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5.8:PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES impacts to paleontological resources. Reworked and disturbed fossil material may be present in the artificial fill and previously disturbed sediment,but lack of stratigraphic context and likely mechanical damage would compromise all scientific values. This would apply to all excavations within 4 feet of current ground surface. • Modesto Formation-Excavations including drilling and trenching extending to depths below 4 feet are likely to affect alluvium of the Modesto Formation. For the reasons described above,this unit has low paleontological sensitivity. Identifiable and in situ fossils of scientific significance are unlikely to be present at depth in this unit,and therefore excavations within this unit would not constitute an adverse impact. Therefore,significant impacts to paleontological resources are not expected to occur from subsurface excavations associated with construction of LEC,nor are they expected from the operation of the LEC. 5.8.4 Cumulative Effects Widespread development in the San Francisco Bay and Delta areas has resulted in proportionately extensive impacts to paleontological resources, and this is anticipated to continue. The extensive nature of these cumulative impacts is due to this extensive development combined with the widespread presence of a number of fossiliferous sedimentary units in the area. However,measures typically implemented pursuant to State statutes serve to mitigate these impacts through the recovery of the scientific and educational potential of the affected paleontological resources. Although not all projects are subject to CEQA review,and only a small proportion of those incorporate paleontological protection measures, application of paleontological monitoring and mitigation measures is common and therefore mitigates the cumulative as well as direct impacts of continued development. The potential contribution to cumulative impacts to paleontological resources from project-related ground disturbance would be limited, given the limited extent of the current project and the locally unproven paleontological potential of the Quaternary alluvium at the project site. Thus,the proposed project is not expected to contribute measurably to cumulative negative impacts to paleontological resources in the absence of mitigation.With the mitigation described below,however,the contribution of LEC to cumulative negative impacts to paleontological resources would indeed be negligible. Moreover,the application of controlled scientific recovery methods to discovered paleontological resources is typically thought of constituting a beneficial impact to the extent that new scientific specimens and knowledge are generated. 5.8.5 Mitigation Measures Guidelines for the Implementation of CEQA (Public Resources Code Sections 15000 et seq.) include among the questions to be answered in the Environmental Checklist (Section 15023,Appendix G) the following: "Would the project directly or indirectly destroy a unique paleontological resource or site?" and"Does the project have the potential to . . . eliminate important examples of the major periods of California . . .pre-history?" These questions are answered in the negative based on the data and considerations provided above. Because 5.8-8 SAC/371322/082340008(LEC_5.8_PALEORES.DOC)