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7.5 ENVIRONMENTALLY SUPERIOR ALTERNATIVE <br /> The State CEQA Guidelines require identification of an environmentally superior alternative. If the No Project <br /> Alternative is environmentally superior,CEQA requires selection of the"environmentally superior alternative <br /> other than the no project alternative"from among the project and the alternatives evaluated. <br /> Table 7-1 identifies whether each of the three alternatives would have"greater,""less,"or"similar"impacts as <br /> the project for each of the 13 environmental issue areas evaluated in this Draft EIR. Based on the listing of lesser <br /> and greater impacts as identified in Table 7-1,the No Project Alternative would appear to be the environmentally <br /> superior alternative. The No Project Alternative would avoid the project's significant and unavoidable impacts <br /> associated with Important Farmland and generation of substantial odors. Because the No Project Alternative <br /> would not result in any significant and unavoidable impacts, it is the environmentally superior alternative and it is <br /> superior to all other alternatives considered. However,this alternative would not meet any project objectives. <br /> Further, it would not resolve existing non-compliance issues associated with the temperature of the effluent. Most <br /> importantly,this alternative would not result in the expansion of the WQCF to meet buildout demands associated <br /> with the City's General Plan(2023). As such,this alternative may result in the curtailment of growth within the <br /> City until an alternate plan for wastewater disposal could be developed. <br /> Table 7-1 <br /> Comparison of the Impacts of the Alternatives with Those of the Proposed Project <br /> Alternative <br /> Environmental Issues No Project(9.87 Increased Land Advanced Wastewater Modified Pipeline <br /> mgd) Disposal Treatment Alignment <br /> Land Use and Agricultural Resources Less Similar or Greater Similar Similar <br /> Visual Resources Less Similar Similar Similar <br /> Air Quality Less Similar Similar Similar <br /> Noise Less Similar Similar Similar <br /> Terrestrial Biological Resources Less Greater Similar Less <br /> Hazards and Hazardous Materials Similar Similar Similar or Greater Similar <br /> Geology,Soils,and Seismicity Similar Similar Similar Similar <br /> Paleontological Resources Less Similar Similar Similar <br /> Hydrology and Water Quality Similar Similar Less Similar <br /> Public Services and Utilities Similar Similar Similar Similar <br /> Transportation and Circulation Less Greater Similar Similar <br /> Cultural Resources Less Similar Similar Similar <br /> Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Similar Greater Less* Similar* <br /> Assumes construction of a treated effluent cooling tower to reduce thermal impacts. <br /> Source:EDAW 2007 <br /> The Increased Land Disposal Alternative would not be environmentally superior to the project because it would <br /> not avoid any of the project significant and unavoidable impacts related to Important Farmland and generation of <br /> odors and it would result in greater environmental impacts in 4 resource areas including greater impacts to <br /> Important Farmland, sensitive habitats and species, construction-related traffic impacts, and fishery impacts. <br /> While this alternative may achieve most project objectives,because of the substantial expense involved with <br /> EDAW Manteca WQCF and Collection System Master Plans EIR <br /> Alternatives to the Proposed Project 7-14 City of Manteca <br />