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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 91-C1090 0 RESOLUTION NO. 91-C109 RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AZUSA MAKING CERTAIN FINDINGS, ADOPTING CERTAIN MITIGATION MEASURES, CONCLUDING BENEFITS OUTWEIGH UNAVOIDABLE ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND GRANTING PROJECT APPROVAL, ALL WITH RESPECT TO MEAD-ADELANTO PROJECT WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Azusa recognizes that studies were undertaken with respect' to the environmental effect of the Mead/McCullough-Victorville/Adelanto Transmission Project, also known as the Mead-Adelanto Project (the "Project"). These studies include the joint Draft Environmental Report (the "Draft ER") and Final Environmental Report (the "Final ER") prepared by the United State Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power ("Los Angeles"); and WHEREAS, Los Angeles certified the Final Environmental Report in December 1986, approved the Project and filed a Notice of Determination with respect thereto; and WHEREAS, Los Angeles prepared an addendum to the Final ER (the "Addendum") to reflect minor technical changes to the Project and changes in circumstances under which the Project is proposed to be undertaken, and Los Angeles adopted the Addendum in June 1991; and WHEREAS, the Draft ER and the Final ER, as updated by the Addendum, have been submitted to this City Council and this City Council has considered the information contained therein. NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Azusa hereby makes the following findings with respect to the Project: 1. The City Council of the City of Azusa has reviewed and considered the information contained in the Draft ER and the Final ER, as updated by the Addendum, prior to making a final decision on the Project, and all previous matters or decisions undertaken by this City Council with respect to the Project were of a preliminary nature related to the planning and development stage of the Project. Copies of the Draft ER, Final ER and the Addendum are available for public inspection in the office of the Azusa Light and Water Department during normal business hours. 2. The Project, which is described more fully in the Draft ER and Final ER, as updated by the Addendum, will consist of a transmission line, approximately 202 miles long, and associated equipment and facilities. Termination points of the transmission line will be at the existing Adelanto Switching Station located near Adelanto, California, and Marketplace Substation, a new substation to be constructed near the existing McCullough Switching Station located in the vicinity of Las Vegas, Nevada. Two 500 kV tie lines will be constructed to interconnect Marketplace Substation with McCullough Substation. The transmission line will be a 500 kV alternating current (AC) line with a nominal capacity of 1200 megawatts. Los Angeles is to be the Construction Manager and the Operation Manager for the Project. Project participants include M -S -R Public Power Agency (the Modesto Irrigation District and the Cities of Santa Clara and Redding); United States Department of Energy, Western Area Power Administration; and certain members of the Southern California Public Power Authority ("SCPPA"). The SCPPA members participating in the Project are the California Cities of Anaheim, Azusa, Banning, Burbank, Colton, Glendale, Los Angeles, Pasadena, Riverside, and Vernon. The route of the transmission line is set forth in Exhibit A, attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference, which is the Final Preferred Route of the Project as set forth in the Final ER. r- 1 • 0 3. The purpose and need for the Project is set forth in Exhibit B, attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference, which is comprised of the section entitled "PURPOSE AND NEED" from both the Draft ER and the Final ER. Briefly stated, the Project will further diversify the Project participants' energy resources, assist in meeting forecasted energy demand, enhance system reliability, help reduce dependence on oil and natural gas for the production of electricity and provide long-term economic benefits to the Project participants' customers. 4. Following the determination of the need of the Project participants for additional transmission capacity from the Inland Southwest (the states of Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and west Texas), alternatives were identified and studied in the Draft ER and the Final ER to provide such additional capacity. Those alternatives are: no action; energy conservation; alternative generation sources; alternative transmission technologies; and the proposed Project, with various routing alternatives. This City Council finds that certain engineering, economic, social and other considerations make certain alternatives to the Project infeasible. An analysis of each such alternative is set forth in Exhibit C. attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference, which is comprised of the section entitled "ALTERNATIVES INCLUDING THE PROPOSED ACTION" from both the Draft ER and the Final ER. This City Council concludes that, after consideration of the proposed alternatives to the Project as set forth in Exhibit C, the Project would best meet this local agency's needs. 5. Based upon the Draft ER, the Final ER and the Addendum, this City Council hereby finds that the Project will result in significant adverse impacts upon the environment. The impacts are described in Exhibit D, attached hereto and incorporated herein -by reference, which is comprised of the sections entitled "ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES" from the Draft ER and "DISCUSSION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES" from the Addendum. Changes or alterations have been made in the Project as originally proposed in order to reduce the environmental impacts of the Project. In addition, this City Council hereby adopts the mitigation measures listed under the heading "Table 3-6, Generic Mitigation Measures" and "Table 5-1, Selectively Committed Mitigation Measures" of the Draft ER, and the "Reasonable and Prudent Measures" and "Terms and Conditions" as set forth in the United State Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service memorandum dated February 22, 1991, all as set forth in Exhibit E, attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference. With respect to the significant environmental effects of the Project as set forth in Exhibit D hereto, this City Council hereby finds that the changes, alterations, and adopted mitigation measures will avoid or substantially lessen most of the significant environmental impacts associated with the Project. 6. The City Council of the City of Azusa finds that notwithstanding the changes or alterations to the Project and the adoption of the mitigation measures set forth in Exhibit E hereto, certain of the significant adverse impacts are not capable of feasible mitigation to less than a significant level. Such significant adverse impacts are summarized in Exhibit F, which is entitled "Environmental_Consequences" from the Final ER and "Land Use" from the Addendum, each attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference. 7. Because of the overriding importance of the Project and the benefits to all of the electric system customers, of the Project participants, including this local agency's electric system customer, the City Council of the City of Azusa finds that the benefits of the Project outweigh the unavoidable adverse environmental impacts resulting from the Project. The unavoidable adverse environmental impacts of the Project are, therefore, acceptable. NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AZUSA DOES HEREBY RESOLVE that based upon the Draft ER and the Final ER, as updated by the Addendum, the City Council finds that it is in the public interest that the Project be constructed, operated, and maintained; that the Project, as described in the Final ER and updated by the Addendum, is hereby approved; that a mitigation reporting or monitoring program, attached as Exhibit G and incorporated herein by reference, is hereby adopted to ensure compliance .during Project implementation of all mitigation measures adopted herein; and that the Director of Utilities or his designated subordinate, is hereby directed to file within five days with the County Clerk of San Bernardino County and the Office of Planning and Research of the State of California a Notice of Determination, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit H, evidencing the approval of the Project. PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this Srh day of Aug ,c . 1991. I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution was duly adopted by the City Council of the City of Azusa, at a regular meeting thereof held on the 5th day of August 1991. AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: STEMRICH, NARANJO, ALEXANDER, MOSES I