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REPORT:
Lead Agency Projects and Environmental Documents Received by the
AQMD
SYNOPSIS:
This report provides, for the Board’s consideration, a listing
of CEQA documents received by the AQMD between August 1, 2009, and August 31, 2009, and those projects for which the AQMD is acting as lead agency pursuant to CEQA.
COMMITTEE:
Mobile Source, September 25, 2009
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:
Receive and file.
Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer
Background
CEQA Document Receipt and Review Logs (Attachments A and B) – Each month, the
AQMD receives numerous CEQA documents from other public agencies on projects
that could adversely affect air quality. A listing of all documents received
during the reporting period of August 1, 2009 through August 31, 2009, is
contained in Attachment A. A list of active projects from previous reporting
periods for which AQMD staff is continuing to evaluate or prepare comments is
included as Attachment B.
The Intergovernmental Review function, which consists of reviewing and
commenting on the adequacy of the air quality analysis in CEQA documents
prepared by other lead agencies, is consistent with the Board’s 1997
Environmental Justice Guiding Principles and Initiative #4. Consistent with the
Environmental Justice Program Enhancements for FY 2002-03 approved by the Board
in September 2002, each of the attachments notes those proposed projects where
the AQMD has been contacted regarding potential air quality-related
environmental justice concerns. The AQMD has established an internal central
contact to receive information on projects with potential air quality-related
environmental justice concerns. The public may contact the AQMD about projects
of concern by the following means: in writing via fax, e-mail, or standard
letters; through telephone communication; as part of oral comments at AQMD
meetings or other meetings where AQMD staff is present; or submitting newspaper
articles. The attachments also identify for each project the dates of the public
comment period and the public hearing date, if known at the time the CEQA
document is received by the AQMD.
At the January 6, 2006 Board meeting, the Board approved the Workplan for the
Chairman’s Clean Port Initiatives. One action item of the Chairman’s Initiatives
was to prepare a monthly report describing CEQA documents for projects related
to goods movement and to make full use of the process to ensure the air quality
impacts of such projects are thoroughly mitigated. In response to describing
goods movement CEQA documents, Attachments A and B were reorganized to group
projects of interest into the following categories: goods movement projects;
schools; landfills and wastewater projects; airports; and general land use
projects; etc. In response to the mitigation component, guidance information on
mitigation measures were compiled into a series of tables relative to the
following equipment: off-road engines, on-road engines, harbor craft,
ocean-going vessels, locomotives, and fugitive dust. These mitigation measure
tables are on the CEQA webpages portion of the AQMD’s website. Staff will
continue compiling tables of mitigation measures for other emission sources
including airport ground support equipment, etc.
As resources permit, staff focuses on reviewing and preparing comments for
projects: where the AQMD is a responsible agency; that may have significant
adverse regional air quality impacts (e.g., special event centers, landfills,
goods movement, etc.); that may have localized or toxic air quality impacts
(e.g., warehouse and distribution centers); where environmental justice concerns
have been raised; and those projects for which a lead or responsible agency has
specifically requested AQMD review.
During the period August 1, 2009, through August 31, 2009, the AQMD received
66 CEQA documents. Of the total of 98 documents listed in Attachments A and B:
- 16 comment letters were sent;
- 13 documents were reviewed, but no comments were made;
- 55 documents are currently under review;
- 14 documents did not require comments (e.g., public notices, plot plans,
Final Environmental Impact Reports); and
- 0 documents were not reviewed.
Copies of all comment letters sent to lead agencies can be found on the
AQMD’s CEQA webpage at the following internet address:
www.aqmd.gov/ceqa/letters.html.
AQMD Lead Agency Projects (Attachment C) – Pursuant to CEQA, the AQMD
periodically acts as lead agency for stationary source permit projects. Under
CEQA, the lead agency is responsible for determining whether an Environmental
Impact Report (EIR) or a Negative Declaration (ND) is appropriate for any
proposal considered to be a “project” as defined by CEQA. An EIR is prepared
when the AQMD, as lead agency, finds substantial evidence that the proposed
project may have significant adverse effects on the environment. A ND or
Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) may be prepared if the AQMD determines that
the proposed project will not generate significant adverse environmental
impacts, or the impacts can be mitigated to less than significance. The ND and
MND are written statements describing the reasons why proposed projects will not
have a significant adverse effect on the environment and, therefore, do not
require the preparation of an EIR.
Attachment C to this report summarizes the active projects for which the AQMD
is lead agency and is currently preparing or has prepared environmental
documentation. Through the end of August, the AQMD received no new requests to
be the lead agency for stationary source permit application projects. No CEQA
documents for permit application projects were certified in August. As noted in
Attachment C, through the end of August 2009, the AQMD continued working on the
CEQA documents for six active projects.
To date in 2009, AQMD staff has been responsible for preparing or having
prepared CEQA documents for seven stationary source permit projects, four
continuing from 2008. Through the end of August 2009, one CEQA document has been
certified.
Attachments
(DOC, 259k)
A. Incoming CEQA Documents Log
B. Ongoing Active Projects for Which AQMD Has or Will Conduct a CEQA Review
C. Active AQMD Lead Agency Projects
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