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 The Impact Discussion assesses potential impacts (direct and indirect), and explains why impacts were <br />found to be significant or less than significant. <br /> The Cumulative Impact Discussion section analyzes impacts that the Project may have when <br />considered in addition to other past, present and reasonably foreseeable projects. (See further <br />discussion below.) <br /> The Summary of Impacts and Mitigation Measures section numbers and lists identified impacts, and <br />presents measures that would mitigate each significant impact. In each case, the significance <br />following mitigation is also explained. <br />ASSUMPTIONS AND METHODOLOGY REGARDING <br />CUMULATIVE IMPACTS <br />A cumulative impact consists of an impact created as a result of the combination of the project evaluated <br />in the EIR, together with other reasonably foreseeable projects causing related impacts. Section 15130 of <br />the CEQA Guidelines requires an EIR to discuss cumulative impacts of a project when the project's <br />incremental effect is “cumulatively considerable.” <br />Where the incremental effect of a project is not “cumulatively considerable,” a Lead Agency need not <br />consider that effect significant, but must briefly describe its basis for concluding that the incremental <br />effect is not cumulatively considerable. Where the cumulative impact caused by the project's incremental <br />effect and the effects of other projects is not significant, the EIR must briefly indicate why the cumulative <br />impact is not significant. <br />The cumulative discussions in sub-chapters 4.1 through 4.14 explain the geographic scope of the area <br />affected by each cumulative effect (e.g. immediate project vicinity, county, watershed, or air basin). The <br />geographic area considered for each cumulative impact depends upon the impact that is being analyzed. <br />For example, in assessing aesthetic impacts, only development within the vicinity of the Project site would <br />contribute to a cumulative visual effect since the Project site is only visible within the vicinity of the site. In <br />assessing macro-scale air quality impacts, on the other hand, all development within the air basin <br />contributes to regional emissions of criteria pollutants, and basin-wide projections of emissions is the best <br />tool for determining the cumulative impact. <br />The CEQA Guidelines provide two approaches to analyzing cumulative impacts. The first is the “list <br />approach,” which requires a listing of past, present and reasonably anticipated future projects producing <br />related or cumulative impacts. The second is the projections-based approach wherein the relevant growth <br />projections contained in an adopted general plan or related planning document designed to evaluate <br />regional or area-wide conditions are summarized. A reasonable combination of the two approaches may <br />also be used. <br />The cumulative impact analysis in this Draft EIR relies on a combination of the two permissible <br />approaches, with the applicable list of projects shown in Table 4-1. The cumulative analysis discussions <br />contained in Chapters 4.1 through 4.14 include a discussion of the growth projections and references to <br />specific projects as relevant to the impact analysis as of August 2014.