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

3.2 Air Quality
Fugitive Dust
All freeways and major roadways between nearby cities and the project site are paved, so fugitive
dust generated by employee and visitor trips would be minimal. However, once within the SVRA,
vehicular trips on unpaved areas of the SVRA would generate fugitive dust.
As shown in Table 3.2‐6, modeled levels (14.71 pounds per day [lbs/day]) of PM10 emissions
(primarily fugitive dust) on a peak use weekend would not exceed the Butte County AQMD “Level
B” threshold of 80 lbs/day. Implementing routine operations described in Chapter 4, “The Plan,” in
the General Plan would reduce dust emissions and would constitute mitigation as defined by Butte
County AQMD. Specifically, to control the release of fugitive dust caused by OHV use of tracks
within Clay Pit SVRA, tracks would be watered year‐round, as needed. On peak days, tracks may be
watered as much as five times per day. Also, a selection of sand, rice hulls, chip bark, bark mulch,
top soils, and other materials would be amended into track dirt a minimum of once per year,
which would help retain moisture from track watering and greatly reduce dust generation. These
reductions were accounted for in the projected emissions shown in Table 3.2‐6. Implementation of
OM Guideline 6.1 would also reduce fugitive dust emissions by requiring that the maintenance
area and unpaved staging areas be covered with road base mixed with dust suppressants, and that
dust suppressants and/or surface treatments be applied as needed to the maintenance area and
unpaved staging areas and roads. Further, construction of OHV facilities such as roadways and
tracks would reduce the surface area of loose native soils, which generate fugitive dust from wind
and OHV recreation. Finally, implementation of goals and guidelines that require landscaping and
rehabilitation of drainage features (e.g., DMA Guideline 2.1) would stabilize soils and further
reduce the availability of loose native soils which can generate dust.
In addition, OM Guideline 6.4 requires that dust control measures be implemented for special
events, which could attract as many visitors as a peak weekend (Appendix B in the General Plan).
Dust suppression products would be applied to all unpaved areas that would be used for parking,
foot traffic, nonmobile activities (e.g., vendors, display areas), and at locations where unpaved
areas join paved areas. These products would be applied immediately before setup of a special
event, at the end of each special event day, and throughout the day as needed if excessive dust is
observed. Implementation of these measures would further reduce PM10 emissions during special
events.
With implementation of routine operations, OM Guidelines 6.1 and 6.4, and DMA Guideline 2.1,
Butte County AQMD’s mitigation requirements would be fulfilled, and the impact of exhaust
emissions and fugitive dust related to operation of the Clay Pit SVRA General Plan would be less
than significant.
Odors
Butte County AQMD does not have rules that specifically address odors; however, Rule 200,
“Nuisances,” apply to odor emissions generated by a project in the region. The CEQA Air Quality
Clay Pit State Vehicular Recreation Area
Draft EIR 3.2-15 February 2012