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LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. INITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION
<br />JULY 2010 FIRST STREET BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECT
<br />CITY OF SANTA ANA
<br />methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N20), tetrafluoromethane, hexafluoroethane, sulfur hexafluoride (SF6),
<br />HFC-23 (fluoroform), HFC-134a (s, s, s, 2-tetrafluoroethane), and HFC-152a (difluoroethane).
<br />In 2002, with the passage of Assembly Bill 1493 (AB 1493), California launched an innovative and
<br />proactive approach to dealing with GHG emissions and climate change at the State level. AB 1493
<br />requires the ARB to develop and implement regulations to reduce automobile and light truck GHG
<br />emissions. These stricter emissions standards were designed to apply to automobiles and light trucks
<br />beginning with the 2009 model year; however, to enact the standards, California needed a waiver
<br />from the EPA. The waiver was denied by the EPA in December 2007. (See California v.
<br />Environmental Protection Agency, 9th Cir. Jul. 25, 2008, No. 08-70011). On January 26, 2009, it was
<br />announced that the EPA will reconsider its decision regarding the denial of California's waiver. On
<br />May 18, 2009, President Obama announced the enactment of a 35.5-mile-per-gallon (mpg) fuel
<br />economy standard for automobiles and light-duty trucks, which will take effect in 2012. On June 30,
<br />2009, the EPA granted California the waiver. California is expected to enforce its standards for 2009
<br />to 2011 and then look to the federal government to implement equivalent standards for 2012 to 2016.
<br />The granting of the waiver will also allow California to implement even stronger standards in the
<br />future. The State is expected to start developing new standards for the post-2016 model years later
<br />this year.
<br />On June 1, 2005, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Executive Order (EO) S-3-05. The goal of
<br />this EO is to reduce California's GHG emissions to: (1) 2000 levels by 2010, (2) 1990 levels by 2020,
<br />and (3) 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. In 2006, this goal was further reinforced with the
<br />passage of Assembly Bill 32 (AB 32), the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. AB 32 sets the
<br />same overall GHG emissions reduction goals while further mandating that ARB create a plan that
<br />includes market mechanisms and implement rules to achieve "real, quantifiable, cost-effective
<br />reductions of greenhouse gases." EO S-17-06 further directs State agencies to begin implementing
<br />AB 32, including the recommendations made by the State's Climate Action Team.
<br />With EO S-01-07, Governor Schwarzenegger set forth the low carbon fuel standard for California.
<br />Under this EO, the carbon intensity of California's transportation fuels is to be reduced by at least
<br />10 percent by 2020.
<br />Climate change and GHG reduction are also concerns at the federal level; at this time, no legislation
<br />or regulations have been enacted specifically addressing GHG emissions reductions and climate
<br />change. However, California, in conjunction with several environmental organizations and several
<br />other states, sued to force the EPA to regulate GHGs as a pollutant under the CAA (Massachusetts vs.
<br />Environmental Protection Agency et al., United States Supreme Court No. 05-1120. 549 U.S. Argued
<br />November 29, 2006-Decided April 2, 2007). The court ruled that GHGs do fit within the CAA
<br />definition of a pollutant and that the EPA does have the authority to regulate GHGs. Despite the
<br />Supreme Court ruling, there are no promulgated federal regulations to date limiting GHG emissions.
<br />On December 7, 2009, the Administrator signed two distinct findings regarding GHGs under Section
<br />202(a) of the CAA:
<br />• Endangerment Finding: The Administrator finds that the current and projected concentrations
<br />of the six key well-mixed GHGs (C02, CH4, N20, hydrofluorocarbons [HFCs], perfluorocarbons
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