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3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CHECKLIST <br />1388 Bancroft Avenue Project City of San Leandro <br />Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration November 2018 <br />3.0-34 <br /> <br />Potentially <br />Significant <br />Impact <br />Less Than <br />Significant <br />Impact with <br />Mitigation <br />Incorporated <br />Less Than <br />Significant <br />Impact <br />No <br />Impact <br />7. GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. Would the project: <br />a) Generate greenhouse gas emissions, either <br />directly or indirectly, that may have a significant <br />impact on the environment? <br /> <br />b) Conflict with an applicable plan, policy or <br />regulation adopted for the purpose of reducing <br />the emissions of greenhouse gases? <br /> <br />ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING <br />Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are released as byproducts of fossil fuel combustion, waste disposal, <br />energy use, land use changes, and other human activities as well as many natural processes. This release of gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O), creates <br />a blanket around the earth that allows light to pass through but traps heat at the surface, <br />preventing its escape into space. Table 3.7-1 describes the primary GHGs attributed to global <br />climate change, including a description of their physical properties and primary sources. <br />TABLE 3.7-1 <br />GREENHOUSE GASES <br />Greenhouse <br />Gas Description <br />Carbon dioxide <br />(CO2) <br />CO2 is a colorless, odorless gas and is emitted in a number of ways, both naturally and through human <br />activities. The largest source of CO2 emissions globally is the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, <br />oil, and gas in power plants, automobiles, industrial facilities, and other sources. The atmospheric <br />lifetime of CO2 is variable because it is so readily exchanged in the atmosphere. a <br />Methane (CH4) <br />CH4 is a colorless, odorless gas that is not flammable under most circumstances. CH4 is the major <br />component of natural gas, about 87 percent by volume. It is also formed and released to the <br />atmosphere by biological processes occurring in anaerobic environments. CH4 is emitted from both <br />human-related and natural sources. Methane’s atmospheric lifetime is about 12 years. b <br />Nitrous oxide <br />(N2O) <br />N2O is a clear, colorless gas with a slightly sweet odor. N2O is produced by natural and human-related <br />sources. Primary human-related sources are agricultural soil management, animal manure <br />management, sewage treatment, mobile and stationary combustion of fossil fuels, adipic acid <br />production, and nitric acid production. The atmospheric lifetime of N2O is approximately 120 years. c <br />Sources: a. EPA 2016a, b. EPA 2016b, c. EPA 2016c <br />Each GHG differs in its ability to absorb heat in the atmosphere based on the lifetime, or <br />persistence, of the gas molecule in the atmosphere. Estimates of GHG emissions are commonly presented in carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e), which weighs each gas by its global warming potential. Expressing GHG emissions in CO2e takes the contribution of all GHG emissions to the <br />greenhouse effect and converts them to a single unit equivalent to the effect that would occur if <br />only CO2 were being emitted. GHG emissions quantities in this analysis are presented in metric tons (MT) of CO2e. From the standpoint of CEQA, GHG impacts on global climate change are <br />inherently cumulative.