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EIR No. 2020-03 and GPA No.2020-06 Santa Ana General Plan Update <br /> January 18, 2022 <br /> Page 11 <br /> ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT <br /> California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) <br /> Draft Programs Environment Impact Report (August 2020) <br /> The comprehensive update to the General Plan required extensive environmental review. <br /> Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and after completion of the <br /> Initial Study for the project, it was determined that CEQA required the preparation and <br /> certification of a Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR)for this project. The purpose <br /> of a PEIR is to identify and disclose the significant effects on the environment of a project, <br /> to identify alternatives to the project, and to indicate the way those significant effects can <br /> be mitigated or avoided. To determine what potential effects would be caused by the <br /> project, the Draft PEIR analyzes issues related to: Aesthetics; Air Quality; Biological <br /> Resources; Cultural Resources; Energy; Geology and Soils; Greenhouse Gas Emissions; <br /> Hazard and Hazardous Materials; Hydrology and Water Quality; Land Use and Planning; <br /> Mineral Resources; Noise; Population and Housing; Public Services; Recreation; <br /> Transportation; Tribal Cultural Resources; and Utilities and Service Systems. The Draft <br /> PEIR also studies alternatives to the General Plan Update, as well as direct and indirect <br /> impacts resulting from construction and operation of the proposed project. <br /> The original Draft PEIR (August 2020) for the General Plan Update (GPU) was prepared <br /> and distributed for the required 45-day public review between August 3, 2020, and <br /> September 16, 2020. However, due to community request for additional time to review the <br /> document, the comment period was extended by an additional 20 days to October 6, 2020. <br /> At the public hearing on November 9, 2020, the Planning Commission voted to continue the <br /> consideration of the GPU and the certification of the Final PEIR (October 2020) to a future <br /> date to allow additional time for outreach to Santa Ana's environmental justice (EJ) <br /> communities. <br /> Recirculated Draft Program Environmental Impact Report (August 2021) <br /> In 2021, the City initiated an expanded outreach program focusing on environmental justice <br /> and specific community concerns raised in comments received. Pursuant to Draft PEIR <br /> comments, the Planning Commission public hearing, and the expanded community <br /> outreach program, the City made the decision to prepare a Recirculated Draft PEIR. The <br /> Recirculated document concluded that the recreation-related impacts of the proposed GPU <br /> would result in a significant impact and defined a new project alternative to reduce these <br /> impacts. It also further discussed and evaluated impacts related to environmental justice, <br /> including air quality, hazards, and recreation/open space. <br /> Consistent with CEQA Guidelines Section 15088.5, the Recirculated Draft PEIR does not <br /> need to include all the topical CEQA sections from the original Draft PEIR. Rather, the <br /> Recirculated Draft PEIR (August 2021) updates and supplements only the three topical <br /> City Council 32 — 11 1/18/2022 <br />