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: Samuel Nadores, Licensed Professional Engineer City of Fresno – Capital Projects Department
1626 E Street
Fresno, CA 93706
Phone: 559-621-1602
Email: [email protected]
PROJECT TITLE: Northeast Surface Water Treatment Facility (NESWTF) Sodium Hypochlorite Tank Replacement
PROJECT LOCATIONS: Northeast Surface Water Treatment Facility 10120 N Chestnut Ave.
Fresno, CA 93730
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The project is for the purchase and installation of new fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) tanks with a 5 -year manufacturer warranty . The new tanks will replace
existing tanks at the Treatment Facility which have
corroded and are no longer usable.
The Project is exempt under Section 15301/Class 1 and Section 15302/Class 2 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines.
Under Section 15301/Class 1, for existing facilities, projects are exempt from CEQA when they consist of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use.
Examples include but are not limited to existing facilities of both investor and publicly owned utilities used to provide electric power, natural gas, s ewerage, or other publicly owned services and restoration or rehabilitation of deteriorated or damaged structures, facilities, or mechanical equipment to meet current standards of public health and safety.
Under Section 15302/Class 2, for replacement or reconstruction, projects are exempt from CEQA when they consist of replacement or reconstruction of existing structures and facilities where the new structure will be located on the same site as the structure replaced and will have substantially the same purpose and capac ity as the structure replaced , including, but not limited to replacement or reconstruction of existing utility systems and/or facilities involving negligible or no expansion of capacity.
The Project described herein represents the recommended replacement of the existing degraded tanks due to the corrosive nature of sodium hypochlorite which has resulted in leaking and cracking in the underlying support structure at the Northeast Surface Water Treatment Facility. The specific work tasks are as follows:
• Purchase of new FRP replacement tanks and related accessories, including the removal of the existing, aged and degraded FRP tanks with leaks , and hoisting out through the roof hatch for disposal. The new tanks are of the same size and capacity as the existing ones and will be installed at the same location and for the same function as the old ones.
The Project will not expand the use of the existing facility, nor will it relocate any existing facilities or structures. The Project is merely the purchase of new tanks and related accessories to replace the existing leaking tanks and prevent further damage to the surrounding structures due to the corrosive nature of sodium hypochlorite. Replacing the existing tanks with new ones will protect public health and safety by guarding against the potential for exposure to sodium hypochlorite from cracking or leaking of the existing tanks.
As such, replacement work for the degraded tanks are exempt from CEQA under Section 15301/Class 1 and Section 15302/Class 2 of the CEQA Guidelines.
None of the exceptions to Categorical Exemptions set 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
NESWTF.
(b) Cumulative Impact The Project will not have a cumulative negative impact over time that is significant. The Project
merely entails replacement work at an existing
facility.
(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 NESWTF.
(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 substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource.
The existing facilities at the NESWTF 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: December 21, 2023
Prepared by: Samuel Nadores, PE