Item 26 - Public Hearing Vista Heritage Charter School (601 North Fairview Street)

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Vista Charter Public Schools District Office and Outdoor Space Project CEQA Exemption 15183 landscaping, fill projects, and other improvement projects in some localities. Asbestos may be released to the atmosphere due to vehicular traffic on unpaved roads, during grading for development projects, and at quarry operations. All of these activities may have the effect of releasing potentially harmful asbestos into the air. Natural weathering and erosion processes can act on asbestos bearing rock and make it easier for asbestos fibers to become airborne if such rock is disturbed. According to the Department of Conservation Division of Mines and Geology, A General Location Guide for Ultramafic Rocks in California — Areas More Likely to Contain Naturally Occurring Asbestos Report, serpentinite and ultramafic rocks are not known to occur within the project area.9 It is possible that the existing on -site structure contains asbestos. According to SCAQMD Rule 1403 requirements, prior to the start of demolition activities, the existing structure shall be thoroughly surveyed for the presence of asbestos by a person that is certified by Cal/OSHA for asbestos surveys. Rule 1403 requires that the SCAQMD be notified a minimum of 10 days before any demolition activities begin with specific details of all asbestos to be removed, start and completion dates of demolition, work practices and engineering controls to be used to contain the asbestos emissions, estimates on the amount of asbestos to be removed, the name of the waste disposal site where the asbestos will be taken, and names and addresses of all contractors and transporters that will be involved in the asbestos removal process. Therefore, through adherence to the asbestos removal requirements, detailed in SCAQMD Rule 1403, a less than significant asbestos impact would occur during construction of the proposed project. Health Risk Impacts of On -Site Sensitive Receptors The project site is located adjacent to an existing railroad and light industrial uses. Therefore, the proposed on -site outdoor play area could be exposed to potential health impacts. It should be noted that according to several court decisions, CEQA analysis is not required to analyze impacts of the existing environment on a proposed project unless the project risks exacerbating existing environmental hazards. As such, the following discussion on the health risk impacts of on -site sensitive receptors is for informational purposes only. The SCAQMD recommends that health risk assessments be conducted for substantial sources of diesel particulate emissions (e.g., truck idling and movements, ship hoteling at ports, and train idling) and has provided guidance for analyzing mobile source diesel emissions.10 Similarly, CARB requires a health risk assessment when siting new sensitive land uses within 1,000 feet of a major service and maintenance rail yard or within 1,000 feet of a distribution center that accommodates more than 100 trucks per day.11 It should be noted that emissions of diesel particulate matter from train idling occurs predominantly at railroad yards, train stations, and train stops. Most train idling emissions are concentrated at railroad yards, where switching engines and local yard service operations are performed. The proposed project is located next to a railroad and is not located in the vicinity of a railyard or a train station. The railroad is currently not operational and is being developed to build a fixed guideway system called the Orange County Streetcar (OC Streetcar). The proposed OC Streetcars would be electrically -powered and would not consume diesel and thus, would not generate diesel particulate matter. Furthermore, the light industrial uses located to the south of the project site are small warehouses that do not qualify as a distribution center, and only involve occasional delivery truck trips that are much less than 100 s California Department of Conservation Division of Mines and Geology, A General Location Guide for Ultramafic Rocks in California — Areas More Likely to Contain Naturally Occurring Asbestos Report, August 2000, https://ww3.arb.ca.gov/toxics/asbestos/ofr 2000-019.pdf, accessed April 3, 2023. 10 South Coast Air Quality Management District, Health Risk Assessment Guidance for Analyzing Cancer Risks from Mobile Source Diesel Emissions, December 2002. 11 California Air Resources Board, Air Quality and Land Use Handbook: A Community Health Perspective, April 2005. Dec I y ouncil 26 — 78 1/16/20'2 e 18