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1 Introduction <br /> 1 INTRODUCTION <br /> 1.1 PURPOSE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT <br /> In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act of 1970 (CEQA; California Public <br /> Resources Code [PRC], Sections 21000 through 21189), all "projects" within the State of <br /> California are required to undergo environmental review to determine the environmental impacts <br /> associated with implementation of the project. <br /> CEQA was enacted in 1970 by the California Legislature to disclose to decision-makers and the <br /> public the anticipated significant environmental effects of a proposed project and identify possible <br /> ways to avoid or minimize those significant environmental effects by recommending mitigation <br /> measures or feasible alternatives to the project. As the "Lead Agency" under CEQA, the San <br /> Joaquin County Community Development Department is required to conduct an environmental <br /> review to analyze the potential environmental effects associated with proposed projects located <br /> within San Joaquin County (County). When an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is to be <br /> prepared, the Community Development Department is the Lead Agency for the preparation of the <br /> EIR. <br /> 1.2 SCOPE OF THE EIR <br /> The required contents and scope of an EIR are set forth in CEQA and its companion document, <br /> the CEQA Guidelines (California Code of Regulations [CCR], Sections 15000 through 15387). <br /> This section provides a summary of the issues addressed in this Draft EIR. Under the CEQA <br /> Guidelines, the analysis in the Draft EIR need only focus on issues determined to be potentially <br /> significant, whereas issues found to have less than significant impacts or no impact do not require <br /> further evaluation. <br /> As Lead Agency, the County completed a preliminary analysis of the proposed Griffith Energy <br /> Storage Project (the "proposed Project") and determined that, due to the potential for significant <br /> environmental effects, an EIR must be prepared. <br /> Based on that preliminary review, the County concluded that the proposed Project is not <br /> anticipated to result in significant changes to Population and Housing and Recreation and <br /> therefore analysis of these resources was not required in the EIR. Environmental effects that were <br /> determined to be potentially significant or less than significant after mitigation are discussed in <br /> detail under Chapter 4 of this Draft EIR and include the following: <br /> oo Aesthetics; <br /> oo Agriculture and Forestry Resources; <br /> oo Air Quality; <br /> oo Biological Resources; <br /> oo Cultural Resources; <br /> oo Energy; <br /> Griffith Energy Storage Project 1-1 Tetra Tech/SCH 2022120675 <br /> Draft Environmental Impact Report August 2023 <br />