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This document summarizes the key objectives of the Salton Sea SCH Project Stakeholders Meeting held on November 15, 2011. The meeting focused on reviewing the development of the State’s preferred alternative, the current status of the SCH project, and the comments on the Draft EIS/EIR. Stakeholders were given the opportunity to provide feedback on project design, permitting, schedule, and funding while discussing approaches to address issues like selenium levels, fish habitat, and mosquito control. The next steps and upcoming meetings were also outlined.
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Salton Sea SCH Project Stakeholders MeetingNovember 15, 2011
What We Want to Accomplish Today • Review the development and identificationof State’s preferred alternative • Provide updates on SCH Project • Draft EIS/EIR comments • Project design • Permitting • Schedule • Funding • Provide Stakeholders an opportunity to comment on updates
Scope of SCH Project • Review of authority for SCH project • SCH does not address all restoration objectives evaluated in PEIR • SCH is not an overall restoration plan for the Salton Sea • SCH ponds are pilot projects
Key Implementation Principles of all Alternatives • Why blend Sea and river water? • Vegetation control • Mosquito control • Reduced availability of selenium in food web • Why focus on fish-eating birds? • Fish and fish-eating birds affected first • No near-term shortage of shorebird habitat • Consistent with PEIR proposal of Early Start habitat
Reasons for IdentifyingAlternative 3 as State’s Preferred Alternative • Pumped diversion minimizes impacts on agricultural lands • Sedimentation basin not on farmland • Long pipeline bisecting tile drain systems in farm fields not needed • New River area preferred because • Less geologically active • Impacts on geothermal resources minimized • Lower selenium levels than Alamo River water • Of the New River pumped diversion alternatives, Alternative 3 provides the most potential habitat
Draft EIS/EIR Comments • Salton Sea restoration • QSA • Funding/project costs • Project design • Water rights/supplies • Operations/maintenance • Compatibility with geothermal/agriculture • Selenium • Preferred alternative • Identify text citations in Draft EIS/EIR • Prepare responses to general comments • Prepare focused responses to specific questions based on • NEPA/CEQA requirements • Technical considerations • Engineering considerations • Comments/responses vetted by SCH agencies Key Comment Topics Approach to Responses
General Design Progress • Water delivery to the potential project sites • Seawater pump station • River water gravity delivery • River water pumped delivery • Sedimentation basin for river water • Facility and habitat features • General maintenance facility and access needs • Islands, channels, depth profile considerations • Constructability evaluation • Geotechnical analysis feeding into berm design • Ability of construction equipment to operate in site environment
Permitting • Required permits/approvals • Section 401 Water Quality Certification • Section 404 Individual Permit • Section 106 Consultation • Section 7 Consultation • Streambed Alteration Agreement • Section 2081 Incidental Take Permit • Imperial County Air Pollution Control District Permit • Status • Role in overall environmental clearance • Next steps
Current Project Schedule • Draft permit applications – Fall 2011 • Final EIS/EIR – Spring 2012 • Permits complete – Summer 2012 • Final design – Fall 2012 • Begin construction – Spring 2013 • Complete construction – Summer 2014
Salton Sea Funding • Anticipated funds available for SCH Project • Proposition 84 • Water agency contributions
Upcoming Meetings/Coordination • Assembly Budget Subcommittee hearing— November 28 • Upcoming Financial Assistance Program meeting in December—specific date to be announced