Draft Environmental Impact Report - East Bay Municipal Utility District

Estates Reservoir Replacement Draft Environmental Impact ReportCultural Resourcesresource (Public Resources Code, Section 21084.1). CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.5defines a “substantial adverse change” in the significance of a historical resource to meanphysical demolition, destruction, relocation, or alteration of the resource or its immediatesurroundings such that the significance of a historical resource would be “materiallyimpaired” (CEQA Guidelines, Section 15064.5(b)(1).CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.5(b)(2) defines “materially impaired” for purposes ofthe definition of “substantial adverse change” as follows:The significance of a historical resource is materially impaired when a project:A) Demolishes or materially alters in an adverse manner those physical characteristicsof an historical resource that convey its historical significance and that justify itsinclusion in, or eligibility for, inclusion in the CRHR; orB) Demolishes or materially alters in an adverse manner those physical characteristicsthat account for its inclusion in a local register of historical resources pursuant toSection 5020.1(k) of the Public Resources Code or its identification in an historicalresources survey meeting the requirements of Section 5024.1(g) of the PublicResources Code, unless the public agency reviewing the effects of the projectestablishes by a preponderance of evidence that the resource is not historically orculturally significant; orC) Demolishes or materially alters in an adverse manner those physical characteristicsof a historical resource that convey its historical significance and that justify itseligibility for inclusion in the CRHR as determined by a lead agency for purposesof CEQA.In accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.5(b)(3), a project that follows theSecretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties withGuidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring, and Reconstructing HistoricBuildings or Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating HistoricBuildings is considered to have mitigated impacts to historical resources to a less thansignificant level.Historical resources are usually 50 years old or older and must meet one or more of thecriteria for listing in the CRHR, in addition to maintaining a sufficient level of physicalintegrity (CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.5[a][3]). Since the Estates Reservoir roofwas constructed in 1968, as of 2009, it is approximately 41 years old.According to the CEQA Guidelines, a project would create a significant impact onarchaeological resources if it causes a substantial adverse change in the resource’ssignificance or if it disturbs any human remains, including interments outside formalcemeteries. Significant impacts are those that diminish the integrity, research potential orother characteristics that make a resource significant or important. Significant impacts onarchaeological sites listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of HistoricPlaces or CRHR require mitigation.sb09_001.doc 3-5.20 7/22/2009