT: Chris Knopp EMAIL: [email protected] PHONE: 858-810-5381 POWER ENGINEERS, INC. Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report - 2018 CUP Extension Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report 2018 CUP Extension PREPARED FOR: COUNTY OF ALAMEDA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AGENCY, PLANNING DEPARTMENT PREPARED BY: POWER ENGINEERS, INC. 858-810-5381 [email protected] POWER ENGINEERS, INC. Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report - 2018 CUP Extension TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................. 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................... 1 SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT ....................................................................... 1 Asset Exchange .............................................................................................................................................. 2 MAJOR CONCLUSIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS ............................................................. 2 Impacts .......................................................................................................................................................... 2 Mitigation ...................................................................................................................................................... 4 Alternatives Analysis ..................................................................................................................................... 6 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT ....................................................................................................................... 6 1.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 9 1.1 PROJECT UNDER REVIEW ....................................................................................................... 9 1.2 LEAD AGENCY ........................................................................................................................ 9 1.3 THE SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT ...................................................... 9 1.3.1 Intended Use ..................................................................................................................................... 9 1.3.2 Type of EIR ...................................................................................................................................... 9 1.3.3 Decision to Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Report ............................................... 11 1.4 ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PROCESS .................................................................................... 11 1.4.1 Notice of Preparation ...................................................................................................................... 11 1.4.2 Public Involvement and Review ..................................................................................................... 12 1.4.3 Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Report ........................................................................ 12 1.4.4 Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report ......................................................................... 13 1.5 ORGANIZATION OF THE SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT ..................... 14 1.5.1 Scope and Focus of the FSEIR, Compared to the 2013 FEIR ........................................................ 15 1.6 INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE ........................................................................................... 15 2.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ................................................................................................... 16 2.1 PROJECT BACKGROUND ....................................................................................................... 16 2.2 PROJECT LOCATION .............................................................................................................. 17 2.3 PROJECT NEED AND OBJECTIVES ......................................................................................... 23 2.4 MAJOR PROJECT COMPONENTS ............................................................................................ 24 2.4.1 Asset Exchange............................................................................................................................... 24 2.4.2 Repowering Development Milestones ............................................................................................ 24 2.4.3 Circumstances Outside AWI’s Control .......................................................................................... 25 3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ANALYSIS AND MITIGATION MEASURES .......... 26 3.1 APPROACH TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS ................................................................. 26 3.1.1 Noise ............................................................................................................................................... 26 3.1.2 Air Quality and Greenhouse Gases ................................................................................................. 27 3.1.3 Biological Resources ...................................................................................................................... 27 3.1.4 Hazards and Hazardous Materials .................................................................................................. 28 3.2 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES ..................................................................................................... 28 3.2.1 Regulatory setting ........................................................................................................................... 28 3.2.2 Environmental Setting .................................................................................................................... 28 3.2.3 Environmental Impacts ................................................................................................................... 29 3.3 HAZARDS AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ............................................................................. 40 3.3.1 Regulatory setting ........................................................................................................................... 41 3.3.2 Environmental Setting .................................................................................................................... 41 3.3.3 Environmental Impacts ................................................................................................................... 41 4.0 LIST OF PREPARERS AND OTHERS CONSULTED .................................................... 47 ANA 305-019 (PER 02) ALTAMONT WINDS (01/23/2015) 135763 YU PAGE i POWER ENGINEERS, INC. Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report - 2018 CUP Extension 4.1 COUNTY OF ALAMEDA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AGENCY ........................................... 47 4.2 POWER ENGINEERS, INC. .................................................................................................... 47 5.0 REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................... 48 FIGURES: FIGURE 1 LOCATION MAP .......................................................................................................... 19 FIGURE 2 PROJECT FACILITY EXCHANGE MAP – SEE MAP POCKET IN THE BACK OF THE DOCUMENT ................................................................................................................. 21 FIGURE 3 CLOSE-UP VIEW OF WIND TURBINE BLADE IFD ROD ............................................... 44 FIGURE 4 CLOSE-UP VIEW OF RUST STAINING EMANATING FROM WIND TURBINE IFD ROD . 45 TABLES: TABLE ES-1 ESTIMATED AVIAN FATALITIES (FOCAL RAPTOR SPECIES) AT FULL PROJECT CAPACITY (85.8 MW) BASED ON 2008-2010 BIRD YEAR ADJUSTED FATALITY RATES ...................................................................................................................................... 3 TABLE ES-2 ESTIMATED AVIAN FATALITIES (FOCAL RAPTOR SPECIES) AT FULL PROJECT CAPACITY (85.8 MW) BASED ON 2005-2011 BIRD YEAR ADJUSTED FATALITY RATES ...................................................................................................................................... 3 TABLE ES-3 COMPARISON OF ADJUSTED SPECIES FATALITY TOTALS OF FOUR FOCAL SPECIES, BASED ON AN AVERAGE FATALITY RATE (FATALITIES PER MEGAWATT PER YEAR) . 3 TABLE ES-4 SUMMARY OF IMPACTS, MITIGATION MEASURES, AND LEVELS OF SIGNIFICANCE .... 8 TABLE 2-1 LIST OF CUPS, LANDOWNERS AND APNS ................................................................. 18 TABLE 3-1 ADJUSTED APWRA-WIDE AVIAN FATALITY RATES PER MW PER YEAR ................ 32 TABLE 3-2 SUMMARY OF INSTALLED CAPACITY PER MEGAWATT YEAR FOR SCENARIOS ......... 33 TABLE 3-3 ESTIMATED AVIAN FATALITIES AT FULL PROJECT CAPACITY (85.8 MW) BASED ON 2008-2010 BIRD YEAR ADJUSTED FATALITY RATES ................................................. 33 TABLE 3-4 ESTIMATED AVIAN FATALITIES AT FULL PROJECT CAPACITY (85.8 MW) BASED ON 2005-2011 BIRD YEAR ADJUSTED FATALITY RATES ................................................. 34 TABLE 3-5 COMPARISON OF ADJUSTED SPECIES FATALITY TOTALS OF FOUR FOCAL SPECIES, BASED ON AN AVERAGE FATALITY RATE (FATALITIES