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Draft Environmental Impact Report Page IV.D-13 Forward Landfill Expansion The paper notes that for a variety of reasons local agencies may decide not to have a CEQA threshold. Local agencies may also decide to assess projects on a case-by-case basis when the projects come forward. The paper also discusses a range of GHG emission thresholds that could be used. The range of thresholds discusses includes a GHG threshold of zero and several non-zero thresholds. Non-zero thresholds include percentage reductions for new projects that would allow the state to meet its goals for GHG emissions reductions by 2020 and perhaps 2050. These would be determined by a comparison of new emissions versus business as usual emissions and the reductions required would be approximately 30 percent to achieve 2020 goals and 90 percent (effectively immediately)to achieve the more aggressive 2050 goals. These goals could be varied to apply differently to new project, by economic sector,or by region in the state. Other non-zero thresholds are discussed in the paper include: • 900 metric tons/year CO2e (a market capture approach); • 10,000 metric tons/year CO2e (potential CARB mandatory reporting level with Cap and Trade); • 25,000 metric tons/year CO2e (the CARB mandatory reporting level for the statewide emissions inventory); • 40,000 to 50,000 metric tons/year CO2e (regulated emissions inventory capture— using percentages equivalent to those used in air districts for criteria air pollutants), • Projects of statewide importance (9,000 metric tons/year CO2e for residential, 13,000 metric tons/year CO2e for office project, and 41,000 metric tons/year CO2e for retail projects), and • Unit-based thresholds and efficiency-based thresholds that were not quantified in the report. CARB Draft GHG Significance Thresholds On October 24,2008, CARB released its Preliminary Draft Staff Proposal on Recommended Approaches for Setting Interim Significance Thresholds for Greenhouse Gases under the California Environmental Quality Act for review and public comment. The Proposal identifies benchmarks or standards that assist lead agencies in the significance determination for industrial, residential, and commercial projects. The Proposal currently focuses on two sectors for which local agencies are typically the CEQA lead agency: industrial projects; and residential and commercial projects. Future proposals will focus on transportation projects, large dairies and power plant projects. In summary, the Proposal recommends: • In general, categorical exemptions will continue to apply. • If GHGs are adequately addressed at the programmatic level (i.e., consistent with regional GHG budgets), the impact of certain individual projects can be found to be insignificant. • Industrial projects below the operational emissions level (7,000 metric tons/year CO2e)that also meet performance standards for construction can be found to be less than significant. • Residential and commercial projects below the operational emissions level (unspecified as of December 2008) that also meet performance standards for construction,energy, water,waste and transportation can be found to be less than significant.