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L S A FAIRVIEW BRIDGE REPLACEMENT AND STREET IMPROVEMENTS <br />(9TH STREET TO 16TH STREET( PROJECT <br />SANTA ANAL CALIFORNIA <br />3.8 GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS <br />INITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION <br />MAY 2020 <br />Less Than <br />Potentially Significant with Less Than <br />Significant Mitigation Significant No <br />Imoact Incoroorated Impact Imna <br />Would the project: <br />a. Generate greenhouse gas emissions, either directly or <br />indirectly, that may have a significant impact on the ❑ ❑ ® ❑ <br />environment? <br />b. Conflict with an applicable plan, policy or regulation adopted <br />for the purpose of reducing the emissions of greenhouse ❑ ❑ ® ❑ <br />gases? <br />3.8.1 Existing Conditions <br />Global climate change (GCC) describes alterations in weather features (e.g., temperature, wind <br />patterns, precipitation, and storms) that occur across the Earth as a whole. Global temperatures are <br />modulated by naturally occurring components in the atmosphere (e.g., water vapor, carbon dioxide <br />[CO2), methane [CH4), and nitrous dioxide [N201) that capture heat radiated from the Earth's <br />surface, which in turn warms the atmosphere. This natural phenomenon is known as the <br />"greenhouse effect." That said, excessive human -generated greenhouse gas (GHG)18 emissions can <br />and are altering the global climate. <br />The CEQA statutes, the Governor's Office of Planning and Research (OPR) guidelines, and the <br />changes to the State CEQA Guidelines currently prescribe specific quantitative thresholds of <br />significance or a particular methodology for conducting an impact analysis related to GHG effects on <br />global climate. In contrast, as with most environmental topics, significance criteria are left to the <br />judgment and discretion of the lead agency. <br />Currently, there is no Statewide GHG emissions threshold that has been used to determine the <br />potential GHG emissions impacts of a project. Thresholds and threshold methodology are still being <br />developed and revised by air quality districts in the State. To provide guidance to local lead agencies <br />on determining significance for GHG emissions in their CEQA documents, SCAQMD convened a GHG <br />CEQA Significance Threshold Stakeholder Working Group.This Working Group proposed a tiered <br />approach for evaluating GHG emissions for development projects where SCAQMD is not the lead <br />agency. The applicable tier for the proposed Project is Tier 3; if GHG emissions are less than 3,000 <br />metric tons (MT) of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) per year, Project -level and cumulative GHG emissions <br />would be less than significant. <br />Individual GHGs have varying global warming potentials and atmospheric lifetimes. Because it is not <br />possible to tie specific GHG emissions to actual changes in climate, this evaluation focuses on the <br />Project's emission of GHGs. CO2e is a consistent methodology for comparing GHG emissions because <br />1s The principal greenhouse gases (GHGs) of concern contributing to the greenhouse effect are carbon <br />dioxide (CO2), methane (CHa), nitrous oxide (N20), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), <br />and sulfur hexafluoride (SFG). Watervapor is the largest naturally occurring GHG; however, it is not <br />identified as an anthropogenic constituent of concern. <br />3-44 7 58dS72'81ND\Final ISMND\Fairview Street Bridge Final ISMND.docx (OS/26/20) <br />