5A Public Hearings 2018 0220 - Laserfiche WebLink

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b. Project Impacts and Mitigation Measures Threshold: Would the Specific Plan violate any air quality standard or contribute substantially to an existing or projected air quality violation? Threshold: Would the Specific Plan result in a cumulatively considerable net increase of any criteria pollutant for which the project region is nonattainment under an applicable federal or state ambient air quality standard (including releasing emissions, which exceed quantitative thresholds for ozone precursors? Threshold: Would the Specific Plan expose sensitive receptors to substantial pollutant concentrations? IMPACT AQ-1 BUILDOUT OF THE PROPOSED SPECIFIC PLAN WOULD RESULT IN THE TEMPORARY GENERATION OF AIR POLLUTANTS DURING CONSTRUCTION, WHICH WOULD AFFECT LOCAL AIR QUALITY. COMPLIANCE WITH THE BAAQMD BASIC CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION MEASURES WOULD REQUIRE FUTURE PROJECTS WITHIN THE SPECIFIC PLAN AREA TO IMPLEMENT MEASURES TO REDUCE CONSTRUCTION EMISSIONS. IMPACTS WOULD BE SIGNIFICANT BUT MITIGABLE. Construction of individual projects that could be developed under the proposed Specific Plan would involve activities that result in air pollutant emissions. Construction activities such as demolition, grading, construction worker travel to and from project sites, delivery and hauling of construction supplies and debris to and from project sites, and fuel combustion by on-site construction equipment would generate pollutant emissions. These construction activities would temporarily create emissions of dust, fumes, equipment exhaust, and other air contaminants, particularly during site preparation and grading. The extent of daily emissions, particularly ROGs and NOX emissions, generated by construction equipment, would depend on the quantity of equipment used and the hours of operation for each project. The extent of PM2.5 and PM10 emissions would depend upon the following factors: 1) the amount of disturbed soils; 2) the length of disturbance time; 3) whether existing structures are demolished; 4) whether excavation is involved; and 5) whether transporting excavated materials offsite is necessary. Dust emissions can lead to both nuisance and health impacts. According to the BAAQMD CEQA Air Quality Guidelines from 2017 PM10 is the greatest pollutant of concern during construction. As discussed above, BAAQMD’s CEQA Air Quality Guidelines from 2017 have no plan-level significance thresholds for construction air pollutant emissions. However, the guidelines include project-level thresholds for construction emissions. If a project’s construction emissions fall below the project-level thresholds, the project’s impacts to regional air quality are considered individually and cumulatively less than significant. The BAAQMD has also identified feasible fugitive dust control measures for construction activities. These Basic Construction Mitigation measures are recommended for all projects (BAAQMD 2017). In addition, the BAAQMD and CARB have regulations that address the handling of hazardous air pollutants such as lead and asbestos. Lead and asbestos emissions could occur from demolition activities and asbestos emissions. BAAQMD rules and regulations address both the handling and transport of these contaminants. Construction associated with development of projects under the proposed Specific Plan would temporarily increase air pollutant emissions, possibly creating localized areas of unhealthy air pollution levels or air quality nuisances. However, development under the proposed Specific Plan would be required to comply with the 2035 General Plan Mitigation Measure AQ-2B-1, which requires applicants for future development projects to comply with the current BAAQMD basic control measures for reducing construction emissions of PM10, including watering exposed ground areas twice a day 150