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 4. Environmental Setting Assembly Bill 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act (2006) Current State of California guidance and goals for reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are generally embodied in Assembly Bill 32 (AB 32), the Global Warming Solutions Act. AB 32 was passed by the California state legislature on August 31, 2006, to place the state on a course toward reducing its contribution of GHG emissions. AB 32 follows the 2020 tier of emissions reduction targets established in Executive Order S -3 -05. AB 32 directed the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to adopt discrete early action measures to reduce GHG emissions and outline additional reduction measures to meet the 2020 target. Based on the GHG emissions inventory conducted for the Scoping Plan by CARB, GHG emissions in California by 2020 are anticipated to be approximately 596 million metric tons CO2 equivalent (MNffCO2e). In December 2007, CARB approved a 2020 emissions limit of 427 MNfI'CO2e (471 million tons) for the state. The 2020 target requires a total emissions reduction of 169 MMTCO2e, 28.5 percent from the projected emissions of the business -as -usual (BAU) scenario for the year 2020 (i.e., 28.5 percent of 596 MMTCO2e) (CARB 2008).1 The proposed project's consistency with CARB's Scoping Plan is discussed in Section 5.5, Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Southern California Association of Governments The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) is a council of governments representing Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura counties. SCAG is the federally recognized metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for this region, which encompasses over 38,000 square miles. SCAG is a regional planning agency and a forum for addressing regional issues concerning transportation, the economy, community development, and the environment. SCAG is also the regional clearinghouse for projects requiring environmental documentation under federal and state law. In this role, SCAG reviews proposed development and infrastructure projects to analyze then impacts on regional planning programs. SCAG cooperates with the Southern California Air Quality Management District, the California Department of Transportation, and other agencies in preparing regional planning documents. SCAG has developed regional plans to achieve specific regional objectives. The plans most applicable to the proposed project include the 2012-2035 Regional Tranrpariation Plan /Sustainable Communities Strategy: Towardr a Sustainable Future and the Compass Growth Vision, which are described in detail in Section 5.9, Land Use and Planning. The proposed project is considered a project of regionwide significance according to the criteria in SCAG's Intergovernmental Review Procedures Handbook (November 1995) and Section 15206 of the CEQA Guidelines, because it proposes more than 500 residential units. Therefore, Section 5.8 addresses the project's consistency with the applicable regional plans noted above I CARB defines BAU in its Scoping Plan as emissions levels that would occur if California continued to grow and add new GHG emissions but did not adopt any measures to reduce emissions. Projections for each emission generating sector were compiled and used to estimate emissions for 2020 based on 2002 -2004 emissions intensities. Under CARB's definition of BAU, new growth is assumed to have the same carbon intensities as was typical from 2002 through 2004. Page 4 -2 PlaceWorkr