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Home My WebLink About2014-09-09 - AGENDA REPORTS - CHIQUITA CYN MP REVISION (5)CONSENT CALENDAR DATE: SUBJECT: DEPARTMENT: Agenda Item: 5 CITY OF SANTA CLARITA AGENDA REPORT City Manager Approval: Item to be presented by: September 9, 2014 Travis Lange CHIQUITA CANYON LANDFILL MASTER PLAN REVISION DRAFT EIR - REQUEST FOR PUBLIC REVIEW EXTENSION Public Works RECOMMENDED ACTION City Council direct staff to draft a letter to the Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning requesting an additional 30 -day extension to the public review period of the draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Chiquita Canyon Landfill Master Plan Revision. BACKGROUND At the August 26, 2014, City Council meeting, members of the public voiced concerns about the expansion of Chiquita Canyon Landfill. These concerns mirror those expressed at prior public meetings in the County. The City Council requested an item come before them at the next Council meeting to discuss whether it would be necessary to direct staff to write a letter to the Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning requesting 30 additional days for public review and comment. If granted, this period of review and comment would end on October 23, 2014. Chiquita Canyon Landfill is the primary location where the City of Santa Clarita's municipal solid waste is disposed. The company that owns Chiquita Canyon Landfill, Waste Connections, Inc., is looking to expand the landfill to increase service at the facility. The Conditional Use Permit under the jurisdiction of the County of Los Angeles contains three conditions to control the disposal capacity of the landfill: • Maximum elevation of 1,430 feet in the final grading plan • 23 -million -ton disposal limit • Closure date of November 24, 2019 The draft EIR was released by the County of Los Angeles on July 10, 2014. A public meeting was held on July 28, 2014, before the Val Verde Community Advisory Committee, and a second meeting was held before the Castaic Area Town Council on August 14, 2014. City staff attended both public meetings. Below are some of the concerns voiced during public meetings about the expansion of the landfill: • Odor coming from the landfill • Air quality • Water quality from stormwater runoff • Importation of waste from other areas of the County and from other counties • Aesthetics of some visible areas of the landfill • Cultural preservation On July 31, 2014, the County Hearing Examiner held a public meeting in Castaic to obtain public comment on the draft EIR. In response to the requests of several residents, the County Hearing Examiner announced the public review period would be extended 30 days to September 23, 2014. Following the completion of the public review period, the County will prepare responses to the public comments. The draft EIR and Landfill Master Plan Revision will be scheduled for a public hearing before the Regional Planning Commission. Following the Regional Planning Commission action on the EIR and Master Plan Revision, the item will be scheduled for public hearing before the Board of Supervisors. Staff continues to monitor and evaluate the progression of the application and is preparing a letter to provide comments to Los Angeles County on the draft EIR. ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS 1. Direct staff to not draft a letter requesting an extension of the public review period. 2. Other direction as determined by the City Council. FISCAL IMPACT None. ATTACHMENTS Los Angeles County Hearing Examiner Extension rz Los Angeles County l Department of Regional Planning Planxingfor the Challenges Ahead Richard J. Breckncr Director NOTICE OF TIME EXTENSION FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT FOR CHIQUITA CANYON LANDFILL MASTER PLAN REVISION PROJECT NO.: R2004-006590) CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT NO.: 200400042 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT NO. 200400039 STATE CLEARINGHOUSE NUMBER 2005081071 The applicant, Chiquita Canyon Landfill, LLC, is proposing the expansion of an existing Class III landfill in the A-2-2 (Heavy Agricultural — Two Acre Minimum Required Lot Area) Zone, The Proposed Project includes the following elements: development of a new entrance and support facilities; better utilization of the landfill's potential disposal capacity through a lateral extension of the existing waste footprint and Increased maximum elevation; increased daily disposal limits; acceptance of all nonhazardous wastes permitted at a Class III solid waste disposal landfill; continued operation of the landfill; new design features; environmental monitoring; development of a Household Hazardous Waste Facility (HHWF); mixed organics composting operation; and set-aside of land for potential future conversion technology. In addition, the Proposed Project includes the relocation of a portion of Southern California Edison's (SCE) existing Saugus -Elizabeth Lake -Fillmore 66 kilovolt (kV) Subtransmission Line in order to accommodate landfill improvements. PUBLIC REVIEW PERIOD The previous public review period was from July 10, 2014 to August 24, 2014 (45 days). The public review period will now extend to September 23, 2014. The Hearing Examiner hearing was held on July 31, 2014 at the Castaic Sport Complex — Gymnasium. There will not be another Hearing Examiner hearing held regarding the DEIR. All comments received by the closing of the public review period will be considered in the Final EIR. SITE LOCATION The Chiquita Canyon Landfill (CCL) is an existing Class III (municipal solid waste) facility located in the northwestern portion of unincorporated Los Angeles County near the City of Santa Clarita, just west of the Interstate 5 (1-5) and State Route 126 (SR -126) junction. The site Is a total of 639 acres, with an existing permitted waste footprint of approximately 257 acres, although not all of the 257 acres has been developed, SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS The following is a summary of the impacts associated with the Proposed Project determined in the DEIR to be significant and unavoidable: 1. Air Quality—The DEIR determined that PM10 annual and PM10 and PM2,e 24-hour cumulative concentrations would exceed their respective thresholds under the cumulative project scenario during 2 modeled project years, primarily due to fugitive dust from travel on onsite paved roads. It was determined that mitigation needed to reduce this impact (continuous watering of onsite paved roads) would not be feasible because of water availability concerns. 2. Traffic/Transportation- The DEIR determined that the Proposed Project will have a temporary significant impact at the intersection of Commerce Center Drive and SR -126 based on the Los Angeles County Congestion Management Program guidelines. The project's potential traffic Impact was measured as the effect of the project on traffic operating conditions, expressed In terms of level of service (LOS). LOS Is a qualitative measure used to describe the condition of traffic flow, ranging from excellent 320 west Temple Street • Los Angeles, CA 90012.213-974-6411 • Fax: 213-626-0434 g TDD: 213-617-2292 3 conditions at LOS A to overloaded conditlons at LOS F. The intersection of Commerce Center Drive and SR -126 will be under construction in 2015 as part of the Commerce Center Drive/SR-126 Improvement project. The Commerce Center Drive/SR-126 Improvement project is scheduled to be complete In 2016. Upon completion, the planned improvements at this Intersection will return operations to LOS D or better during both peak hours. Therefore, no mitigation is required of the CCL project since mitigation measures during construction conditions would interfere with the planned staging of the Commerce Center Drive/SR-126 improvement project. PUBLIC HEARING A public hearing on the proposed project and the DEIR will be scheduled before the Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission at a time and date to be determined In the Regional Planning Commission Hearing Room (1" Floor, Room 150), 320 West Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. REVIEWING LOCATIONS To ensure public access to the DEIR, copies of the document are available for review at the following County libraries: • Castaic Library 27955 Sloan Canyon Road Castaic, CA 91384 Valencia Public Library 23743 Valencia Boulevard Santa Clarke, CA 91355 Old Town Newhall Library 24500 Main Street Santa Clarita, CA 91321 A copy of the DEIR will also be available for public review Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at: County of Los Angeles Department of Regional Planning Zoning Permits North Section, Room 1348 320 West Temple Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 An electronic version of the DEIR is also available on the Department's website at htto //i)lanning.lecounty.gov/cese by typing the project number R2004-00659-(5) into the Search Case Archive Window. Please submit written comments on the DEIR to Iris Chi of the Department of Regional Planning at the above address. You may also fax your written comments to (213) 626-0434, or email to 1chloolannina lacounty aov, Should you have any questions, please call (213) 974-6443. Si necesita m6s informacibn por favor flame al (213) 974-6466.