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and mailed to the State Clearinghouse. A legal advertisement was placed in the Tracy Press and in the Stockton Record. _ 8. On March 13,2012,the County mailed an Application Referral to relevant agencies, as well as organizations and individuals who had requested notice,giving additional notice of the Project application and the availability of the Project Initial Study, and requesting any recommendations or comments on the Project no later than April 12, 2012. IV. FINDINGS UNDER CEQA SECTION 21157.6 AND GUIDELINES SECTION 15179 9. The 1994 MEIR has been reviewed by the County for adequacy as required once an application for a later project is filed more than five years after certification of a Master EIR. 10. The 1994 MEIR still provides adequate analysis of the significant effects of the Master Plan, Specific Plan II and the Town Center. There have been no substantial changes with respect to the circumstances under which the 1994 MEIR was certified, nor is there any significant new available information which was not known and could not have been known at the time the 1994 MEIR was certified. The Project Initial Study addresses potential changes in circumstances and new information. There have been no substantial changes to the environmental conditions on and around the Project site. Development both in the County and within the Mountain House community has proceeded generally as expected, although somewhat more slowly than planned, and improvements to Interstate 205 have been completed as projected. A few new environmental regulations have been imposed since the 1994 MEIR was certified, primarily in the area of air quality; however, these new regulations do not create new significant environmental effects, nor do they show that any previously examined effects would be substantially more severe than shown in the 1994 MEIR. The Project Initial Study traffic analysis was performed using an updated traffic model developed by the San Joaquin Council of Governments based on 2025 traffic projections rather than the 2010 projections used in the 1994 MEIR. The 2025 projections are similar to the 2010 projections and do not constitute new information of substantial importance. Use of the updated model does not result in new significant effects not discussed in the 1994 MEIR nor does it show that any previously examined impacts would be substantially more severe. V. FINDINGS UNDER CEQA SECTION 21157.1 AND GUIDELINES SECTION 15177 11. The County finds that the Project is within the scope of the 1994 MEIR. The Project Initial Study concluded that the Project would maintain consistency with the planning principles contained in the Mountain House Master Plan for size, densities, land uses and circulation. The County confirms, ratifies and adopts all of the findings, reasoning and conclusions of the Project Initial Study concerning the consistency of the Project with the Master Plan and the 1994 MEIR. Pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21092, the County has provided public notice that the 1994 MEIR and the Project Initial Study are available at the Community Development Department for review. 12. The County is the lead agency for the Mountain House Master Plan and was identified as such in the 1994 MEIR. The County is also the lead agency for all subsequent land use approvals contemplated by the Master Plan, including the Project. 13. The Project Initial Study was prepared to evaluate potential impacts of the Project. It concluded that the Project is within the scope of the 1994 MEIR, that the Project will have no additional significant effect not identified in the 1994 MEIR, and that no new or additional mitigation measures or alternatives may be required. The Project Initial Study and these findings represent the independent judgment and analysis of the County. By these findings,the County confirms, ratifies and adopts the finding and conclusions of the Project Initial Study, as supplemented by these findings. 14. Two comment letters on the Project Initial Study were submitted by state agencies in 2008. These included a letter from the Department of Transportation requesting completion of a park and ride lot and a letter from the Public Utilities Commission noting its jurisdiction over any 2