Draft Environmental Impact Report - California Off Highway Vehicle ...

3.2 Air Quality
Implementation of the General Plan could result in odorous emissions from diesel exhaust
generated by construction equipment. Although diesel emissions have an objectionable odor,
diesel exhaust is highly diffusive, few people would be located around the diesel equipment, and
these emissions would be temporary. Therefore, construction would not result in a nuisance
impact, and odor impacts during project construction would be less than significant.
Because potential criteria pollutant emission impacts, TAC impacts, and odor impacts related to
construction would be less than significant, Impact 3.2­1, “Potential Air Quality Pollution
Impacts Related to Construction Emissions,” would be less than significant.
Mitigation Measures: No mitigation is required.
IMPACT
3.2-2
Potential Air Quality Pollution Related to Operational Emissions
Criteria Pollutant Emissions
Criteria pollutant emissions would be generated at Clay Pit SVRA as long as the site continues to
be used for OHV recreation as described and envisioned in the General Plan. Area sources of
criteria pollutants would include the propane tank by the headquarters facilities (see Impact 3.2‐3
below) and the use of paint to periodically repaint structures on‐site. Mobile sources of criteria
pollutants would include trips generated by SVRA staff and visitors to and from the SVRA, site
maintenance activities (e.g., track grooming), and the existing and increased use of OHVs.
Exhaust Emissions
Routine maintenance at the SVRA would include such activities as watering tracks and 4x4 areas,
grooming tracks, and adding soil amendments to tracks annually. These activities would generate
emissions from haul trucks and maintenance equipment. Implementation of General Plan OM
Guideline 6.1 would reduce criteria pollutant emissions from maintenance activities by requiring
that the engines of all maintenance equipment be maintained in proper tune.
Vehicle emissions would also result from employee and visitor trips to and from the SVRA and
from operating OHVs on‐site. Following construction of new facilities envisioned in the General
Plan in 2016/2017, there would be approximately 12 weekends of peak usage annually (see
Appendix C of the General Plan). The mobile source emissions from trips to and from Clay Pit
SVRA would be highest during these 12 peak weekends. The number of OHVs operating at the
SVRA on a typical peak day is expected to increase from approximately 93 OHVs (based on April
2010 traffic counts) to 160 OHVs (Appendix B), 53 of which are expected to result from
implementation of the General Plan. As shown in Table 3.2‐6, modeling results predict that criteria
pollutant levels would be below Butte County AQMD significance thresholds. In addition, because
improvements envisioned in the General Plan are designed to meet an existing local need for
developed facilities, it is anticipated that the SVRA would accommodate OHV recreationists who
Clay Pit State Vehicular Recreation Area
Draft EIR 3.2-13 February 2012