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4.1 – Air Quality Draft Environmental Impact Report February 2021 14800 W. Schulte Road Logistics Center 4.1-1 4.1 Air Quality This section describes the existing air quality conditions of the 14800 W. Schulte Road Logistics Center (Project) site and vicinity, identifies associated regulatory requirements, evaluates potential impacts, and identifies mitigation measures related to implementation of the Project. In addition to the documents incorporated by reference (see Section 2.7 , Documents Incorporated by Reference, of Chapter 2, Introduction, of this Draft Environmental Impact Report), the following analysis is based, in part, on the following sources: • Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Analysis Technical Report prepared by Dudek in January 2021 (Appendix B). • Traffic Impact Analysis prepared by Advanced Mobility Group in December 2020 (Appendix F). 4.1.1 Existing Conditions Meteorological and Topographical Conditions The primary factors that determine air quality are the locations of air pollutant sources and the amounts of pollutants emitted. Meteorological and topographical conditions, however, also are important. Factors such as wind speed and direction, air temperature gradients and sunlight, and precipitation and humidity interact with physical landscape features to determine the movement and dispersal of criteria air pollutants. The analysis was prepared in accordance with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) Guidance for Assessing and Mitigating Air Quality Impacts (SJVAPCD Guidance) (SJVAPCD 2015a). These factors are described below. Topography The Project lies within the San Joaquin Valley Air Basin (SJVAB), which consists of eight counties and is spread across 25,000 square miles of Central California. The SJVAB is bordered on the east by the Sierra Nevada (8,000 to 14,491 feet in elevation), on the west by the Coast Ranges (averaging 3,000 feet in elevation), and to the south by the Tehachapi Mountains (6,000 to 7,981 feet in elevation). San Joaquin Valley comprises the southern half of California’s Central Valley and is approximately 250 miles long and averages 35 miles wide, with a slight downward elevation gradient from Bakersfield in the southeast end (elevation 408 feet) to sea level at the northwest end where San Joaquin Valley opens to the San Francisco Bay at the Carquinez Strait. At its northern end is the Sacramento Valley, which comprises the northern half of California’s Cen tral Valley. The region’s topographic features restrict air movement through and out of the SJVAB. As a result, the SJVAB is highly susceptible to pollutant accumulation over time (County of San Joaquin 2014). Climate San Joaquin Valley is in a Mediterranean Climate Zone, influenced by a subtropical high -pressure cell most of the year and characterized by warm, dry summers and cooler winters. Mediterranean climates are characterized by sparse rainfall, which occurs mainly in winter. Summertime ma ximum temperatures in San Joaquin Valley often exceed 100°F.