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 5.4 GEOLOGY AND SOILS This section of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) evaluates the potential for implementation of the Harbor Corridor Mixed Use Transit Corridor Plan to impact geological and soil resources in the City of Santa Ana and to be impacted by geological and soils conditions in the project area. 5.4.1 Environmental Setting Regulatory Setting State, regional, and local laws, regulations, plans, or guidelines related to geology and soils that are potentially applicable to the proposed project are summarized below. State California Alqurst -Paolo Earthquake FaultZonrngAct The Alquist- Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Act was signed into state law in 1972, and amended, with its primary purpose being to mitigate the hazard of fault rupture by prohibiting the location of structures for human occupancy across the trace of an active fault. The act requires the State Geologist to delineate "earthquake fault zones" along faults that are "sufficiently active" and "well defined." The act also requires that cities and counties withhold development permits for sites within an earthquake fault zone until geologic investigations demonstrate that the sites are not threatened by surface displacement from future faulting. Pursuant to this act, structures for human occupancy are not allowed within 50 feet of the trace of an active fault. Seismic Hazard Mapping Act The Seismic Hazard Mapping Act (SHMA) was adopted by the state in 1990 for the purpose of protecting the public from the effects of nonsurface fault rupture earthquake hazards, including strong ground shaking, liquefaction, seismically induced landslides, or other ground failure caused by earthquakes. The goal of the SHMA is to minimize loss of life and property by identifying and mitigating seismic hazards. The California Geological Survey (CGS) prepares and provides local governments with seismic hazard zones maps that identify areas susceptible to amplified shaking, liquefaction, earthquake - induced landslides, and other ground failures. California Building Code Current law states that every local agency enforcing building regulations, such as cities and counties, must adopt the provisions of the California Building Code (CBC) within 180 days of its publication. The publication date of the CBC is established by the California Building Standards Commission and the code is also known as Title 24, Part 2, of the California Code of Regulations. The most recent building standard adopted by the legislature and used throughout the state is the 2010 version of the CBC, often with local, more restrictive amendments that are based on local geographic, topographic, or climatic conditions. These codes provide minimum standards to protect property and public safety by regulating the design and October 2014 Page 5.4 -1