City of La Habra Heights CEQA Scoping MeetingMatrix Oil Field Redevelopment ProjectEnvironmental Impact Report April 16, 2014
Scoping Meeting Agenda • Welcome and Introductions • Purpose of CEQA and a Scoping Meeting • CEQA Process for an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) • Project Description Overview • Opportunities for Public Input • Questions/Comments
Welcome and Introductions • City of La Habra Heights • Mary P. Wright, Project Manager • David Nichols, Director of Public Works • BonTerra Psomas • Kristin L. Keeling, Senior Project Manager • Jillian K. Neary, Assistant Project Manager
Meeting Format
Purpose of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) • Inform decision-makers and public about potentially significant environmental effects; • Identify ways to avoid or significantly reduce environmental impacts; • Prevent significant avoidable impacts through feasible alternatives and/or mitigation; and • If a project is approved with significant impacts, disclose to the public the reasons why.
Roles and Responsibilities • Lead Agency: • Independently review and analyze all reports • Circulate an EIR that reflects its independent judgment • Consider approval of the Project and the EIR • EIR Consultant: • Hired by the City to provide objective expert analysis • Works on behalf of the City staff to prepare the EIR • Does not advocate for any particular position
Purpose of a Scoping Meeting • To facilitate consultation between the Lead Agency and: • responsible and trustee agencies • adjacent cities/counties • public agencies with jurisdiction over the project • interested organizations or individuals • to determine the scope and contentof the environmental information to be analyzed in the EIR. • This is not a Planning Commission or City Council Meeting; no “action” will be taken today.
CEQA Environmental Topics • Land Use and Planning • Mineral Resources • Noise • Population & Housing • Public Services • Recreation • Transportation & Traffic • Utilities & Service Systems • Aesthetics • Agriculture & Forestry Resources • Air Quality • Biological Resources • Cultural Resources • Geology & Soils • Greenhouse Gas Emissions • Hazards & Hazardous Materials • Hydrology & Water Quality
What is in an EIR? • Environmental Setting (Baseline for impact analysis) • Project Objectives and Project Description (Construction & Operation) • Direct, Indirect, Growth-inducing, and Cumulative Impacts • Significant Environmental Impacts (Mitigation Measures) • Unavoidable Significant Adverse Impacts • Alternatives
CEQAProcess • Notice of Preparation • April 4th through May 5th (30-day review/comment period) • Solicit input for scope/content of EIR analysis • Scoping Meeting • Provide overview of Project and seek feedback on EIR • Prepare EIR • Must satisfy CEQA requirements and Lead Agency • Includes consideration of input from NOP/Scoping
CEQAProcess (continued…) • 45-Day Public Review of EIR • EIR available for public review and comment • Anticipated Summer 2014 (45-day review/comment period) • Responses to Comments • Responses to all comments on EIR are prepared and included in the Final EIR • Final EIR • Findings and may include Statement of Overriding Considerations • Planning Commission and City Council Hearings • Anticipated Fall 2014
Existing Conditions Overview • Approx. 18 acres within larger Sempra-owned property • Site first used for oil/gas production in 1912 (peak use in 1973) • Site includes 7 inactive wells, paved roads and remnant pipes/water tank • Nearby land uses include residential, park, and open space • Designated Open Space-Resource Production by the La Habra Heights General Plan • Zoned as Open Space-Resource Production with Specific Plan Overlay (OS-RP-SPO)
Aerial Photograph- Existing Site Conditions
Project Description Overview • Required Approvals: • Specific Plan and Conditional Use Permit • On-Site Project Components • Re-drill 7 existing wells • Drill up to 23 new wells (maximum 30 wells) • Central Processing Facility (CPF) • Separates oil, water and natural gas (water is re-injected) • Processing equipment to condition oil/gas to pipeline quality • Truck loading facilities, pipelines, storage tanks, safety systems • Small office, warehouse, parking lot, restroom (septic) • Above-ground pipelines connecting wells to CPF
Proposed Site Plan
Project Description Overview • Off-Site Project Components • Approximately 3.4 miles of subterranean crude oil and natural gas pipeline • Project site to El Cajonita Drive (0.2 mile) • El CajonitaDrive/Las Palmas Drive (0.7 mile) • West Road (0.5 mile) • Hacienda Road (1 mile)… crosses into City of La Habra • Whittier Boulevard (0.2 mile) • Beach Boulevard (0.6 mile) – join existing crude oil pipeline • Beach Boulevard (0.2 mile) – join existing natural gas pipeline
Off-Site Proposed Pipeline Alignment
Project Phasing Overview • Phase I: Testing • Goal is to determine if commercial quantities are viable • Re-drill and test 3 existing wells • Store recovered liquids in temporary on-site “baker tanks” • Recovered natural gas disposed via ultra low emissions burner • Phase I requires 6 to 9 months • Tanks of crude oil hauled off-site via trucks • Typical day = 10 5-axle trucks • 1 2-axle truck • 5 pick-up/van
Project Phasing Overview • Phase II: Construction • Assuming commercial quantities are viable, re-drill 4 existing wells and drill up to 23 new wells • Construct Central Processing Facility (CPF) and other on-site facilities and pipelines (approximately 2 years) • Off-site pipelines constructed (approximately 12 weeks) • Drill a maximum of 1 well per month (up to 12 wells per year) • 12 wells/year = 2.5 years of construction • 6 wells/year = 5 years of construction
Project Phasing Overview • Phase II: Construction (continued…) • Trucking BEFORE completion of off-site pipelines • Typical day = 10 5-axle trucks • 1 2-axle trucks • 5 pick-up/vans • Trucking AFTER completion of off-site pipelines limited to maintenance vehicles/worker vehicles
Project Phasing Overview • Phase III: Operations • Automated control systems/alarms/shut-down • Ongoing monitoring and maintenance of on-site equipment • Life of project is expected to be approximately 30+ years, but depends on economic conditions
Project Phasing Overview • If Phase I reveals less than “commercially viable” quantities, then: • No additional wells would be drilled (only 3 test wells) • Smaller CPF would be constructed • No off-site pipelines (crude oil would be trucked off-site) • Typical day = 1 5-axle truck • 1 2-axle truck • 5 pick-up/vans • 1 4-axle truck (every 2 weeks) • 12-axle truck (every 2 weeks) • 2pick-up/vans (every 2 weeks)
Opportunities for Public Input
Providing Your Input… • Send Written Comments to: • Ms. Mary P. Wright, AICP • City of La Habra Heights • 1225 North Hacienda Road • La Habra Heights, CA 90631 • or • mwright@lhhcity.org • View Notice of Preparation: • www.lhhcity.org(Click “Notices” link) • Hardcopy available at City Hall
THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING Question/Comments
