Draft EIR provides 13 pages of analysis of impacts of the water transfer agreement on pages 4.O-31 through 4.O-44, including analysis on the operation of OID, MID, and SFPUC facilities and distribution systems, and effects on the Tuolumne River.
This comment claims that Tuolumne River water quality does not meet Clean Drinking Water Standards at times and that this is an unmitigable situation for proposed Project Site development. On the contrary, SFPUC constantly monitors water quality for all of its customers receiving drinking water through its distribution system pursuant to the US Environmental Protection Agency and California Department of Public Health standards for drinking water, as stated on pages 4.O-7 to 4.O-8, 4.O-20, and 4.O-21.
[See page 5-189 for the original comment] In relation to Mitigation Measure 4.C-2a, the comment states “fencing, silt-fencing and straw wattles may impede the movement of some animals.” The comment requests that consideration be made for low “breaks” in barrier fences, animal-crossings or trapping and reintroduction of resident species.
The considerations noted in this comment are components of the regulatory permitting process. The open space plan required by Mitigation Measure 4.C-4a, which requires implementation of an open space plan and development designs that provide for wildlife movement and enhance habitat for native wildlife would occur after construction impacts are defined at the project-specific level. Mitigation Measure 4.C-2a on page 4.C-54 is revised to read as follows:
Mitigation Measure 4.C-2a: The applicant shall avoid or minimize adverse effects on sensitive natural communities and restored wetland mitigation areas created to comply with remediation permit requirements or any restored habitat that may have been created as part of site clean-up actions. After Project Site remediation has concluded, measures shall be implemented to avoid impacts to sensitive natural communities or restored habitat areas, including the installation of silt fencing, straw wattles, or other appropriate erosion and sediment control methods or devices to prevent runoff and construction debris from entering these areas. Such measures shall also be employed where pre-construction grading and post-remediation development may require work adjacent to sensitive natural communities, either prior to or after restoration of those areas occurs. Where construction activities occur in the vicinity of sensitive natural communities onsite, the following shall be implemented to ensure no loss of restored mitigation sites:
- Fencing shall be erected adjacent to the areas where construction is occurring to avoid unintended impacts to sensitive natural area that occur just outside the construction area, and shall be constructed in a manner that will not impede wildlife access to wetland areas. Construction workers will be educated about local resources and