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Potentially Significant <br />Potentially Unless Less than <br />Significant . Mitigation Significant <br />Impact Incorporated Impact No impact <br />< { <br />XVIII. MANDATORY FINDINGS OF SIGNIFICANCE. <br />a. Does the project have the potential to degrade the quality of the <br />environment, substantially reduce the habitat of a fish or wildlife species, <br />cause a fjsh or wildlife population to drop below self-sustaining levels, <br />threaten to eliminate a plant or animal community, reduce the number or <br />restrict the range of a rare or endangered plant or animal or eliminate <br />important examples of the major periods of California history or prehistory? <br />Comment;' A Technical Memorandum, dated May 10,2012, was prepared <br />by Environmental Science Associates (ESA) to evaluate potential impacts <br />to avian species resulting from construction of the wind turbine. The study <br />concluded that bird species at highest risk in the area are populations of <br />California clapper rails and California black rails. Any risk to these <br />populations would be greatly reduced due to the distance from the habitat <br />area and the rails' ground-dwelling behavior and relatively little time speht <br />in flight. Bird fatalities are relatively infrequent events at wind farms and <br />therefore a single wind turbine poses little risk. Higher bird fatalities occur <br />at altitudes greater than 400 feet Based on comparison of available data, <br />it is estimated that the small turbine would result in 0.152 bird deaths per <br />year, At that rate, it would take 6.5 years of continuous operation to result <br />in the death of one bird. The proposed wind turbine was reviewed by the <br />California Department of Fish and Game. In a letter from Scott Wilson,, <br />Acting Regional Maoagerof the pay Delta Region, several mitigation <br />measures were recommended for inclusion in this document (see <br />IVlii igatiori Measures la. through 1:h above). Inclusion of these Mitigation <br />Measures would reduce any impacts on wildlife to a less, than significant <br />level. <br />• • • <br />Does the project have impacts that are individually limited, but cumulatively <br />considerable? (Tumulatively considerable" means that the incremental <br />effects of a project are considerable when viewed in connection with the <br />effects of past projects^ the effects of other current projects, and the effects <br />of probable future projects.) <br />Comment: The proposed wind turbine would not result in any impacts that <br />are individually or cumulatively considerable. <br />• • X • <br />c, Does the project have environmental effects which will cause substantial <br />adverse effects on human beings, either directly or Indirectly? <br />Comment: The proposed wind turbine is located in a General Industrial <br />area that is already subject to Industrial Uses. The existing visual character <br />is of industrial uses. Open space to the northwest is already compromised <br />with the Pacific GaS and Electric high tension utility towers. The proposed <br />wind turbine would have a similar visual quality. The nearest residences <br />are located approximately 500 feet away and have been constructed to <br />minimize noise from aircraft operations at the Oakland International Airport <br />to the north. The wind turbine is designed to not exceed 55 decibels; <br />Further, the manufacturer specifications for this turbine state that there are <br />no audible tones or impulses 56 meters Or 184 feet from the turbine, This <br />is within the acceptable range for industrial as well as residential uses. <br />The proposed wind turbine placement would result In a; less than significant <br />noise impact. The proposed wind turbine will not result In any adverse <br />effects on human beings, either directly or indirectly. <br />• Q • <br />14