2014-069 - Final Environmental Impact Report No. 2014-01

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HARBOR BLVD. MIXED USE TRANSIT CORRIDOR PLAN FINAL FIR CITY OF SANTA ANA 5. Environmental Analysis AIR QUALITY levels. Unlike the mass of construction emissions shown in Table 5.2 -8, described in pounds per day, localized concentrations refer to an amount of pollutant in a volume of air (ppm or µg /m3) and can be correlated to potential health effects. ISTs are the amount of project related emissions at which localized concentrations (ppm or pg /m3) would exceed the ambient au quality standards for criteria au pollutants for which the SoCAB is designated a nonattamment area. Table 5.2 -8 provides an estimate of the magnitude of criteria air pollutant emissions generated by the project for each construction subphase. Buildout of the Harbor Boulevard Mixed Use Transit Corridor Plan would occur over a period of approximately 20 years or longer and would comprise several smaller projects with their own construction timeframe and construction equipment Concentrations of criteria air pollutants generated by a project depend on the emissions generated onsite and the distance to the nearest sensitive receptor. Therefore, an IST analysis can only be conducted at a project - level, and quantification of ISTs is not applicable for this program level environmental analysis. Because potential redevelopment could occur close to existing sensitive receptors, the project has the potential to expose sensitive receptors to substantial pollutant concentrations. Construction equipment exhaust combined with fugitive particulate matter emissions has the potential to expose sensitive receptors to substantial concentrations of criteria air pollutant emissions and result in a significant impact Impact 5.2 -4: Onsite operational - related emissions associated with the Harbor Boulevard Mixed Use Transit Corridor Plan would not expose sensitive receptors to substantial pollutant concentrations. [Threshold AQ -4] Impact Analysis: The Harbor Boulevard Mixed Use Transit Corridor Plan would not develop individual land uses that generate substantial quantities of onsite, stationary emissions. Land uses that have the potential to generate substantial emissions would require a permit from SCAQMD and include industrial land uses, such as chemical processing, and warehousing operations where substantial truck idling could occur onsite. These types of industrial land uses are not proposed under the project, and any existing land uses of these types within the plan area are intended to be phased out for less intensive neighborhood commercial, retail, and housing. Operation of residential and nonresidential structures would include occasional use of landscaping equipment, natural gas consumption for heating, and nominal truck idling for vendor deliveries. Emissions generated from these activities are nominal and no significant impact would occur. CO Hot Spot Analysis Areas of vehicle congestion have the potential to create pockets of CO called hot spots. These pockets have the potential to exceed the state one hour standard of 20 ppm or the eight hour standard of 9 ppm. At the time of the 1993 Handbook, the SoCAB was designated nonattainment under the California AAQS and National AAQS for CO. With the turnover of older vehicles, introduction of cleaner fuels, and implementation of control technology on industrial facilities, CO concentrations in the SoCAB and in the state have steadily declined. In 2007, the SCAQMD was designated in attainment for CO under both the California AAQS and National AAQS. As identified in SCAQMD's 2003 AQMP and the 1992 Federal Attainment Plan for Carbon Monoxide (1992 CO Plan), peak carbon monoxide concentrations in the SoCAB were a result of unusual meteorological and topographical conditions and not a result of congestion at a particular intersection. Under existing and future vehicle emission rates, a project would have to increase traffic volumes at a single intersection by more than 44,000 Page 5.2 -18 PlaceWorkr