Draft Environmental Impact Report - East Bay Municipal Utility District

Estates Reservoir Replacement Draft Environmental Impact ReportSummaryENVIRONMENTALIMPACT MITIGATION MEASURESSIGNIFICANCEAFTERMITIGATIONGREENHOUSE GASImpact 3.8-1: The concern iswhether the Estates ReservoirReplacement Project, primarilythrough construction relatedemissions, individually wouldimpede the state’s ability tomeet its 2020 greenhouse gasemission reduction goal.Mitigation Measure 3.8-1: Since the half-life of carbon dioxide is approximately 100 years(USEPA 2008), the effects of greenhouse gases affect global climate change over a relatively longtime frame. Thus, the 716 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents emitted by Projectdemolition and construction activities would remain in the atmosphere for years. Therefore,mitigation measures are recommended to further minimize the potential for any long-term effects ofconstruction emissions on global climate change.EBMUD and its contractors shall implement the following measures to reduce greenhouse gasemissions from fuel combustion:Less than Significant On road and off-road vehicle tire pressures shall be maintained to manufacturer specifications.Tires shall be checked and re-inflated at regular intervals. Construction equipment engines shall be maintained to manufacturer’s specifications. Demolition debris shall be recycled for reuse to the extent feasible (excluding wood treated withpreservatives).Implementation of Mitigation Measure 3.8-1, in addition to diesel exhaust control measures asdescribed under Air Quality Impact 3.7-2 (Air Quality Section 3.7) would reduce and sequestergreenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, given that other development projects would be required toimplement mitigation measures for significant impacts under CEQA, the overall cumulativegreenhouse gas impacts would be further reduced.Impact 3.8-2: TheProject’s greenhouse gasemissions reduction fromProject operations over the longterm would not contribute to acumulatively considerableimpact to climate change.Mitigation Measure: None Required: Cumulative impacts are those that result from theincremental impacts of an action added to other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable futureactions. Cumulative impacts can result from individually minor but collectively significant actionstaking place over a period of time.The only source of direct emissions during Project operation would be associated with periodicinspections and maintenance activities and largely associated with motor vehicles used to transportmaintenance workers. These are relatively infrequent events that would not cause long termpermanent effects on global climate. Since inspections and maintenance activities are currentlyperformed on the existing reservoir and pumping plant, there would be a negligible change in theseemissions, hence, no new impact. (If the storage tanks and facilities require less maintenance thansb09_001.doc S-18 7/22/2009