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Environmental Assessment
for the Operating Engineers Training Center
Yuba Goldfields 2005
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The Environmental Assessment covered
the issuance of a 40-year, non- competitive lease with the
Operating Engineers Local Union No.3 Joint Apprenticeship
Training Committee to set up a heavy equipment training
center within lands completely under the jurisdiction of
the U.S. Bureau of Land Management ("BLM"). The
EA focused on defining the three lease areas, comprising
about 50 acres, and describing the project, and included
an assessment of the noise and air quality impacts of operating
the training center. These issues were important because
as many as six pieces of heavy equipment would be running
at time during the daytime hours of weekdays, and an occupied
residence is in close proximity to the project site. Other
important issues addressed in the EA included a biological
and wetland assessment of the site, a cultural resources
survey, and a hydrology and water quality assessment. Lead
Agency: United States Bureau of Land Management |
Millbrae Cogeneration
Plan, Environmental Studies
Millbrae
2005
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TRA assisted the City of Millbrae
in preparing an Initial Study/Negative Declaration. The
project is located near a state highway road easement. TRA
prepared assessments of noise, air quality, and biological
resources. Lead Agency: City of Millbrae |
San Mateo Corporate Yard
Wetland Delineation
San Mateo
2004
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The approximately 5.56 acre property,
composed of two parcels, is located in the coastal bay-fill
terraces adjacent to the San Francisco Bay near Seal Slough.
The City of San Mateo is in the process of developing a
waste transfer station in an approximately 0.67 acre fenced
area directly adjacent (south) to the Corporate Yard Site.
Although the City is not currently in the process of further
developing the Corporate Yard Site, initial planning is
underway for a future project. Currently, the City of San
Mateo is seeking to clarify the extent of potential jurisdictional
wetlands within the property. Lead Agency: City of
San Mateo |
Berryessa Road Materials
Recycling Plant, Noise Study and Environmental Services
San Jose
2001
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A multi-day noise monitoring study
was completed to measure and characterize the existing noise
levels at the proposed crusher site and the neighborhood
north of the Berryessa Road GraniteRock plant, in San Jose,
CA. The Study found that use of the quieter crusher in the
center of the site or farther south (away) would produce
noise levels at the nearest residential area below the standard
of significance set by either 1) the General Plan or 2)
a 5 dB "appreciable" increase in noise. The residents,
however, will be able to hear the crusher and associated
equipment and will be able to identify its source. TRA then
prepared an Initial Study checklist and project description
for Graniterock's use in submitting an application package
to the City of San Jose. Lead Agency: City of San
Jose; Client: Graniterock Company |
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RMC Cement Plant Materials
Storage and Blending Facility EIR
Santa Cruz County
2000
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RMC Pacific Materials proposed
a modernization project for its existing cement manufacturing
facility in Davenport along the north coastline of Santa
Cruz County. The project would involve construction of
a new raw materials storage building 70 feet in height,
a new mixing dome structure 80 feet in height and other
supporting structures. The major issues addressed by the
EIR include: slope stability and soil erosion impacts
from the excavation of 265,000 cubic yards of material
to install the dome structure; the impact on agriculture
from placement of 151,000 cubic yards of fill on 4.4 acres
of Prime Farmland used for grazing; the potential impacts
on federally protected species present on site including
the California red-legged frog, steelhead, and coho salmon;
the visual impact of the modified landform and new structures
along the scenic coastline; and, the level of dust emissions
associated with the excavation and construction activities
of the project. Project was withdrawn after completion
of Administrative Draft EIR due to unresolved mitigation
for California red-legged frog. Lead Agency/Client:
Santa Cruz County
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Baycrete Concrete Batch Plant EIR
East Palo Alto
1999
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The project is construction of
a concrete batch plant operated by RMC Lonestar on Pulgas
Avenue in East Palo Alto. A Focused EIR was prepared addressing
noise, traffic, and consistency with land use policies.
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Quail Hollow Quarry EIR
Santa Cruz County
1998
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The Quail Hollow Quarry is a glass
and construction sand mining operation on a 240-acre site
near the communities of Felton and Ben Lomond. The project
would expand the permitted mining boundary from 19 to
102 acres. Maximum production rates would be increased
from 150,000 tons per year to 350,000 tons per year. The
EIR addressed impacts of the mining expansion and the
proposed reclamation plan. The major issues of concern
addressed by the EIR include the loss of habitat suitable
for the endangered Mount Hermon June beetle and Zayante
band-winged grasshopper; loss of suitable habitat for
sensitive plant species and sensitive plant communities
such as sand parkland and maritime chaparral. Other significant
concerns included erosion and stability of the fragile
sand slopes, control of site drainage and protection of
the groundwater table, severe dust (PM10) emissions due
to highly erodible sand soil, success of revegetation
plans on the sand soil, increase in haul truck traffic
on local roads and associated safety and road maintenance
impacts, and increase in noise levels along its western
property line affecting a nearby residence. Lead Agency/Client:
Santa Cruz County
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Bonny Doon Quarries
Certificate of Compliance and Reclamation Plan EIR
Santa Cruz County
1996
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The Bonny Doon Quarries EIR addresses
the impacts of two existing mining operations located
in the coastal hills of Santa Cruz County. The quarries
have been in operation since 1969. The Shale Quarry comprises
183 acres and the Limestone Quarry comprises 272 acres.
The raw material harvested from the quarry pits is transported
on a covered conveyor belt 3.5 miles to a cement plant
in Davenport for the manufacture of Portland cement. The
County of Santa Cruz requires all existing mining operations
to obtain a Certificate of Compliance to ensure that County
mining regulations are being complied with. The EIR addresses
the environmental effects of the individual quarry operations
and assesses compliance with county standards and policies.
Additionally, the EIR assesses the impacts of the proposed
reclamation plan for the quarry. The reclamation plan
includes drainage and erosion control of quarried slopes,
overburden and waste disposal areas, sedimentation ponds
and the materials conveyor line. Primary issues include
impacts to surface drainages, increased turbidity levels
in a spring serving as a municipal water supply source
for the City of Santa Cruz and noise to adjacent residents
from blasting the limestone ore. Lead Agency/Client:
Santa Cruz County
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Levinson Project EIR
Brisbane
1992
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This project
involved analyzing the impacts of the construction of a
120,000 square foot light industrial warehouse building
on a 22-acre parcel located in the City of Brisbane. The
project site is part of the planning area for the San Bruno
Mountain Habitat Conservation Plan and mitigations were
included in the EIR which addressed impacts to rare and
endangered species. The project proposed significant change
in visual character from an undeveloped sloping hillside
to a large, flat building site. The project site lies at
the northern boundary of the City of Brisbane and the City
was concerned with project aesthetics at this northern gateway
to the City.
Project development would also
increase the amount of runoff from the site. The drainage
infrastructure which serves the project site has no reserve
capacity so a detention facility would need to be sited
on or adjacent to the site to receive excess runoff. The
parcel selected by the Applicant for excess runoff has
sediments containing hazardous wastes so runoff detention
could not result in the release of hazardous sediments
to San Francisco Bay, the ultimate outfall of the storm
drainage system. Less significant impacts addressed in
the EIR included changes in site topography from site
grading, increase in truck traffic and associated noise
impacts to adjacent residential receptors and air quality
impacts. Lead Agency: City of Brisbane
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Brigantino Overburden Project
EIR
San Benito County
1991-1993
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The
EIR assessed the environmental impacts of transporting
18 million cubic yards of overburden from the Wilson Quarry
in Aromas and placing it as engineered fill on 217 acres
of the Brigantino Property. The overburden would be transported
over a one mile distance via a conveyor system. The fill
would be constructed in the heads of three small canyons
at the Brigantino site. The EIR evaluates the impacts
of both the Use Permit required for the overburden transport
and construction of the embankment and the Reclamation
Plan Amendment needed for regrading and revegetating the
project site.
The project was highly controversial
because it would extend the impacts of the quarry operation
from its historical mining boundary to the quiet rural
residential area. Issues of concern include slope stability
of the overburden embankment, hydrological changes in
the canyons, erosion potential, destruction of oak woodland,
increased ambient noise levels, violation of air quality
standards for fine particulates (PM10) and health risks
associated with PM10 and crystalline silica. The EIR concluded
that the impacts on noise levels, air quality and the
oak woodland were significant and unavoidable with mitigation.
The key issue for the County
in considering the project is whether an alternative exists
that could eliminate the use of an offsite location for
overburden disposal. In the Draft EIR, the project Applicant
asserts that onsite disposal is infeasible and would result
in the loss of harvestable granite. During the public
review period, the community group presented an alternate
mining plan calling for the disposal of overburden within
the pit (the area previously mined). To provide the County
with an independent review of both the Applicant's and
the community's onsite (in-pit) alternative, a third party
mining consultant was retained. The consultant concluded
that the In-Pit alternative was technically feasible and
that the costs would be comparable to the proposed project.
Lead Agency/Client: San Benito County
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