ARCHIVED REPORTS_DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT

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preserves. The goal of the SJMSCP is to provide approximately 101,000 acres of agricultural and habitat preserve;the SJMSCP concludes that this would adequately compensate for cumulative impacts on plant and wildlife species covered by the plan. Because the SJMSCP potentially provides a streamlined mechanism to mitigate impacts on resources covered under the plan(such as special-status bird species, special-status plant species,vernal pool crustaceans, California tiger salamander,western spadefoot toad, and giant garter snake), it is assumed that most qualifying projects within the County would use the SJMSCP for mitigation. Therefore, cumulative impacts on terrestrial biological resources covered under the SJMSCP are considered less than significant. Biological impacts resulting from the proposed project that are not expected to be compensated for by coverage under the SJMSCP are the loss of protected trees and impacts to sensitive habitats. Mitigation Measures 4.5-9 and 4.5-10 would fully compensate for the loss of protected trees and sensitive habitats. It is assumed that mitigation requirements would be applied to all related projects that may affect protected trees and sensitive habitats; therefore,no cumulative net loss of protected trees and sensitive habitats should occur. Therefore,potential cumulative impacts on protected trees and sensitive habitats are considered less than significant. Because the City would participate in the SJMSCP and would implement mitigation measures to compensate for the loss of protected trees and sensitive habitats,the proposed project and related projects would result in less-than- significant cumulative impacts on terrestrial biological resources. . 5.3.6 HAZARDS AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS The proposed project and related projects would all involve the storage,use, disposal, and transport of hazardous materials to varying degrees during construction and operation. Impacts related to these activities are considered less than significant under the project because the storage,use, disposal, and transport of hazardous materials are extensively regulated by various federal, state, and local agencies and it is assumed that related projects would also comply with these hazardous materials regulations. Because all of the project's hazards and hazardous materials impacts would be less than significant,no mitigation measures are required. Therefore, significant hazards to the public would not occur. Because these laws and regulations would also apply to each related project,this impact would be considered less than significant on both an individual project and cumulative basis. 5.3.7 GEOLOGY, SOILS, AND SEISMICITY Various areas in the City of Manteca and the project region are subject to ground shaking, liquefaction, lateral spreading, settlement, levee failure, and other seismically induced hazards. Although the city is located in an area of low seismic activity, faults in the greater San Joaquin Valley could cause moderate ground shaking throughout the region. In addition, expansive soils underlay portions of the project area. Expansive soils could over time damage building foundations,underground utilities, and other subsurface facilities. Implementation of related projects could expose additional structures and people to seismic hazards and unstable soils. The potential seismic and soil hazards in the City of Manteca,therefore, could represent a significant cumulative impact if projects are not developed to the latest building standards and do not incorporate recommendations from site-specific geotechnical reports and grading/erosion plans prepared for these projects. As discussed in Section 4.7,"Geology, Soils, and Seismicity,"the project area would be exposed to potentially significant seismic hazard impacts and expansive soils impacts. However,these impacts would be mitigated to less-than-significant levels through completion of site-specific geotechnical studies and implementation of construction and design measures developed in response to the studies. Each related project must individually meet building code requirements;therefore, additive effects would not result from the combination of the related projects and the proposed project. Implementation of the project would not create additional facilities under increased risk of hazards and would not result in any cumulatively considerable incremental contributions to any significant cumulative impacts. This would be a less-than-significant cumulative impact. Manteca WQCF and Collection System Master Plans EIR EDAW City of Manteca 5-15 Cumulative Impacts