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7 IRREVERSIBLE ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES AND IRRETRIEVABLE COMMITMENT OF <br />RESOURCES <br />The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires (1) an analysis of <br />the justification of uses of nonrenewable resources during the initial and <br />continued phases of a project which may be irreversible since a large <br />commitment of such resources makes removal or nonuse thereafter unlikely; and <br />(2) an analysis which describes irreversible damage that can result from <br />environmental accidents associated with a project. <br />The proposed General Plan Amendment would ultimately allow increased intensity <br />of development in the study area, which would involve the irreversible <br />commitment of agricultural soils to urban uses and the expenditure of <br />nonrenewable energy and materials in the construction, maintenance, and <br />operation of future dwelling units and associated infrastructure. The <br />justification for the use of these nonrenewable resources at this time is not <br />firm because similar properties with low agricultural potential and lower <br />requirements for new infrastructure improvements are currently available in <br />other areas closer to the City of Tracy. Development of the entire study area <br />presents the potential for irreversible environmental damage to occur. <br />7-1 <br />