CITY OF FRESNO
CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION & STATUTORY EXEMPTION
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
THE PROJECT DESCRIBED HEREIN IS DETERMINED TO BE CATEGORICALLY
AND STATUTORILY EXEMPT FROM THE PREPARATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTS PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 18 AND 19 OF THE STATE CEQA GUIDELINES.
CONTACT: Joshua Merten, Engineer II
City of Fresno – Department of Public Utilities
747 R Street, 2nd Floor
Fresno, CA 93721
Phone: 559-621-1625
Email: [email protected]
PROJECT TITLE: Emergency Repair of the East Jensen Avenue Sewer Main
PROJECT LOCATIONS: The Project entails the removal and replacement of a section of existing sewer main and appurtenances in
East Jensen Avenue between Sarah Street and South
East Avenue, which is approximately 0.02 miles (102
Linear Feet).
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The Project entails the removal and replacement of a section of existing sewer main and appurtenances in
East Jensen Avenue between Sarah Street and South
East Avenue
The Project is exempt under Section 15301/Class 1 and Sections 15269 and 15282 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 existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use. The subsections relevant to this Project are (b) and (d), which are listed below:
(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.
Under Section 15269,
(b) Emergency repairs to publicly or privately owned service facilities necessary to maintain service essential to the public health, safety or welfare. Emergency repairs include those that require a reasonable amount of planning to address an anticipated emergency.
Under Section 15282,
(k) The installation of new pipeline or maintenance, repair, restoration, removal, or demolition of an existing pipeline as set forth in Section 21080.21 of the Public Resources Code, as long as the project does not exceed one mile in length.
The Project described herein represents the necessary emergency repair to an existing publicly-owned sewer main that is less than one mile in length, to rehabilitate deteriorated structures to allow continued use of the sewer system to meet standards for public health, and safety as described in subsections above. The specific work tasks may include the following:
• Installing bypass pumps and pipelines to carry sewage around the deteriorate d sewer line, thereby allowing repairs to take place with no interruption in service to wastewater customers
• Open cutting the road to access the underlying sewer, the trench for which may encompass the width of the road
• Making point repairs to sewer mains, manholes, and appurtenances, as needed • Removing and replacing segments of the sewer main, manholes, and appurtenances, as needed
• Reconstructing and repaving the road in the areas disturbed for the purposes of the Project
All work will occur within existing improved roadways to existing publicly-owned sewerage facilities. The Project will not expand the use of the existing facility, nor will it relocate any existing facilities or structures. The Project is merely to conduct an emergency repair and rehabilitate an existing damaged sewer line and appurtenances.
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 in an existing
roadway.
(b) Cumulative Impact The Project will not have a cumulative negative impact over time that is significant. The Project
merely entails repair to existing facilities.
(c) Significant Effect The Project will not have a significant effect on the environment due to unusual circumstances. All work
will be limited to the existing road and sewer lines.
(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 roadway where the emergency repair is
occurring is not considered historical resources.
Furthermore, the proposed project is not expected to have a significant effect on the environment. Accordingly, a categorical exemption and statutory exemption, as noted above, has been prepared for the project.
Date: March 19, 2026
Prepared by:
Joshua Merten
Engineer II
City of Fresno
Department of Public Utilities
(559) 621-1625
Submitted by:
Debbie Khounsavath
Project Manager
City of Fresno
Department of Public Utilities
(559) 621-1624