LEHIGH PERMANENTE QUARRY RECLAMATION PLAN AMENDMENT

Transcription

1 Draft LEHIGH PERMANENTE QUARRY RECLAMATION PLAN AMENDMENT Environmental Impact Report State Clearinghouse No Santa Clara County December 2011 Department of Planning & Development Planning Office

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3 Draft LEHIGH PERMANENTE QUARRY RECLAMATION PLAN AMENDMENT Environmental Impact Report State Clearinghouse No Santa Clara County December 2011 Department of Planning & Development Planning Office

4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Lehigh Permanente Quarry Reclamation Plan Amendment EIR Executive Summary ES.1 Introduction... ES-1 ES.2 Project Objectives... ES-2 ES.3 Project Setting and Location... ES-3 ES.4 Project Description... ES-3 ES.5 Alternatives... ES-4 ES.6 Environmentally Superior Alternative... ES-8 ES.7 Areas of Controversy and Issues to be Resolved... ES-9 ES.8 Summary of Impacts and Mitigation Measures... ES Introduction Purpose of This Document Project Overview Use of this Document by Agencies Public Review and Comment Scoping Public Comments on the Draft EIR Organization of this EIR Project Description Project Overview Project Location Regional Setting Project Site Project Area Existing Land Use Existing Land Use in the Project Area Existing Land Uses in the Vicinity of the Project Project Purpose and Need Project Objectives Reclamation Plan Amendment Components East Materials Storage Area Quarry Pit West Materials Storage Area Crusher/Quarry Office Support Area Surge Pile Rock Plant Permanente Creek Reclamation Area Exploration Area Buffer Areas Project Area Access Roads Lehigh Permanente Quarry Reclamation Plan Amendment i ESA /

5 2. Project Description (continued) 2.7 Amended Reclamation Plan Implementation Reclamation Phasing East Materials Storage Area Quarry Pit West Materials Storage Area Crusher/Quarry Office Support Area Surge Pile Rock Plant Permanente Creek Reclamation Area Exploration Area Buffer Areas Other Project Details Reclamation Monitoring, Maintenance and Conformance with Standards Wildlife Habitat Backfilling, Regrading, Slope Stability and Recontouring Revegetation, Topsoil Salvage, Maintenance and Redistribution Drainage, Diversion Structures, Waterways and Erosion Control and Stream Protection, Including Surface and Groundwater Building, Structure and Equipment Removal Mine Waste Management Description of Alternatives Overview Alternatives Development and Screening Process Alternatives Screening Methodology Consistency with Project Objectives Feasibility Potential to Eliminate Significant Environmental Effects Reasonableness Summary of Screening Results Alternatives Evaluated in Detail in this EIR Alternatives Rejected from Detailed Consideration Environmental Analysis 4.0 Introduction to Environmental Analysis Overview Environmental Assessment Methodology Aesthetics, Visual Quality, and Light and Glare Agriculture and Forest Resources Air Quality Biological Resources Cultural and Paleontological Resources Energy Conservation Geology, Soils, and Seismicity Greenhouse Gas Emissions Hazards and Hazardous Materials Hydrology and Water Quality Land Use and Planning Mineral Resources Noise Population and Housing Lehigh Permanente Quarry Reclamation Plan Amendment ii ESA /

6 4. Environmental Analysis (continued) 4.15 Public Services Recreation Transportation/Traffic Utilities and Service Systems Comparison of Alternatives Comparison Methodology Comparison of Alternatives Identification of the Environmentally Superior Alternative Cumulative Impacts The Cumulative Scenario Cumulative Effects Analysis Other CEQA Considerations Significant Unavoidable Environmental Impacts Significant Irreversible Changes Growth-Inducing Impacts Report Preparers Report Authors Agencies and Organizations Consulted Glossary and Acronyms Glossary Acronyms and Abbreviations Used in this EIR Appendices A. Scoping Report...A-1 B. Air Resources...B-1 C. Biological Resources... C-1 D. Cultural Resources... D-1 E. Health Risk Assessment...E-1 List of Figures 2-1 Regional Location Project Area Existing Topography Reclamation Plan Amendment Phase Reclamation Plan Amendment Phase Reclamation Plan Amendment Phase 3, Final Reclamation Conveyor System Layout Quarry Conveyor System Layout WMSA Extraction and North Quarry Backfilling Conveyor System Layout Rockplant Facilities Site Location Map Site Plan East and Central Materials Storage Area Viewpoint Map with Scenic Roadways a Setting Photos Lehigh Permanente Quarry Reclamation Plan Amendment iii ESA /

7 List of Figures (continued) 4.1-2b Setting Photos c Setting Photos a Baseline Photos b Baseline Photos a Existing and Visual Simulation Photos b Existing and Visual Simulation Photos c Existing and Visual Simulation Photos a Existing and Visual Simulation Photos b Existing and Visual Simulation Photos c Existing and Visual Simulation Photos a Existing and Visual Simulation Photos b Existing and Visual Simulation Photos c Existing and Visual Simulation Photos a Existing and Visual Simulation Photos b Existing and Visual Simulation Photos c Existing and Visual Simulation Photos Soil Types in the Project Area Residential Receptor Locations Mapped Habitat Details Mapped Habitat Details Mapped Habitat Details Mapped Habitat Details CNNDB - Documented Distribution of Plants and Wildlife within 5 miles of the Project Area Geology of the Project Area Regional Fault Map Regional Hydrologic Setting Project Area Monitoring and Sampling Locations Conceptual Model Water Balance, North Quarry Phases Santa Clara County Zoning Designations Decibel Scale and Common Noise Sources Point Source Spreading with Distance Line Source Spreading with Distance Wind Effects on Noise Levels Effects of Temperature Gradients on Noise Sensitive Noise Receptors Land Use Compatibility for Community Noise Environment Reduced Operation Areas Cumulative Projects List of Tables ES-1 Reclamation Phasing and Related Activities... ES-5 ES-2 No Project Phasing and Related Activities... ES-8 ES-3 Summary of Impacts and mitigation measures for the Permanente Quarry Reclamation Plan Amendment... ES-13 ES-4 Proposed Project vs. Alternatives Summary of Environmental Impact Conclusions... ES Expected Permits, Approvals and Consultations Reclamation Plan Amendment Components Lehigh Permanente Quarry Reclamation Plan Amendment iv ESA /

8 List of Tables (continued) 2-2 Reclamation Phasing and Related Activities PRCA Subarea 1 Reclamation Treatments PRCA Subarea 2 Reclamation Treatments PRCA Subarea 3 Reclamation Treatments PRCA Subarea 4 Reclamation Treatments PRCA Subarea 5 Reclamation Treatments PRCA Subarea 6 Reclamation Treatments PRCA Subarea 7 Reclamation Treatments Existing Electrical Power Demand in the Project Area Estimated Annual Electrical Power Demand of the Proposed Project Sedimentation Basins in the Project Area Qualitative Descriptions of Soil Surface Status Remedial Measures for Erosion Control Summary of Quarry Work Days and Shifts Worked: Proposed Five-Year Performance Standards for Revegetation in the Project Area Proposed Five-Year Performance Standards for Revegetation in the PCRA Summary of Preliminary Significant and Unavoidable Environmental Impacts of the Lehigh Permanente Quarry Reclamation Plan Amendment Summary of Alternatives Screening Analysis, Lehigh Permanente Quarry Reclamation Plan Amendment No Project Phasing and Related Activities Summary of Visual Sensitivity Findings, Viewer Types, Visual Exposures, and Visual Quality Guidelines for Determining Adverse Visual Impact Significance Santa Clara County Summary by Land Use Category Forest-Related Biological Communities in the Project Area Air Quality Data Summary ( ) Jackson St. Station, San Jose Ambient Air Quality Standards and Bay Area Attainment Status Maximum Daily Criteria Air Pollutant Emissions Maximum Annual Criteria Air Pollutant Emissions No Project Scenario for the Health Risk Assessment Project Scenario for the Health Risk Assessment Estimated Cancer Risk for Fugitive Dust Quarrying/Overburden Operations Estimated Cancer Risk Due to Off-Road Equipment Estimated Incremental Cancer Risk by Pollutant Estimated Incremental Cancer Risk by Emission Source Category Estimated Cancer Risk at Top Five Receptors Estimated Cancer Risks by Emission Source Category - Mitigated Estimated Acute Hazard Impacts Estimated Chronic Hazard Impacts Estimated PM2.5 Concentration Impacts Existing Biological Communities in the Active Reclamation Areas Paleontological Potential Criteria Cultural Resources in the Project Area Vicinity PG&E s 2010 Electric Power Mix Delivered to Retail Customers Soil Units within the Project Area Estimated Crystalline Silica Percentages for the Rock-Types in the Quarry Estimated Total Metals Content within Rock Samples Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale Faults in the Project Site Vicinity Lehigh Permanente Quarry Reclamation Plan Amendment v ESA /

9 List of Tables (continued) Summary of Slope Stability Evaluations in the Quarry Pit Recommended Actions of Climate Change Scoping Plan Maximum Annual GHG Emissions Existing and Proposed Section 303(d) List of Impaired Water Bodies Monitored Pollutant Concentrations in Project Area Mined Material and Overburden Constituent Concentrations Overburden Leachability by Modified Cam Wet Designated Beneficial Uses of Water Bodies in the Project Area Quarry Pit Water Quality Parameters Water Quality Projections for Subsurface Flow Out of the Quarry Pit Projections of Future Water Quality in Runoff from Reclaimed Quarry Area County of Santa Clara Zoning Designations at the Project Area Approximate Relationship Between Increases in Environmental Noise Level and Human Perception Summary of Ambient Noise Level Measurements in the Project Vicinity Summary of Extrapolated Ambient Noise Levels at Nearest Residential Areas Applicable Noise Exposure Limits County of Santa Clara Municipal Code Section B Applicable Cupertino City Noise Ordinance Residential Limits Summary of Reclamation Phase 1 Equipment, Operation Use Hours, and Reference Noise Levels Used in Project Noise Assessment Summary of Reclamation Phase 1 Noise Levels Compared to Local Standards Summary of Reclamation Phase 1 L dn Noise Level Increases Summary of Reclamation Phase 1 L dn Noise Level increases Following Implementation of Mitigation Measures a and b Summary of Phase 2 Equipment, Operation Use Hours, and Reference Noise Levels Used in Project Noise Assessment Summary of Reclamation Phase 2 Noise Levels Compared to Local Standards Summary of Reclamation Phase 2 L dn Noise Level Increases Summary of Phase 3 Equipment, Operation Use Hours, and Reference Noise Levels Used in Project Noise Assessment Summary of Rock Plant/Conveyor Demolition Phase 3 Noise Levels Compared to Local Standards Summary of Rock Plant/Conveyor Demolition Phase 3 LDN Noise Level Increase Summary of Reclamation Phase 2 Noise Levels Compared to Local Standards Bay Area Population Projections by County, Santa Clara County Population by Municipality, Santa Clara County (Countywide and Unincorporated) and City of Cupertino Employment Trends and Projections, Number of Housing Units By County for the Bay Area Collision History in Project Area Proposed Ponds in the Project Area Proposed Project vs. Alternatives Summary of Environmental Impact Conclusions Lehigh Permanente Quarry Reclamation Plan Amendment Cumulative Impact Analysis Projects List Cumulative Health Impacts Lehigh Permanente Quarry Reclamation Plan Amendment vi ESA /