6 - GPA19-01; AA19-01_651 W SUNFLOWER AVENUE

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Legacy Sunflower Apartments Page 53 Mitigated Negative Declaration – March 14, 2019 VIII. GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS: Would the project: a) Generate greenhouse gas emissions, either directly or indirectly, that may have a significant impact on the environment? Less Than Significant Impact. “Greenhouse gases” (so called because of their role in trapping heat near the surface of the earth) emitted by human activity are implicated in global climate change, commonly referred to as “global warming.” Greenhouse gases contribute to an increase in the temperature of the earth’s atmosphere by transparency to short wavelength visible sunlight, but near opacity to outgoing terrestrial long wavelength heat radiation in some parts of the infrared spectrum. The principal greenhouse gases (GHGs) are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, and water vapor. For purposes of planning and regulation, section 15364.5 of the California Code of Regulations defines GHGs to include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride. Transportation is responsible for 41 percent of the State’s greenhouse gas emissions, followed by electricity generation. Emissions of CO2 and nitrous oxide (NOx) are byproducts of fossil fuel combustion. Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, results from off-gassing associated with agricultural practices and landfills. Sinks of CO2, where CO2 is stored outside of the atmosphere, include uptake by vegetation and dissolution into the ocean. City of Santa Ana The City of City of Santa Ana adopted the Santa Ana Climate Action Plan (CAP) in December 2015. The CAP demonstrates the City’s commitment to improving quality of life by reducing carbon pollution and energy use. As stated in the CAP, the City adopted emissions reduction goals of 15 percent below the baseline year 2008 by 2020 and 30 percent below the baseline year 2008 by 2035 for community- wide emissions. The CAP includes measures to reduce energy consumption, vehicle miles, water use or waste; or to substitute renewable energy for fossil fuels. Thresholds of Significance Neither the City of Santa Ana, the SCAQMD, nor the State CEQA Guidelines Amendments has adopted quantitative thresholds of significance for addressing a project’s GHG emissions. To determine whether the GHG emissions of the project are significant, this analysis uses the SCAQMD draft screening threshold of 3,000 MTCO2e per year for all land uses. The project would be subject to the requirements of the California Green Building Code and 2016 Title 24 Building Energy Efficiency Standards to reduce project-related greenhouse gas emissions. Methodology The CalEEMod Version 2016.3.2 software model was used to calculate the GHG emissions from all phases of the project for the year 2022, which is the scheduled date of project completion. The project's emissions were compared to the tier 3 SCAQMD draft screening threshold of 3,000 metric tons CO2e per year for all land uses. Area Sources Area sources include emissions from consumer products, landscape equipment and architectural coatings. 6-75