SU0014502 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Administrative Draft Environmental Impact Report Gill Medical Center Project Rather, the SCS is intended to provide a regional policy foundation that local governments may build upon as they choose and generally includes quantitative growth projections. 4.10.3 Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures 4.10.3.1 Thresholds of Significance According to Appendix G of the CEQA Guidelines, climate change impacts are considered significant if implementation of the Proposed Project would: Generate greenhouse gas emissions, either directly or indirectly, that may have a significant impact on the environment; Conflict with an applicable plan, policy, or regulation adopted for the purpose of reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases. The Appendix G thresholds for GHG emissions do not prescribe specific methodologies for performing an assessment, do not establish specific thresholds of significance, and do not mandate specific mitigation measures. Rather, the CEQA Guidelines emphasize the lead agency's discretion to determine the appropriate methodologies and thresholds of significance consistent with the manner in which other impact areas are handled in CEQA.With respect to GHG emissions, the CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.4(a) states that lead agencies "shall make a good-faith effort, based to the extent possible on scientific and factual data, to describe, calculate or estimate" GHG emissions resulting from a project. The CEQA Guidelines note that an agency has the discretion to either quantify a project's GHG emissions or rely on a "qualitative analysis or other performance-based standards." (14 CCR 15064.4(b)). A lead agency may use a "model or methodology"to estimate GHG emissions and has the discretion to select the model or methodology it considers "most appropriate to enable decision makers to intelligently take into account the project's incremental contribution to climate change." (14 CCR 15064.4(c)). Section 15064.4(b) provides that the lead agency should consider the following when determining the significance of impacts from GHG emissions on the environment: 1. The extent a project may increase or reduce GHG emissions as compared to the existing environmental setting. 2. Whether the project emissions exceed a threshold of significance that the lead agency determines applies to the project. 3. The extent to which the project complies with regulations or requirements adopted to implement a statewide, regional, or local plan for the reduction or mitigation of GHG emissions (14 CCR 15064.4(b)). In addition, Section 15064.7(c) of the CEQA Guidelines specifies that "[wjhen adopting or using thresholds of significance, a lead agency may consider thresholds of significance previously adopted or recommended by other public agencies, or recommended by experts, provided the decision of the lead agency to adopt such thresholds is supported by substantial evidence" (14 CCR 15064.7(c)).The CEQA Guidelines also clarify that the effects of GHG emissions are cumulative and should be analyzed in the context of CEQA's requirements for cumulative impact analysis (see CEQA Guidelines Section 15130(f)). As Greenhouse Gas and Climate Change 4.10-8 October 2021