EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This section provides an overview of the Proposed Project and its objectives, and summarizes the potential impacts anticipated as a result of project implementation. A summary table identifies these impacts and lists the mitigation measures recommended to reduce significant adverse impacts. The alternatives considered in the EIR are also briefly described. For a full description of the proposed project, its impacts, and alternatives, the reader is referred to Sections B, C, and D of the EIR, respectively.

  ES.1     PROJECT OVERVIEW

The Proposed Project results from the filing of two applications for Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCNs) with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). The first CPCN application (A.98-11-003) requests approval to construct and operate a water transmission line in western Orange County to supply domestic water to the Bolsa Chica Planned Community, a proposed residential development project on Bolsa Chica Mesa. The second application (A.98-11-015) requests approval for the designation of the project applicant (Southern California Water Company) as the wastewater management agency for the proposed residential development project.

Southern California Water Company (SCWC) proposes to construct an underground water transmission line to deliver water to the Bolsa Chica Planned Community site, located at the southerly terminus of Bolsa Chica Street in unincorporated territory (see Section B.3 for a description of the project location). The water line would extend from the SCWC’s existing domestic water system in the City of Cypress to the Bolsa Chica Planned Community site (a total distance of approximately 6.7 miles), terminating at a 4-million gallon underground water storage reservoir to be constructed on the residential development site (see Figure ES-1). Additional water facilities planned for the Bolsa Chica Planned Community site include a distribution pump station, a backbone water distribution system, and a groundwater well with wellhead treatment facilities. These on-site water distribution facilities were previously subject to environmental review in the 1996 Recirculated Draft Environmental Impact Report for Bolsa Chica Local Coastal Program (County of Orange, 1996; see Section A.4). The proponent for the planned residential development on the Bolsa Chica Mesa is Hearthside Homes, Inc.

An on-site sewage collection system is planned to serve the Bolsa Chica Planned Community, including local sewage collector lines, a sewage lift station, and a force main required to connect to the facilities of the County Sanitation Districts of Orange County (CSDOC). All sewage generated by the residential development would flow by gravity to the proposed sewage lift station where it would be pumped to an existing CSDOC 21-inch trunk sewer located in Los Patos Avenue. CSDOC would provide sewage treatment and disposal services for the Bolsa Chica Planned Community. SCWC would operate and maintain the on-site wastewater collection facilities. The on-site wastewater facilities were previously examined in the 1996 Recirculated Draft Environmental Impact Report for Bolsa Chica Local Coastal Program (County of Orange, 1996; see Section A.4).

 Figure ES-1 (pdf) Proposed Water Transmission Line Route

The EIR for the Bolsa Chica Local Coastal Program was certified by the Orange County Board of Supervisors on December 14, 1994. Although the Board’s certification was challenged by the Bolsa Chica Land Trust (Bolsa Chica Land Trust et al. v. County of Orange, Superior Court No. 741344), the Orange County Superior Court on February 16, 1996, rejected the challenge, but ordered that the EIR be re-circulated with an amended project description. Since certification of the EIR in 1994, the Bolsa Chica Planned Community project has been reduced in scale. The 1996 LCP would allow the development of up to 2,500 dwelling units on the Mesa (County of Orange, 1996), while the latest configuration of the proposal involves approximately 1,235 dwelling units (SCWC 1999). Following litigation over the LCP, the California Court of Appeal has remanded the Bolsa Chica LCP back to the California Coastal Commission for consideration. Reconsideration of the LCP may result in a further reduction in the number of units to be constructed on the Mesa. Since the California Coastal Commission had not yet adopted any changes to the LCP at the time this EIR was prepared, the dimensions of any additional changes are not known at this time.

Although changes to the development plan for the Bolsa Chica Mesa are anticipated, the on-site water distribution and wastewater collection facilities described in the Bolsa Chica LCP EIR to serve the proposed Bolsa Chica Planned Community project remain basically the same as previously proposed.  Until a revised site plan for the development project is available, the exact configuration of the street system to be constructed will not be known and, as a result, the total length and configuration of water distribution lines and wastewater collection lines is not known at this time. It is anticipated that these on-site systems would either be substantially similar to that which was previously proposed or slightly reduced in scale due to a reduction in the total number of residential units to be constructed on the Mesa.

The basic components of the Proposed Project and related facilities are described below in Table ES-1.

Table ES-1  Summary of Project Components

ES.2     PROJECT OBJECTIVES

The water transmission pipeline has been proposed with the basic objective of providing the Bolsa Chica Planned Community with a reliable, long-term domestic water supply. The proposal is designed to meet the projected domestic water demands and fire protection needs of the Bolsa Chica Planned Community. The Proposed Project is also concerned with ensuring that the planned residential community has an adequate and reliable wastewater collection and disposal system. Annexation into District 11 of the County Sanitation Districts of Orange County is proposed to provide the required wastewater treatment and disposal. The basic objectives of the Proposed Project are summarized as follows:

·             Provide a reliable, long-term domestic water supply for the Bolsa Chica Planned Community.

·             Construct a water transmission system designed to meet the projected domestic water demands and fire protection needs of the Bolsa Chica Planned Community.

·             Ensure the provision of an adequate and reliable wastewater collection and disposal system for the Bolsa Chica Planned Community.

ES.3     AREAS OF CONTROVERSY

Section 15123 of the CEQA Guidelines requires that an EIR summary identify areas of controversy known to the Lead Agency, including issues raised by other agencies and the public. Various issues of concern were expressed at public scoping meetings for the EIR and through responses to the Notice of Preparation.

The proposed development of Bolsa Chica Mesa has been a subject of controversy for many years. All aspects of plans related to the future disposition of the Mesa and the adjacent Bolsa Chica Wetlands have received ongoing attention from the public, environmental organizations, the media, and local municipalities. As a result, substantial concern has been expressed about plans for the provision of water service to the Bolsa Chica Planned Community site. Part of this concern has revolved around the issue of determining the appropriate water purveyor for the Bolsa Chica Planned Community project. The City of Huntington Beach has indicated that it is the logical water service agency for the Bolsa Chica Planned Community project because the site is located within the City’s designated sphere of influence and because the City currently provides water service to adjacent properties. A broader issue of controversy is the conversion of Bolsa Chica Mesa from open space to urban development. Although Orange County’s Local Coastal Program (LCP) designates the Mesa for future residential development, there is longstanding opposition to the development of the Mesa from local citizens and interest groups. Legal challenges in recent years to both the LCP and its EIR are evidence of the strong opposition to development of the Mesa (see Section A.4).

The controversy surrounding the proposed development of Bolsa Chica Mesa has carried over to the Proposed Project. Because the Proposed Project would help facilitate the implementation of the proposed Bolsa Chica Planned Community project, it has become the subject of concern and controversy. Although the provision of water and wastewater service is not primary to the issue development on Bolsa Chica Mesa, it is considered a vital factor in allowing plans for development to proceed.

ES.4     ISSUES TO BE RESOLVED

Most of the issues associated with the implementation of the Proposed Project can be resolved through the application of existing regulations and permitting requirements, or through the implementation of the mitigation measures recommended in this EIR. This report recommends the implementation of a variety of measures designed to reduce or avoid potentially significant environmental impacts. There are, however, a number of issues that are closely related to the administration and approval of the project whose resolution is beyond the scope and purpose of this EIR.

The primary question for the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) regarding the Proposed Project is whether to allow SCWC to provide water and wastewater services to the Bolsa Chica Planned Community project. The City of Huntington Beach, being the closest potential service provider, has expressed its interest in supplying services to the Bolsa Chica Planned Community. Indeed, in late 1996 and early 1997, the City and the developer discussed the terms for provision of water and wastewater services from the City. Integral to these discussions were the terms for annexation of the Bolsa Chica Planned Community site into the City of Huntington Beach. The Proposed Project – involving construction of a water transmission line originating in the City of Cypress to serve the Bolsa Chica Planned Community project – emerges from the failure of the City and the proponent of the development project to agree to the terms for annexation. This is now a matter that the CPUC will consider in assessing the applications made by SCWC for Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity to act as the water and wastewater service provider for the Bolsa Chica Planned Community. This document is designed, in part, to inform that decision-making process.

An important consideration in this decision-making process is the cost of the proposed method of water and wastewater service provision to the ratepayers in SCWC’s West Orange County District. The CPUC has broad regulatory authority over the development and operation of utilities and is concerned with, among other things, the interests of ratepayers and the public interest.

A further issue that is yet to be resolved concerns the approval, by the California Coastal Commission (CCC), of a modified Local Coastal Program (LCP) for the Bolsa Chica area. As a result of successful litigation from a coalition of community groups, the CCC is now reconsidering the LCP in the light of the Appellate Court’s finding that the eucalyptus grove on the Mesa cannot be removed as previously proposed (see Section A.4). The resulting change to the LCP may alter the final configuration of the Bolsa Chica Planned Community project and potentially reduce the number of dwelling units constructed. Resolution of these pending matters regarding the LCP is independent from the CPUC’s consideration of the applications for Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity filed by SCWC for the Proposed Project.

ES.5     ALTERNATIVES TO THE PROJECT

Nine alternatives to the proposed project were initially selected for analysis. These were selected through an analysis of alternative pipeline alignments and alternative water sources and from input received from the public and local jurisdictions during the scoping process. These alternatives were screened using three criteria: (i) potential to reduce or avoid impacts; (ii) technical and regulatory feasibility and (iii) consistency with the objectives of the project, as well as with public policy objectives. As a result of this screening, five of these alternatives were screened using the above criteria. The remaining four alternatives, in addition to the No Project Alternative, were thus selected for evaluation in comparison to the Proposed Project.

The alternatives selected and their impacts in comparison to the Proposed Project are described below.

Alternative 1: Connection to the City of Huntington Beach System.  The closest feasible alternative for water service for the Bolsa Chica Planned Community is connection to the City of Huntington Beach water supply and distribution system (see Section D.2.1 for a full description). The City has a water main in nearby Warner Avenue. The best point of connection appears to be the intersection of Los Patos Avenue and Warner Avenue; approximately one-third of a mile from the proposed underground reservoir on the Bolsa Chica Planned Community site. The wastewater collection and disposal system would remain as proposed under this alternative.

Since this alignment would be substantially shorter than the Proposed Project’s pipeline alignment, the various environmental impacts associated with pipeline construction would be substantially less than those of the Proposed Project. This would include reduced impacts related to construction noise, construction emissions, and traffic disruption from construction in public streets. This alternative would also have substantially reduced compared to the other project alternatives, which each involve the construction of a significantly longer water transmission line. For these reasons, connection to the City of Huntington Beach water system is considered the environmentally superior alternative.

Alternative 2: Connection to the SCWC System via the Anaheim-Barber City Channel. This alternative would connect to the SCWC system further east on Orangewood Avenue at Holder Street (see Section D.2.2 for a full description). From the point of connection at Orangewood Avenue and Holder Street, the pipeline would be laid in a generally southern direction along Holder Street/Springdale Street before turning southwest to follow the Anaheim–Barber City Channel to Bolsa Chica Street, where the alignment would continue south within Bolsa Chica Street similar to the Proposed Project. The wastewater collection and disposal system would remain as proposed under this alternative.

This alignment is similar in length to the proposed alignment and utilizes public streets for most of the route. As a result, this alternative would have similar levels and types of environmental impacts related to pipeline construction as the Proposed Project. Because of the slightly greater length of pipeline, this alternative would have marginally greater construction impacts than the Proposed Project in relation to air quality and noise. Potential impacts cultural and biological resources would be slightly reduced because this pipeline route for this alternative traverses somewhat less sensitive areas. The traffic disruption associated with construction in public streets would be comparable to that likely to be induced by the Proposed Project.

Alternative 3: Connection to the SCWC System via Springdale Street and Graham Street.  This proposed pipeline route would be the same as Alternative 2 from the point of connection with the SCWC water system to the Springdale Street/Meinhardt Road intersection. South of Meinhardt Road, the pipeline would continue south (in the southbound lanes) along Springdale Street to McFadden Avenue, then west along McFadden Avenue to Graham Street (see Section D.2.3 for a full description). The pipeline would then head south along Graham Street to Heil Avenue, then west on Heil Avenue to Green Avenue; from Green Avenue the alignment continues to Los Patos Avenue, then across Los Patos Avenue to the Bolsa Chica Planned Community site.

Similar to Alternative 2, this pipeline alignment is similar in length to the Proposed Project’s pipeline alignment and utilizes public streets for most of the route. As a result, this alternative would have similar levels and types of environmental impacts related to pipeline construction as the Proposed Project. Because of the slightly greater length of pipeline, this alternative would have marginally greater construction impacts than the Proposed Project. The traffic disruption associated with construction in public streets would be comparable to that of the Proposed Project. In general, this alternative would produce impacts largely similar to those associated with the Proposed Project.

North Seal Beach Wellfields. This alternative would connect into the North Seal Beach Wellfields on Lampson Avenue (see Section D.2.4 for a full description). From the point of connection with the wellfields, a pipeline would be constructed along Lampson Avenue in an easterly direction to the Bolsa Chica Channel, then follow the Proposed Project route south to the site of the Bolsa Chica Planned Community project on the Bolsa Chica Mesa.

The impacts of this alternative would be generally similar to those associated with the Proposed Project. In three respects however, this alternative would offer environmental advantages. The construction impacts associated with air quality, noise pollution, and risk of effects related to environmental contamination are all slightly lower than for the Proposed Project.

No Project Alternative. With the No Project Alternative, SCWC would not serve as the water purveyor or the wastewater management agency for the Bolsa Chica Planned Community site and the proposed 6.7-mile domestic water transmission line would not be constructed.  As a result, the various impacts associated with construction and operation of the proposed water transmission line would not occur. Without the development of the Proposed Project, the proponent of the Bolsa Chica Planned Community would be forced to find an alternative water supply. Presumably, the alternative water sources that might be considered include water service from a nearby city (see Alternative 1) or connection to another water source (such as Alternative 4). The developer could even pursue various alternatives not examined in detail in this EIR (see alternatives eliminated from further consideration in Section D.1.4).

ES.6     SUMMARY OF IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES

The impacts that would result from implementation of the Proposed Project are summarized in Table ES-2. The impacts identified in this table correspond to those contained in the complete impacts analysis presented in Section C of the EIR. Also listed are the mitigation measures proposed to reduce impacts classified as significant. The following system is used to classify the significance of impacts:

·            Class I: Significant Unavoidable Impact. Class I impacts are significant adverse effects that cannot be mitigated to below a level of significance through the application of feasible mitigation measures.  Class I impacts are considered significant and unavoidable.

·            Class II: Significant but Mitigable Impact. A Class II impact is a significant adverse effect that can be reduced to a less-than-significant level through the implementation of mitigation measures presented in the EIR.

·            Class III: Less-than-significant Impact. A Class III impact is a minor change or effect on the environment caused by the proposed project that does not meet or exceed the criteria established to gauge significance.  Less-than-significant impacts do not require mitigation.

·            Class IV: Beneficial Impact. Class IV impacts represent beneficial effects that would result from project implementation.

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