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Environmental Checklist Geology and Soils Draft Initial Study – Mitigated Negative Declaration 67 Ground-disturbing activities for this project will include overall grading of the site and excavations for stormwater catch basins and storm drains. These activities are anticipated to reach up to 12 feet below the current grade. The depth at which these sediments become old enough to preserve paleontological resources (i.e., 5,000 years old; SVP 2010) is unknown. Maguire and Holroyd (2016) report Pleistocene-aged fossils (e.g., mammoth, horse, ground sloth) at depths as shallow as 9 feet below the current surface from sediments mapped as Holocene at the surface in Santa Clara County. Although, this project is in Alameda County rather than Santa Clara County, the data of Maguire and Holroyd (2016) does show the depths at which fossil-bearing sediments can occur in the San Francisco Bay area. Therefore, the 12-foot-deep excavations anticipated for this project may impact sediments that are old enough to contain paleontological resources. As a result, mitigation measure GEO-1 is recommended to ensure that potential impacts to paleontological resources are less than significant by providing training to construction personnel on the appearance of fossils and establishing procedures to be followed in the event that an unanticipated paleontological resource is discovered. These procedures will effectively mitigate impacts to paleontological resources through their recovery, identification, and curation. GEO-1 Unanticipated Fossil Discovery PALEONTOLOGICAL WORKER ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS PROGRAM Prior to the start of construction, a Qualified Professional Paleontologist, as defined by SVP (2010), or their designee shall conduct a paleontological Worker Environmental Awareness Program (WEAP) training for construction personnel regarding the appearance of fossils and the procedures for notifying paleontological staff should fossils be discovered by construction personnel. UNANTICIPATED DISCOVERY OF PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES The project developer shall include a standard inadvertent discovery clause in every construction contract to inform contractors of this requirement. If a potential fossil is discovered during project construction, construction activity within 50 feet of the find shall cease until the discovery is examined by a Qualified Professional Paleontologist. If the find is determined to be significant, the Qualified Professional Paleontologist shall direct all mitigation measures related to paleontological resources consistent with the SVP (2010) standards. LESS THAN SIGNIFICANT WITH MITIGATION INCORPORATED