Volume 2: Draft Gorst Planned Action Environmental Impact Statement

GORST PLANNED ACTION EIS | AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT, SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS, AND MITIGATION MEASURESState were estimated to exceed 101,000,000 metric tons CO2-equivalent in 2008 (Ecology 2010b). By comparison,the increase in GHG emissions associated with all of the alternatives would be a very small fraction of total GHGemissions within Washington State; therefore, GHG impacts caused by increased development in the Gorst UGAwould not be significant.As listed in Table 3.3-4 Comparison of Annual GHG Emissions in the Gorst Watershed, GHG emissions in the GorstWatershed will increase by 2035. In comparison to state-wide annual GHG emissions, the relatively small increasein GHG emissions within the Gorst Watershed by 2035 is not considered significant.Note:Table 3.3-4Comparison of Annual GHG Emissions in the Gorst Watershed, Excluding the Gorst UGAGHG EmissionEstimatesAverage Annual GHG Emissions During 60-Year Project Lifetime(metric tons CO2-equivalent per year)Existing Increase by 203523,055 4,756The GHG emissions increase in the Gorst Watershed in 2035 (compared to existing conditions) is based on futurecontinuation of the no action alternative and therefore is not compared to any significance thresholds.Global Climate ChangeAs quantified in later sections, for all alternatives, future increases in population and employment would result inhigher GHG emissions in the Gorst UGA than are emitted under existing conditions. These emissions wouldcontribute to global GHG atmospheric concentrations, but would be a very small fraction of the worldwide GHGemissions. By themselves, none of the alternatives would cause discernible changes to global climate change.However, increased worldwide GHG emissions are expected to cause global climate change, and the effects willlikely impact the Gorst study area and the Pacific Northwest region. Local impacts are expected to include changesin seasonal temperatures, seasonal precipitation patterns, or local seawater rise (UWCIG 2012). Based on researchconducted by the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group and the Washington Department of Ecology sealevel is expected to rise within the Puget Sound between 3 and 22 inches by 2050 and between 6 and 50 inches by2100 (UWCIG, et al 2008). Some images showing how the range of sea level rise could theoretically affect theSinclair Inlet are found in Appendix C Air Quality GHG Development Reduction Procedures & Sea Level RiseInformation.Alternative 1The direct and indirect impacts caused by construction emissions, localized stationary source emissions, localizedCO hot-spots, and regional tailpipe emissions would be the same as described under Impacts Common to AllAlternatives.Contribution to Regional Air Pollutant EmissionsPopulation growth and daily VMT can be used as indicators of future transportation-related emissions. Table 3.3-5Gorst UGA Contribution to Forecast 2035 Puget Sound Regional VMT shows the future contribution of regionalVMT from the Gorst UGA compared to Kitsap County. The VMT generated by each alternative would increasecompared to existing conditions. Alternative 1 would produce 29,067 daily VMT, which would contribute less thanone percent of the Kitsap County regional VMT forecast for 2035. The forecasted VMT from the Gorst UGA forAlternative 1 is only a small fraction of the Kitsap County regional totals; therefore, this alternative would notresult in a significant impact on regional air quality.Draft | June 2013 3-37