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4 Environmental Analysis
<br /> 4.18 Wildfire
<br /> site's emergency response plan, which would include Material Safety Data Sheets as appropriate;
<br /> and educate and train first responders with regard to any specific safety concerns related to the
<br /> use of battery storage components and the safety systems in place.
<br /> The Project would also be designed, operated, and ultimately disposed of in compliance with all
<br /> applicable requirements, including the CFC and Section 608 of the IFC, which has been adopted
<br /> by the State of California, to minimize risk of fire from stationary BESS and contain fire in the
<br /> event of such an incident. Additionally, Article 480 of the National Electrical Code identifies
<br /> insulation and venting requirements for stationary storage batteries to further reduce potential fire
<br /> risk. Intermittent maintenance activities could increase the potential for ignition on-site due to the
<br /> presence of vehicles and use of equipment; however, given the low frequency and nature of
<br /> maintenance activities (one or two workers visiting the site on a weekly basis), Project O&M would
<br /> not significantly exacerbate wildfire risks. However, most importantly, the Project would not
<br /> include any occupants which could be exposed to wildfire risks. Therefore, the Project would not
<br /> expose Project occupants to pollutant concentrations from a wildfire or the uncontrolled spread of
<br /> wildfire due to slope, prevailing winds, or other factors, and no significant impact would occur
<br /> during operation.
<br /> Mitigation: None required.
<br /> IMPACT 4.18-3: Would the project require the installation or maintenance of associated
<br /> infrastructure (such as roads, fuel breaks, emergency water sources, power lines or other utilities)
<br /> that may exacerbate fire risk or that may result in temporary or ongoing impacts to the
<br /> environment? (Less than Significant Impact)
<br /> The Project is entirely located within a High FHSZ within the SRA and the nearest Very High
<br /> FHSZ is located approximately 3.5 miles southwest of the Project site (Figure 4.18-1). Project
<br /> components would include the installation and maintenance of infrastructure associated with the
<br /> BESS, such as roads, fuel breaks, and powerlines. The proposed BESS is considered a Major
<br /> Utility pursuant to Division 14, Section 9-115.580, of the San Joaquin County Municipal Code.
<br /> The Project would include powerlines (including the proposed gen-tie transmission lines) and
<br /> other electrical components, such as transformers, inverters, substations, maintenance vehicles,
<br /> gas/electric-powered machinery, and batteries. Within both San Joaquin County and Alameda
<br /> County, the proposed gen-tie line and tie-in to the existing PG&E Tesla Substation would also be
<br /> required to comply with transmission vegetation management standards established by NERC.
<br /> The Project would be designed in compliance with federal, state, and local worker safety and fire
<br /> protection codes and regulations, which would minimize the potential for the occurrence of fire.
<br /> As described in Section 2.5.2.3, Fire Safety, of Chapter 2, Project Description, each battery
<br /> enclosure unit would have a fire rating in conformance with local fire authority and County
<br /> standards, via compliance with the California Fire Code 2022. The Project's fire protection design
<br /> would comply with California Fire Code Section 1207 Electrical Energy Storage Systems, which
<br /> adopts the NFPA's Standard for the Installation of Stationary Energy Storage Systems (NFPA
<br /> 855). Project maintenance and operation may introduce potential ignition sources, such as
<br /> transformers, inverters, electric transmission line (including the gen-tie line), substations,
<br /> maintenance vehicles, gas/electric-powered machinery, and batteries. However, the potential fire
<br /> risk is low for these Project components. All battery components for the BESS would be installed
<br /> on concrete pads and contained within an enclosure to minimize the potential for sparks or
<br /> Griffith Energy Storage Project 4.18-15 Tetra Tech/SCH 2022120675
<br /> Draft Environmental Impact Report August 2023
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