Initial Study MND - Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and ...

Taylor MountainINITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATIONB.3.3 Air Quality and Greenhouse GasesAIR QUALITYWhere available, the significance criteria established by the applicableair quality management or air pollution control district may be reliedupon to make the following determinations. Would the project:a. Conflict with or obstruct implementation of the applicable airquality plan?PotentiallySignificantImpactLess thanSignificantWithMitigationIncorporatedLess thanSignificantImpactNo Impactb. Violate any air quality standard or contribute substantially to anexisting or projected air quality violation?c. Result in a cumulatively considerable net increase of any criteriapollutant for which the project region is non-attainment under anapplicable Federal or State ambient air quality standard (includingreleasing emissions which exceed quantitative thresholds forozone precursors)?d. Expose sensitive receptors to substantial pollutantconcentrations?e. Create objectionable odors affecting a substantial number ofpeople?GREENHOUSE GASESWhere available, the significance criteria established by the applicableair quality management or air pollution control district may be reliedupon to make the following determinations. Would the project:f. Generate greenhouse gas emissions, either directly or indirectly,that may have a significant impact on the environment?g. Conflict with an applicable plan, policy or regulation adopted forthe purpose of reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases?Significance criteria established by CEQA Guidelines, Appendix G.B.3.3.1 SettingTaylor Mountain is located on unincorporated land just south of Santa Rosa, California. SantaRosa is in a subregion of the San Francisco Bay Area Air Basin, the Cotati Valley Basin, and fallsunder jurisdiction of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD). Air quality inthe Cotati Valley Basin is subject to the topography of the region and proximity to the PacificOcean. The Cotati Valley has higher pollution than neighboring regions due to its lack of accessto the sea, population size, and natural barriers at the northern and eastern ends of the valley.Polluted air carried into the Cotati Valley by air currents, combined with local emissions, tendsto be trapped against the mountains to the north and east. These characteristics are conduciveto the formation and retention of air pollutants (BAAQMD, 2010).Criteria Pollutants. Air quality is determined by measuring ambient concentrations of criteriapollutants. Criteria pollutants are those pollutants for which acceptable levels of exposure canbe determined and for which standards have been set. The degree of air quality degradation isthen compared to the current National and California Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQSand CAAQS). Unique meteorological conditions in California and differences of opinion bymedical panels established by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) have led to differences in the State and Federalstandards currently in effect in California. In general, the CAAQS are more stringent than theSeptember 2012 B-35 Final