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the EIR, and that no additional feasible mitigation is available to further reduce significant impacts. The feasible mitigation measures are discussed in Section 4.1 and ate set forth in the MMRP. CEQA provides that each public agency shall mitigate or avoid the significant effects on the environment of projects it approves or carries out whenever it is feasible to do so (Public Resources Code 21001.1[b]). In mitigating or avoiding a significant effect of a project on the environment, a public agency may exercise only those express or implied powers provided by law other than under CEQA (Public Resources Code 21004). The County has specific powers to mitigate effects that occur within its jurisdiction,namely within the County. Section 21081.6 of the Public Resources Code requires the County to adopt a monitoring or compliance program regarding the changes in the project and mitigation measures imposed to lessen or avoid significant effects on the environment. The MMRP for the Union Pacific Modernization and Expansion Project is hereby adopted by the County because it fulfills the CEQA mitigation monitoring requirements, as follows: The MMRP is designed to ensure compliance with the changes in the project and mitigation measures imposed on the project during project implementation Measures to mitigate or avoid significant effects on the environment are fully enforceable through conditions of approval,permit conditions,agreements or other measures. 7.0 STATEMENT OF OVERRIDING CONSIDERATIONS CEQA requires decision makers to balance, as applicable, the economic, legal, social, technological or other benefits of a project against its significant and unavoidable environmental impacts when determining whether to approve the project. If the specific economic, legal, social, technological or other benefits of the project outweigh the significant and unavoidable impacts, those impacts may be considered "acceptable" (CEQA Guidelines Section 15093(a)). When significant impacts are not avoided or lessened, CEQA requires the agency to state, in writing, the specific reasons for considering a project acceptable. Those reasons must be based on substantial evidence in the Final EIR or elsewhere in the administrative record (CEQA Guidelines Section 15093(b)). In accordance with the requirements of CEQA and the CEQA Guidelines, the County fords that the mitigation measures identified in the Final EIR and the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program,when implemented, will avoid or substantially lessen virtually all of the significant impacts identified in the Final EIR for the Union Pacific Modernization and Expansion Project. However, certain significant impacts of the project are unavoidable even after incorporation of all feasible mitigation measures. The project would result in significant and unavoidable traffic impacts. The Final EIR provides detailed information regarding these impacts. The County fords that all feasible mitigation measures identified in the Final EIR within the purview of the County will be implemented with the project, and that the remaining significant and unavoidable impacts are outweighed and are found to be acceptable due to the following specific overriding economic, legal, social, technological or other benefits based upon the facts set forth above in the Findings of Fact, the Final EIR and the administrative record. Each of the following specific overriding economic,legal, social,technological or other benefits (overriding considerations) set forth below constitutes a separate and independent ground for fording that the project benefits outweigh its significant adverse environmental impacts and, alone,is an adequate overriding consideration associated with the project that outweigh the project's significant and unavoidable impacts and are,therefore,considered acceptable,warranting approval of the project. Findings of Fact/ 34 November 2012 Statement of Overriding Considerations