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III. Environmental Setting, Impacts, and Mitigations I. Energy Based on EPA's landfill gas estimation computer model,landfill wastes over the next 50 years could generate an approximate additional 940 million cubic feet of natural gas by year 2050 (EPA, 1991). New landfill regulations would require that landfill gas be flared or taken to cogeneration facilities. The existing power plant is operating close to full capacity. A substantial addition in landfill gas would require expansion of the existing gas collection and power generation systems or a separate landfill gas collection system. On the basis of projected waste volumes,gas collection and disposal procedures,price of alternate fuels,and demand for generated power,Pacific Energy Company would evaluate the economic feasibility of expanding the current power generation system. If power plant expansion is not economically viable, provisions will need to be made for flaring additional generated gas and the potential to recover energy from wastes would be lost. Because of AB 939 waste reduction requirements,there would not be a substantial increase in incoming wastes in the future. Landfill operations,therefore,are not likely to increase appreciably. Given that the scale of operations would be approximately the same,the project would not have a significant adverse impact on natural energy sources. Mitigation Measure I.1 None warranted. Off-Site Haul Trips Impact I.2. Off-site haul trips,bringing in landfill wastes,would consume energy from petroleum fuels. (ADVERSE) The proposed project is expected to generate about 30 vehicle trip ends during a.m. peak-hour- traffic conditions, and about 216 vehicle trip ends per day, as discussed in Section III.D, Transportation and Circulation. Using an average trip length of about eight miles/trip,this would result in an average daily fuel consumption of about 330 gallons/day. Annually,the project would cause a fuel consumption of about 14 billion Btu/year,or about 2,400 barrels of oil. Without the project,the existing landfill would be closed by 2007. Locally generated wastes would have to be hauled to other landfills for disposal. Depending on the proximity of other landfill locations,the closure of the existing landfill could result in a net increase in total vehicle- miles traveled by haul trucks,which in turn would increase regional vehicular emissions. IILL3