CITY OF FRESNO
CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
THE PROJECT DESCRIBED HEREIN IS DETEMINED TO BE CATEGORICALLY
EXEMPT FROM THE PREPARATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTS
PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 19 OF THE STATE CEQA GUIDELINES.
CONTACT: Peter A Maraccini, PE, PhD
Licensed Engineer Manager
City of Fresno – Department of Public Utilities
1626 E Street
Fresno, CA 93706
Phone: 559-621-1603
Email: [email protected]
PROJECT TITLE: Fresno-Clovis Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility Raw Sewage Pump Repair
PROJECT LOCATIONS: Fresno-Clovis Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility 5607 W Jensen Ave
Fresno, CA 93706
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Repair, re-installation, and commissioning of a rebuilt raw sewage pump located within the Fresno- Clovis
Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility (RWRF)
Headworks Building.
The Project is exempt under Section 15301/Class 1 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines.
Under Section 15301/Class 1, projects are exempt from CEQA requirements when they consist of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existin g public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use.
Specific examples identified in the Guidelines include:
(b) Existing facilities of both investor and publicly -owned utilities used to provide electric power, natural gas, sewerage, or other public utility services;
(d) Restoration or rehabilitation of deteriorated or damaged structures, facilities, or mechanical equipment to meet current standards of public health and safety,
unless it is determined that the damage was substantial and resulted from an environmental hazard such as earthquake, landslide, or flood;
The Project described herein represents the repair, re-installation, and commissioning of an existing raw sewage pump in the RWRF Headworks Building that has broken down and is currently inoperable. The mechanical equipment is part of publicly -owned wastewater reclamation facility that requires rehabilitation to meet safe operating standards. The Project will not expand the use of the exist ing facility, nor will it relocate any existing mechanical equipment.
None of the exceptions to Categorical Exemptions s et forth in the CEQA Guidelines, Section 15300.2, apply:
(a) Location The Project is not located in a sensitive environment or an environmental resource of hazardous or critical
concern as designated by federal, state, or local
agencies. The work is entirely located at the RWRF.
(b) Cumulative Impact The Project will not have a cumulative negative impact over time that is significant. The Project
merely entails repair, re -installation, and
commissioning of an existing raw sewage pump at
the RWRF.
(c) Significant Effect The Project will not have a significant effect on the environment due to unusual circumstances. All work
will be limited to an existing facility at the RWRF.
(d) Scenic Highways The Project will not result in damage to scenic resources, including but not limited to, trees, historic buildings, rock outcroppings, or similar resources,
within a highway officially designated as a state
scenic highway. The Project is not located near
scenic highways.
(e) Hazardous Waste Sites The Project is not located on a hazardous waste site which is included on any list compiled pursuant to
Section 65962.5 of the Government Code.
(f) Historical Resources The Project will not cause a substant ial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource.
The existing facilities at the RWRF are not
considered historical resources.
Furthermore, the proposed project is not expected to have a significant effect on the environment. Accordingly, a categorical exemption, as noted above, has been prepared for the project.
Date: October 16, 2023
Prepared by: Peter Maraccini, PE, PhD