SU0004094 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

VI. THE PROJECT WOULD RESULT INSIGNIFICANT AIR QUALITY IMPACTS State and national ambient air quality standards were created to protect public health and welfare and to minimize adverse effects on agricultural crops, visibility, soils, and vegetation. Geographic areas are designed as "attainment' if _ these standards are met and nonattainment if they are not met. In addition, each agency (CARB for state standards and U.S. EPA for national standards) has several B-53 levels of classifications based on the severity of the problem. — The San Joaquin Valley air basin where the Project is located "has one of the most severe air pollution problems in the State of California and the nation." — (SJVAPCD 1/10/02: GAMAQI, p. 3). The San Joaquin Valley air basin does not meet the standards for ozone and fine particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5). The San Joaquin Valley air basin is classified as"severe nonattainment' for the state and federal ozone standard and "serious nonattainment' for the federal PM10 standard. (SJVAPCD 1/10/02: Technical Document ss p. 21.)The Project will increase the _ emission of ozone precursors (ROG, NOx) and PM10 and PM2.5, thus causing or contributing to violations of ambient air quality standard. This is a new significant impact that was not disclosed in the Draft EIR. VLA Ozone Impacts Are Significant Ozone is not emitted directly into the air, but is formed in the atmosphere in the presence of sunshine from certain"ozone precursors," including ROG and NOx. Ozone is a regional pollutant and is mostly formed downwind from its source. The Draft EIR admits that Project operation would increase NOx and ROG (Draft EIR, Table 6-10,p. 6-19) but significantly underestimates their emissions. (See B-54 Comment H.) Further, the Draft EIR failed to estimate the increase in ROG and NOx emissions from Project construction, which are substantial. (See Comment IN.A.) The entire San Joaquin Valley air basin often violates both state and federal ozone ambient air quality standards. (SVAPCD 1/10/02, p. 22). It is classified as severe nonattainment for federal and state ozone standards, the most severe classification and one of only two such classified basins in the U.S., the other being the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Thus, the Project would contribute to an existing significant impact. ss San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District,Guide for Assessing and Mitigating Air Quality Impacts.Technical Document.Information for Preparing Air Quality Sections in EIRs,Revised _ January 10,2002("Technical Document"). 40