RE Slate Solar Project Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration June 2019 | REC-06.02 Prepared for: Kings County Community Development Agency Planning Division 1400 W. Lacey Boulevard, Building #6 Hanford, CA 93230 Prepared by: HELIX Environmental Planning, Inc. 11 Natoma Street, Suite 155 Folsom, CA 95630 RE Slate Solar Project Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration Prepared for: Kings County Community Development Agency Planning Division 1400 W. Lacey Boulevard, Building #6 Hanford, CA 93230 Prepared by: HELIX Environmental Planning, Inc. 11 Natoma Street, Suite 155 Folsom, CA 95630 June 2019 | REC-06.02 This page intentionally left blank TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page 1.0 INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................1 2.0 PROJECT BACKGROUND .........................................................................................................2 3.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ...........................................................................................................4 3.1 Project Location .................................................................................................................. 4 3.2 Environmental Setting ........................................................................................................ 4 3.3 Need .................................................................................................................................... 6 3.4 Project Objectives ............................................................................................................... 6 3.5 Project Features .................................................................................................................. 7 3.6 Construction...................................................................................................................... 15 3.7 Operation and Maintenance ............................................................................................. 28 3.8 Decommissioning and Site Reclamation ........................................................................... 33 3.9 References ........................................................................................................................ 36 4.0 PERMITS AND APPROVALS THAT MAY BE REQUIRED ............................................................ 37 4.1 County of Kings ................................................................................................................. 37 4.2 Other Agencies .................................................................................................................. 37 4.3 Project Approvals .............................................................................................................. 38 4.4 Interconnection to Approved but Not yet Constructed RE Mustang Two Project Gen-Tie Line ...................................................................................................................... 38 5.0 PREVIOUS RELEVANT ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS ................................................................ 39 5.1 References ........................................................................................................................ 39 6.0 ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS POTENTIALLY AFFECTED ............................................................ 40 7.0 EVALUATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ........................................................................ 41 7.1 Aesthetics .......................................................................................................................... 41 7.2 Agriculture and Forestry Resources .................................................................................. 46 7.3 Air Quality ......................................................................................................................... 59 7.4 Biological Resources ......................................................................................................... 71 7.5 Cultural Resources .......................................................................................................... 106 7.6 Energy ............................................................................................................................. 126 7.7 Geology and Soils ............................................................................................................ 129 7.8 Greenhouse Gas Emissions ............................................................................................. 138 7.9 Hazards and Hazardous Materials .................................................................................. 145 7.10 Hydrology and Water Quality ......................................................................................... 164 7.11 Land Use and Planning .................................................................................................... 181 7.12 Mineral Resources .......................................................................................................... 186 7.13 Noise ............................................................................................................................... 187 7.14 Population and Housing .................................................................................................. 192 7.15 Public Services................................................................................................................. 195 i TABLE OF CONTENTS (cont.) 7.16 Recreation ....................................................................................................................... 198 7.17 Transportation ................................................................................................................ 200 7.18 Tribal Cultural Resources ................................................................................................ 210 7.19 Utilities and Service Systems .......................................................................................... 213 7.20 Wildfire ........................................................................................................................... 218 7.21 Mandatory Findings of Significance ................................................................................ 220 8.0 MITIGATION AND MONITORING REPORTING PROGRAM ..................................................... 229 9.0 INITIAL STUDY PREPARERS ................................................................................................. 229 LIST OF APPENDICES A Figures B Site Drawings C Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Technical Report D Biological Resources Technical Report E Cultural Resources Technical Report (Confidential – Not for Public Review) F Energy Model G Hazardous Materials - Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessments H Water Supply Assessment I Traffic Impact Study J Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program ii TABLE OF CONTENTS (cont.) LIST OF TABLES No. Title Page 3.6-1 Areas Available and Not Available for Grazing During Operation ................................................. 15 3.7-1 Solar Facility Construction Phasing, Workforce and Average Trip Generation ............................. 22 3.7-2 Solar Facility On-Site Equipment and Vehicle Use by Construction Phase .................................... 23 3.7-3 Energy Storage System Construction Phasing and Workforce ...................................................... 24 3.7-4 Energy Storage System On-Site Equipment and Vehicle Use by Construction Phase ................... 25 3.7-5 Overlapping Construction Trip Generation ................................................................................... 26 3.8-1 Proposed Operations and Maintenance Equipment ..................................................................... 29 3.9-1 Decommissioning Equipment ........................................................................................................ 35 7.3-1 SJVAPCD Air Quality Significance Thresholds ................................................................................ 63 7.3-2 Annual Construction Emissions...................................................................................................... 64 7.3-3 Annual Construction Emissions With Use of Tier 4 Off-Road Construction Equipment ................ 65 7.3-4 Annual Operation Emissions .......................................................................................................... 66 7.3-5 Annual Decommissioning Emissions .............................................................................................. 66 7.3-6 Health Risk Levels from Project Construction at Closest Sensitive Receptor ................................ 69 7.4-1 Special-Status Species With Potential to Occur ............................................................................. 76 7.4-2 SWHA Foraging Habitat in the Study Area ..................................................................................... 91 7.4-3 Project Impacts and CEQA Significance Threshold ........................................................................ 92 7.5-1 Previously Recorded Sites Within 0.5-Mile of Project Site .......................................................... 111 7.5-2 Field Conditions Summary ........................................................................................................... 113 7.6-1 Total Construction Energy Use ...................................................................................................