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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05_Ch4_EnvironmentalAnalysis_we CHAPTER 4EnvironmentalAnalysis 4.0INTRODUCTION TO ANALYSIS Sections 4.1 through 4.13 of Chapter 4 of this MEIR contain a discussion of the potential environmental effects that could result from implementation of the 2006 FMPU and related expansion of the Genentech R&D Overlay District (the entirety of which is referred to as the proposed project), including an overview of existing conditions, an analysis of the type and magnitude of individual and cumulative environmental impacts, and feasible mitigation measures that could reduce or avoid environmental impacts. 4.0.1Scope of the Environmental Impact Analysis The 2006 FMPU is a land use plan that guides the physical development of the Genentech Campus. It is not an implementation plan. Adoption of the proposed project does not constitute a commitment to any specific project, construction schedule, or funding priority. Rather, it describes the entire development program of approximately 3.2 million new gsf on the campus through 2016. The MEIR will serve as the environmental impact analysis for future Genentech buildings and development consistent with the 2006 FMPU for a minimum of five years as permitted by state law. The scope of the analysis of the potential environmental effects of the proposed project is described below. In accordance with Appendix G of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, the potential environmental effects of the proposed project are analyzed for the following environmental issue areas: Biological Resources Flood and Inundation Hazards Air Quality Noise and Vibration Geology and Soils Hazards and Hazardous Materials Transportation Land Use and Planning Aesthetics Cultural Resources Population, Employment and Housing Public Services Utilities and Service Systems Based upon the December 9, 2005, Revised Notice of Preparation (NOP) circulated for the project, impacts to agricultural resources and recreation were determined to be ?Effects Not Found to Be Genentech Corporate Facilities Master EIR 4-1 Chapter 4 Environmental Analysis Significant? according to Section 15128 of the CEQA Guidelines. The MEIR Study Area is largely fully developed, with no known agricultural resources and no existing or proposed residential uses. 4.0.2Format of the Environmental Analysis The following topics will be discussed individually and in detail for each of the environmental issue areas discussed in this chapter: Existing Conditions According to Section 15125 of the CEQA Guidelines, an EIR must include a description of the existing physical environmental conditions in the vicinity of the project to provide the ?baseline condition? against which project-related impacts are compared. Normally, the baseline condition is the physical condition that exists when the NOP is published. The Revised NOP for the MEIR was published December 9, 2005. For analytical purposes, impacts associated with implementation of the proposed project are based upon conditions in December 2005. For purposes of evaluating impacts related to physical development, the baseline condition for the environmental setting includes all existing development, as well as projects that are under construction, approved, and/or for which an environmental document has been prepared in accordance with CEQA, as of December 2005. Regulatory Framework The Regulatory Framework provides a summary of regulations, plans, policies, and laws that are relevant to each issue area. Project Impacts and Mitigation This section is further divided into the following subsections, as described below. Analytic Method This subsection identifies the methodology used to analyze potential environmental impacts. Thresholds of Significance Thresholds of significance are criteria used to determine whether potential environmental effects are significant. The thresholds of significance used in this analysis were taken from Appendix G of the CEQA Guidelines and supplemented by locally recognized thresholds as appropriate (e.g., South San Francisco level of service standards). This subsection defines the type, amount, and/or extent of impact that would be considered a significant change in the environment. Some thresholds (such as air quality, traffic, and noise) are quantitative, while others, such as visual quality, are qualitative. The thresholds are 4-2 Genentech Corporate Facilities Master EIR 4.0 Introduction to Analysis intended to assist the reader in understanding how and why the MEIR reaches a conclusion that an impact is significant or less than significant. The thresholds of significance are provided both in the ?Thresholds of Significance? section and immediately before the relevant impact analysis for ease of correlation. Impacts and Mitigation Measures This subsection describes the potential environmental impacts of the proposed project and, based upon the thresholds of significance, concludes whether the environmental impacts would be considered, potentially significant, or less than significant. Each impact is summarized in an ?impact statement,? followed by a more detailed discussion of the potential impacts and the significance of each impact before mitigation. This subsection also includes feasible mitigation measures that could reduce the severity of the impact. In instances where the design guidelines or development policies and strategies put forth in the 2006 FMPU serve to reduce potential impacts associated with implementation of the proposed project, such guidelines, policies and strategies have been incorporated into this MEIR as mitigation measures to ensure their implementation and will be included in the Mitigation Monitoring Program (MMP) to ensure compliance. In addition to feasible mitigation measures (MMs), Genentech will also continue to comply with all applicable local, state, and federal laws and regulations that are considered part of the project description and are identified as Project Requirements (PRs) in the impact analysis and will be included in the MMRP to ensure compliance. Following the description of MMs and PRs, the subsection concludes with a statement regarding whether the impact, following implementation of the mitigation measure(s) would remain significant, and thus be significant and unavoidable, or would be reduced to a less-than-significant level. The analysis of environmental impacts considers both the construction and operational phases associated with implementation of the proposed project. As required by Section 15126.2(a) of the CEQA Guidelines, direct, indirect, short-term, long-term, on-Campus, and/or off-Campus impacts are addressed, as appropriate, for the environmental issue area being analyzed. As previously mentioned, the analysis of impacts is based upon one of two factors, either population or the campus built environment, depending upon the type of impact. Impacts related to transportation/traffic, air quality, noise, population and housing, and public services (police protection and school capacity) are analyzed on the basis of the campus population estimates associated with the proposed project. Impacts related to aesthetics, biological resources, cultural resources, geology and soils, hazards and hazardous materials, hydrology and water quality, land use and planning, utilities and service systems, and public services (fire protection) are analyzed on the basis of factors such as the proposed location of development, the proposed size (square footage) and type of development, acreage of ground disturbance, and known or expected presence of environmental resources (i.e., biological or cultural resources). The Draft MEIR uses the following terms to describe the level of significance of impacts identified during the course of the environmental analysis: 4-3 Genentech Corporate Facilities Master EIR Chapter 4 Environmental Analysis Significant and Unavoidable Impact (SU)?Impact that exceeds the defined threshold(s) of significance and cannot be eliminated or reduced to a less-than-significant level through the implementation of feasible mitigation measures. Potentially Significant Impact (PS)?Impact that exceeds the defined threshold(s) of significance and can be eliminated or reduced to a less-than-significant level through the implementation of feasible mitigation measures. Less-Than-Significant Impact (LTS)?Impact that does not exceed the defined threshold(s) of significance. No Impact (NI)?No effect on the defined threshold(s) of significance. A ?significant effect? is defined by Section 15382 of the CEQA Guidelines as ?a substantial, or potentially substantial, adverse change in any of the physical conditions within the area affected by the project including land, air, water, minerals, flora, fauna, ambient noise, and objects of historic or aesthetic significance. An economic or social change by itself shall not be considered a significant effect on the environment ? [but] may be considered in determining whether the physical change is significant.? Each impact discussion is separately numbered and includes a brief impact statement that summarizes the subject of the analysis. This format is designed to assist the reader in quickly identifying the subject of the impact analyses and for use in Table 1-2 (Summary of Environmental Effects and Mitigation Measures), which forms the basis of the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program. References This subsection identifies sources relied upon for each environmental topic area analyzed in this document (Sections 4.1 through 4.13). 4-4 Genentech Corporate Facilities Master EIR