Draft EIS/EIR for the San Luis Reservoir SRA Resource ...

5. Environmental Analysis
with vehicle travel. (The draft LEV III standards do, however, include a reduction
in particulate matter emissions; CARB 2010b.) The majority of PM 2.5 emissions
result from industrial, farming, prescribed burning and disposal sources. PM 2.5 onroad
mobile exhaust emissions contribute 10.5 percent and PM 2.5 fugitive dust
emissions from paved road travel contribute 6.7 percent of total PM 2.5 emissions
in the air basin (CARB 2010b). The majority of PM 2.5 emissions result from
industrial, farming, prescribed burning and disposal sources (CARB 2010b).
Exhaust and fugitive dust from visitor use of the Plan Area are not expected to
result in a cumulatively considerable net increase in PM 2.5 emissions. On-road
mobile exhaust emissions and fugitive dust emissions represent a total of
approximately 17.5 percent of total PM 2.5 emissions, and contributions from the
Plan Area would represent only a small percentage of that total. The measures
listed in Section 5.4.2.4 would further reduce cumulative contributions to lessthan-considerable
net increases in PM 2.5 emissions.
Other proposed projects in the Plan Area and vicinity have the potential to
contribute to cumulative air quality impacts. As developments such as the Santa
Nella Community Specific Plan (Section 3.3.2), the Villages of Laguna San Luis
Community Plan (Section 3.3.4), and the Quinto Solar PV Project (Section
3.3.15.2) apply for approvals from permitting agencies, mitigation measures to
reduce air quality impacts of the developments would be included in
environmental documents. These ongoing and future developments that will
increase area traffic or contribute temporary construction emissions will affect air
quality in the Plan Area and adjacent vicinity. As all projects in the air basin are
subject to the same SJVAPCD requirements to avoid major adverse air quality
impacts, no cumulatively considerable effects are anticipated.
5.9.2.2 Greenhouse Gases
As described in Section 5.4.2.2, the model used to estimate GHG emissions for
existing Plan Area conditions (CARB 2006) does not account for recently adopted
state and federal GHG regulations for passenger vehicles that are designed to
reduce future GHG emissions. As a result, using the model to determine future
GHG emissions from Plan implementation and a potential increase in visitor
usage would grossly overestimate future GHG emissions. Since vehicle
manufacturers are expected to follow the California and federal GHG regulations
for light-duty vehicles, future GHG emissions are expected to decrease even if
visitor use of the Plan Area increased.
As discussed in Section 2.5.1.5, SJVAPCD guidelines state that if Best
Performance Standards (BPS) are adopted for a project, the GHG cumulative
impacts would be less than significant. As of January 2012, the BPS that have
been approved apply primarily to stationary sources. Because no BPS for mobile
sources have been approved, the San Luis Reservoir RMP/GP needs to
demonstrate a 29 percent reduction in GHG emissions from business-as-usual to
show that Plan implementation would have a less than cumulatively significant
impact.
5-76 San Luis Reservoir SRA
Draft RMP/GP and Draft EIS/EIR