Draft Environmental Impact Report - East Bay Municipal Utility District

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Estates Reservoir Replacement Draft Environmental Impact ReportGreenhouse GasesWater Vapor (H 2 O) - The most abundant and dominant greenhouse gas in theatmosphere is water vapor. Water vapor is neither long-lived nor well mixed in theatmosphere, varying spatially from 0 to 2 percent (USEPA 2008). In addition,atmospheric water can exist in several physical states including gaseous, liquid, and solid.Human activities are not believed to directly affect the average global concentration ofwater vapor; however, the radiative forcing produced by the increased concentrations ofother GHG may indirectly affect the hydrologic cycle. A warmer atmosphere has anincreased water holding capacity; yet, increased concentrations of water vapor affects theformation of clouds, which can both absorb and reflect solar and terrestrial radiation.Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ) - In nature, carbon is cycled between various atmospheric,oceanic, land biotic, marine biotic, and mineral reservoirs. Atmospheric CO 2 is part ofthis global carbon cycle. Carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere increasedfrom 278 parts per million by volume (ppmv) in pre-industrial times to 365 ppmv in1998, a 31 percent increase (USEPA 2008). The Intergovernmental Panel on ClimateChange (IPCC), notes that “this concentration has not been exceeded during the past420,000 years, and likely not during the past 20 million years. The rate of increase overthe past century is unprecedented, at least during the past 20,000 years.” The IPCCdefinitively states that “the present atmospheric CO 2 increase is caused by anthropogenicemissions of CO 2 ” (USEPA 2008).Methane (CH 4 ) - Methane is primarily produced through anaerobic decomposition oforganic matter in biological systems. Agricultural processes such as wetland ricecultivation, enteric fermentation in animals, and the decomposition of animal wastes emitmethane, as does the decomposition of municipal solid wastes. Methane is also emittedduring the production and distribution of natural gas and petroleum, and is released as aby-product of coal mining and incomplete fossil fuel combustion. Atmosphericconcentrations of methane have increased by about 150 percent since pre-industrial times,although the rate of increase has been declining. The IPCC has estimated that slightlymore than half of the current methane flux to the atmosphere is anthropogenic fromhuman activities such as agriculture, fossil fuel use and waste disposal (USEPA 2008).Nitrous Oxide (N 2 O) - Anthropogenic sources of N 2 O emissions include agriculturalsoils, especially the use of synthetic and manure fertilizers; fossil fuel combustion,especially from mobile combustion; adipic (nylon) and nitric acid production; wastewatertreatment and waste combustion; and biomass burning. The atmospheric concentration ofN 2 O has increased by 16 percent since 1750, from a pre-industrial value of about 270 ppbto 314 ppb in 1998, a concentration that has not been exceeded during the last thousandyears (USEPA 2008).Ozone (O 3 ) - Ozone is present in both the upper stratosphere, where it shields the Earthfrom harmful levels of ultraviolet radiation, and at lower concentrations in thetroposphere, where it is the main component of anthropogenic photochemical “smog.”During the last two decades, emissions of anthropogenic chlorine and brominecontaininghalocarbons, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), have depletedstratospheric ozone concentrations. This loss of ozone in the stratosphere has resultedsb09_001.doc 3-8.4 7/22/2009
Estates Reservoir Replacement Draft Environmental Impact ReportGreenhouse Gasesin negative radiative forcing. The depletion of stratospheric ozone and its radiativeforcing was expected to reach a maximum in about 2000 before starting to recover,with detection of such recovery not expected to occur much before 2010. The pastincrease in tropospheric ozone, which is also a GHG, is estimated to provide the thirdlargest increase in direct radiative forcing since the pre-industrial era, behind CO 2 andCH 4 . (USEPA 2008)Halocarbons, Perfluorocarbons, and Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF 6 ) - Halocarbons are, forthe most part, man-made chemicals that have both direct and indirect radiative forcingeffects. Halocarbons that contain chlorine—CFCs, hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs),methyl chloroform, and carbon tetrachloride—and bromine—halons, methyl bromide,and hydrobromofluorocarbons (HBFCs)—result in stratospheric ozone depletion.Although CFCs and HCFCs include potent global warming gases, their net radiativeforcing effect on the atmosphere is reduced because they cause stratospheric ozonedepletion, which is itself an important GHG in addition to shielding the Earth fromharmful levels of ultraviolet radiation. (USEPA 2008)Carbon Monoxide (CO) - Carbon monoxide has an indirect radiative forcing effect byelevating concentrations of methane and tropospheric ozone. Carbon monoxide iscreated when carbon containing fuels are burned incompletely. (USEPA 2008)Nitrogen Oxides (NO x ) - The primary climate change effects of nitrogen oxides (i.e., NOand NO 2 ) are indirect and result from their role in promoting the formation of ozone inthe troposphere and, to a lesser degree, lower stratosphere, where it has positive radiativeforcing effects. Nitrogen oxides are created from lightning, soil microbial activity,biomass burning – both natural and anthropogenic fires – fuel combustion, and, in thestratosphere, from the photo-degradation of N 2 O). (USEPA 2008)Nonmethane Volatile Organic Compounds (NMVOC) - Nonmethane volatile organiccompounds (also referred to as VOC) include compounds such as ethane (C 2 H 4 ), propane(C 3 H 8 ), butane (C 4 H 10 ), and pentane (C 5 H 12 ). These compounds participate, along withNO X , in the formation of tropospheric ozone and other photochemical oxidants.NMVOCs are emitted primarily from transportation and industrial processes, as well asbiomass burning and non-industrial consumption of organic solvents. (USEPA 2008)Aerosols - Aerosols are extremely small particles or liquid droplets found in theatmosphere. They can be produced by natural events such as dust storms and volcanicactivity, or by anthropogenic processes such as fuel combustion and biomass burning.Aerosols are removed from the atmosphere relatively rapidly by precipitation. (USEPA2008)Various categories of aerosols exist, including naturally produced aerosols such as soildust, sea salt, and anthropogenically manufactured aerosols such as industrial dust andcarbonaceous aerosols from transportation, coal combustion, cement manufacturing,waste incineration, and biomass burning. The net effect of aerosols is believed toproduce a negative radiative forcing effect.sb09_001.doc 3-8.5 7/22/2009
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Estates Reservoir ReplacementDraft
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TABLE OF CONTENTSEstates Reservoir
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Estates Reservoir Replacement Draft
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ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONSABABAGAPC
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SUMMARYS.1 IntroductionThis Draft E
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Estates Reservoir Improvements Draf
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Chapter 2Project Description2.1 Ove
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Chapter 3Environmental Setting, Imp
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3.5 Cultural Resources3.5.1 Approac
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CHAPTER 6Report Preparers6.1 Lead A
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APPENDIX APublic InvolvementPublic
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APPENDIX BNotice of PreparationAUGU
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Dingee Pressure Zone Improvement Pr
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FIGURESDingee Pressure Zone Improve
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