Agenda packet — Lawndale City Council, December 18, 2023 (part 5 of 9)

The General Plan Update Resource Management Element includes goals, policies, and actions addressing heritage resources, including archaeological resources. Proposed Policy RM-3.1 requires the City protect areas containing significant historic, archaeological, and paleontological resources, as defined by the California Public Resources Code. Policy RM-3.2 encourages the City to promote community identity and local history by identifying, documenting, and appropriately archiving tangible and intangible cultural resources so they can be recognized, accessed, and appreciated by future generations. Policy RM-3.4 directs the City to include the public in efforts to preserve cultural assets, including techniques, incentives, and legal requirements for preservation. Policy RM-3.7 encourages the City to seek funding and support from public and private sources that aim to protect cultural and historic resources within the City. Action RM-3a requires that development proposals be assessed for potential impacts to sensitive historic, archaeological, tribal cultural, and paleontological resources pursuant to CEQA. Action RM-3e requires, for all development proposals within areas with the potential to contain prehistoric/historic resources, a study to be conducted by a professional archaeologist to determine if significant archaeological resources are potentially present and if the project will significantly impact these resources. If significant impacts are identified, the City may require the project to be modified to avoid the impacts, or require mitigation measures to mitigate the impacts. Mitigation may involve archaeological investigation and resources recovery.

Archaeological resources are protected under Federal, State, and local regulations as described above and implementation of General Plan Update policies and actions would reduce potential adverse impacts to archaeological resources associated with future development. Subsequent discretionary development and infrastructure projects would be analyzed for potential environmental impacts, consistent with the requirements of CEQA, pursuant to the City’s entitlement review process. Compliance with the General Plan Update policies and actions and existing regulations would not cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of an archaeological resource and impacts would be less than significant.

Proposed General Plan Update Goals, Policies, and Actions:

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ELEMENT
Policy RM-3.1: Preservation. Protect areas containing significant historic, archaeological, and paleontological resources, as defined by the California Public Resources Code.

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Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.5-15 Cultural Resources Policy RM-3.2: Documentation. Promote community identity and local history by identifying, documenting, and appropriately archiving tangible and intangible cultural resources so they can be recognized, accessed, and appreciated by future generations.

Policy RM-3.4: Public Education. Educate and actively involve the public in preserving cultural assets, including techniques, incentives, and legal requirements for preservation.

Policy RM-3.7: Funding. With input and involvement of stakeholder groups, seek adequate funding and support from public and private sources that aim to protect cultural and historic resources within the City.

Action RM-3a: Continue to assess development proposals for potential impacts to sensitive historic, archaeological, tribal cultural, and paleontological resources pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Action RM-3e: For all development proposals within areas with the potential to contain prehistoric/historic resources, the City shall require a study to be conducted by a professional archaeologist. The objective of the study will be to determine if significant archaeological resources are potentially present and if the project will significantly impact these resources. If significant impacts are identified, the City may require the project to be modified to avoid the impacts, or require mitigation measures to mitigate the impacts.

Mitigation may involve archaeological investigation and resources recovery.

Mitigation Measures: No mitigation measures are required.

Level of Significance: Less Than Significant Impact.

CUL-3: Disturb any human remains, including those interred outside of formal cemeteries? Impact Analysis: Future construction projects within the Planning Area could have the potential to disturb or destroy buried Native American human remains as well as other human remains, including those interred outside of formal cemeteries.

Health and Safety Code Section 7050.5, CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.5(e), and PRC Section 5097.98 mandate the process to be followed in the event of an accidental discovery of any human remains in a location other than a dedicated cemetery. In the event that human remains are discovered during ground disturbing activities, the County coroner must be called in to assess the remains (Section 15064.5[e] of the CEQA Guidelines). If the County coroner determines that the remains are those of a Native American, the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) must be contacted within 24 hours, and the provisions for treating or disposing of the remains and any associated grave goods as described in Section 15064.5 of the CEQA Guidelines must be followed.

As future development and infrastructure projects are considered by the City, each project would be evaluated for conformance with the City’s General Plan, Municipal Code, and other applicable State and local regulations. Subsequent discretionary development and infrastructure projects would also be analyzed for potential environmental impacts, consistent with the requirements of CEQA. Under CEQA, human remains are protected under the definition of archaeological materials as being “any evidence of Lawndale General Plan Update

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Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.5-16 Cultural Resources human activity.” Public Resources Code Section 5097 has specific stop-work and notification procedures to follow in the event that Native American human remains are inadvertently discovered during development activities.

The General Plan Update Resource Management Element includes policies and actions addressing the potential discovery of human remains. Proposed Policy RM-3.1 requires the City protect areas containing significant historic, archaeological, and paleontological resources, as defined by the California Public Resources Code. Policy RM-3.5 requires consultation with Native American tribes that may be impacted by proposed development and land use policy changes, in accordance with State, local, and Tribal intergovernmental consultation requirements. Action RM-3g requires, in the event of discovery or recognition of any human remains in any location other than a dedicated cemetery, that the City halt excavation or disturbance of the site or any nearby area reasonably suspected to overlie adjacent human remains until the County Coroner has been informed and has determined that no investigation of the cause of death is required. If the remains are of Native American origin, no further excavation or disturbance of the site or any nearby area reasonably suspected to overlie adjacent human remains is permitted until the descendants from the deceased Native Americans have made a recommendation to the landowner or the persons responsible for the excavation work, for means of treating or disposing of, with appropriate dignity, the human remains and any associated grave goods as provided in Public Resources Code section 5097.98, or the Native American Heritage Commission was unable to identify a descendant or the descendant failed to make a recommendation within 24 hours after being granted access to the site. Compliance with the General Plan Update policies and actions and existing regulations, including Health and Safety Code Section 7050.5, CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.5(e), and PRC Section 5097.98, would ensure that potential impacts associated with the inadvertent discovery of human remains would be reduced to less than significant.

Proposed General Plan Update Goals, Policies, and Actions:

Policy RM-3.5: Tribal Consultation. In accordance with State, local, and Tribal intergovernmental consultation requirements, consult with Native American tribes that may be impacted by proposed development and land use policy changes, as necessary.

Action RM-3g: In the event of discovery or recognition of any human remains in any location other than a dedicated cemetery, the City shall halt excavation or disturbance of the site or any nearby area reasonably suspected to overlie adjacent human remains until the County Coroner has been informed and has determined that no investigation of the cause of death is required. If the remains are of Native American origin, there shall be no further excavation or disturbance of the site or any nearby area reasonably suspected to overlie adjacent human remains until the descendants from the deceased Native Americans have made a recommendation to the landowner or the persons responsible for the excavation work, for means of treating or disposing of, with appropriate dignity, the human remains Lawndale General Plan Update

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Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.5-17 Cultural Resources and any associated grave goods as provided in Public Resources Code section 5097.98, or the Native American Heritage Commission was unable to identify a descendant or the descendant failed to make a recommendation within 24 hours after being granted access to the site.

Mitigation Measures: No mitigation measures are required.

Level of Significance: Less Than Significant Impact.

5.5.6 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS
Section 4.0, Basis of Cumulative Analysis, identifies projected growth within the Planning Area and County with the potential to interact with the proposed Project to the extent that a significant cumulative effect relative to cultural resources may occur. The cumulative projects’ regional geologic setting and cultural resource deposit sensitivity would be similar; however, the local geologic setting and historical significance would vary according to the site location and specific conditions.

Would the project, combined with other related cumulative projects, cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource pursuant to §15064.5? Impact Analysis: Previously recorded historic built environment resources have been identified within the City. Additionally, due to the age of development within the City, there is the potential for eligible historical resource sites to be located within the Planning Area. Future development and cumulative development within the Planning Area has the potential to impact known and potentially eligible historical resources. As with the Project, the related cumulative projects would undergo environmental review pursuant to CEQA to evaluate potential impacts to historical resources. This would include studies of historical resources that are present or could be present within a development site. Where significant or potentially significant impacts are identified, implementation of all feasible site-specific mitigation would be required to avoid or reduce impacts. Additionally, the General Plan Update Resource Management Element includes policies and actions that would address historical resources. The polices and actions included within the General Plan Update and compliance with the existing regulatory environment would reduce the cumulative effect of the General Plan Update on historical resources to a less than significant level. Based on the above, the Project’s incremental contribution to cumulative historical resource impacts would be less than cumulatively considerable.

Proposed General Plan Update Goals, Policies, and Actions: Refer to the General Plan goals, policies, and actions cited above.

Mitigation Measures: No mitigation measures are required.

Level of Significance: Less Than Significant Impact.

Would the project, combined with other related cumulative projects, cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of an archaeological resource pursuant to §15064.5? Impact Analysis: No previously recorded cultural resources have been identified within the City; however, undiscovered archeological sites may be located within the Planning Area. Future development and Lawndale General Plan Update

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Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.5-18 Cultural Resources cumulative development within the Planning Area has the potential to impact previously undiscovered archaeological resources. As with the Project, the related cumulative projects would undergo environmental review pursuant to CEQA to evaluate potential impacts to archaeological resources. This would include studies of archaeological resources that are present or could be present within a development site. Additionally, related projects would be subject to compliance with the established Federal, State, and local regulatory framework concerning the protection of cultural resources on a project-by-project basis. Where significant or potentially significant impacts are identified, implementation of all feasible site-specific mitigation would be required to avoid or reduce impacts.

Additionally, the General Plan Update Resource Management Element includes policies and actions that would address archeological resources. The polices and actions included within the General Plan Update and compliance with the existing regulatory environment would reduce the cumulative effect of the General Plan Update on archeological resources to a less than significant level. Based on the above, the Project’s incremental contribution to cumulative archaeological resource impacts would be less than cumulatively considerable.

Proposed General Plan Update Goals, Policies, and Actions: Refer to the General Plan goals, policies, and actions cited above.

Mitigation Measures: No mitigation measures are required.

Level of Significance: Less Than Significant Impact.

Would the project, combined with other related cumulative projects, disturb any human remains, including those interred outside of dedicated cemeteries? Impact Analysis: Although unlikely, there is the potential that previously undiscovered human remains could be encountered during construction activities associated with future development within the Planning Area. Future development projects would be required to comply with the established State regulatory framework regarding human remains. Related cumulative projects would undergo environmental review on a project-by-project basis to evaluate the site-specific archaeological sensitivity.

Additionally, related projects would be subject to compliance with the established State and local regulatory framework, including the General Plan Update policies and actions, concerning the discovery of human remains on a project-by-project basis. The proposed Project’s compliance with the regulatory framework regarding the discovery of human remains would reduce potential Project impacts to a less than significant level; thus, the Project’s incremental contribution to cumulative impacts to human remains would be less than cumulatively considerable.

Proposed General Plan Update Goals, Policies, and Actions: Refer to the General Plan goals, policies, and actions cited above.

Mitigation Measures: No mitigation measures are required.

Level of Significance: Less Than Significant Impact.

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5.5.7 SIGNIFICANT UNAVOIDABLE IMPACTS
Impacts to cultural resources associated with the implementation of the General Plan Update would be less than significant. No significant unavoidable impacts to cultural resources would occur as a result of the General Plan Update.

5.5.8 REFERENCES
Duke Cultural Resources Management, LLC, Cultural and Paleontological Resource Study for the General Plan Update: City of Lawndale, Los Angeles County, October 2020, updated July 2023.

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5.6 ENERGY

5.6.1 PURPOSE
This section identifies the existing energy use conditions withing the Planning Area and provides an analysis of potential impacts associated with implementation of the General Plan Update.

This section is primarily based upon the air quality emissions analysis and modeling prepared by De Novo Planning Group, and included as Appendix C, Air Quality, Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Modeling Data.

5.6.2 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING

ENERGY CONSUMPTION
Energy in California is consumed from a wide variety of sources. Fossil fuels (including gasoline and diesel fuel and natural gas) are the most widely used form of energy in the State (U.S. Energy Information Administration 2023a). However, renewable sources of energy (such as solar and wind) are growing in proportion to California’s overall energy mix. A large driver of renewable sources of energy in California is the State’s current Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), which requires the State to derive at least 33 percent of electricity generated from renewable resources by 2020, and 60 percent by 2030.

Overall, in 2020, California’s per capita energy usage was ranked 48th in the nation at 175 million British thermal units (Btu) per capita (U.S. Energy Information Administration 2023a). Additionally, California’s per capita rate of energy usage has been reduced by approximately one third since the 1970s (U.S. Energy Information Administration 2022). Many State regulations since the 1970s, including new building energy efficiency standards, vehicle fleet efficiency measures, as well as growing public awareness, have helped to keep per capita energy usage in the State constrained.

The consumption of nonrenewable energy (primarily gasoline and diesel fuel) associated with the operation of passenger, public transit, and commercial vehicles results in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that ultimately result in global climate change. Other fuels such as natural gas, ethanol, and electricity (unless derived from solar, wind, nuclear, or other energy sources that do not produce carbon emissions) also result in GHG emissions and contribute to global climate change.

ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION
California relies on a regional power system composed of a diverse mix of natural gas, renewable, hydroelectric, and nuclear generation resources. Approximately 70 percent of the electrical power needed to meet California’s demand is produced in the State, while the remaining 30 percent is imported from the Pacific Northwest and the Southwest (California Energy Commission 2023a). In 2021, California’s instate generated electricity was derived from natural gas (50.2 percent), nuclear sources (8.5 percent), large hydroelectric resources (6.2 percent), coal (0.2 percent), and renewable resources that include geothermal, biomass, small hydroelectric resources, wind, and solar (34.8 percent). The percentage of Lawndale General Plan Update

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renewable resources as a proportion of California’s overall energy portfolio is increasing over time, as directed the State’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS).

Southern California Edison (SCE) provides electricity to the Planning Area. SCE, a subsidiary of Edison International, serves approximately 185 cities in 15 counties across central and Southern California (Southern California Edison, 2019). According to the California Energy Commission (CEC), approximately 103,597 million kilowatt-hours (GWh) of electricity were used in SCE’s service area in 2020 (California Energy Commission 2023b). This is approximately 38 percent of the State total system electric generation of 272,576 GWh in 2020, which was a two percent decrease from the previous year (California Energy Commission 2023c). Los Angeles County’s total electricity consumption in 2020 (residential and nonresidential) was approximately 65,650 GWh (California Energy Commission 2023d).

NATURAL GAS
Natural gas supplies are derived from underground sources and brought to the surface at gas wells. Once it is extracted, gas is purified and the odorant that allows gas leaks to be detected is added to the normally odorless gas. Natural gas suppliers, such as Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), then send the gas into transmission pipelines, which are usually buried underground. Compressors propel the gas through the pipeline system, which delivers it to homes and businesses.

The State produces approximately 12 percent of its natural gas, while obtaining 22 percent from Canada and 65 percent from the Rockies and the Southwest. In 2020, California produced 144 billion cubic feet of natural gas. SoCalGas provides natural gas for residential, industrial, and agency consumers within the Planning Area.

PETROLEUM
The primary energy source for the United States is petroleum (oil), which is refined to produce fuels like gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel (U.S. Energy Information Administration 2023b). Petroleum is a finite, nonrenewable energy source. California used approximately 524 million barrels of petroleum in 2020, with the majority (433 million barrels) used for the transportation sector (U.S. Energy Information Administration 2023c). This total annual consumption equates to a daily use of approximately 1.4 million barrels of petroleum.

5.6.3 REGULATORY SETTING

FEDERAL
Clean Air Act
The Federal Clean Air Act (FCAA) was first signed into law in 1970. In 1977, and again in 1990, the law was substantially amended. The FCAA is the foundation for a national air pollution control effort, and it is composed of the following basic elements: National ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for criteria air pollutants, hazardous air pollutant standards, state attainment plans, motor vehicle emissions standards, stationary source emissions standards and permits, acid rain control measures, stratospheric ozone protection, and enforcement provisions.

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for administering the FCAA. The FCAA requires the EPA to set NAAQS for several problem air pollutants based on human health and welfare criteria. Two types of NAAQS were established: primary standards, which protect public health, and secondary standards, which protect the public welfare from non-health-related adverse effects such as visibility reduction.

Energy Policy and Conservation Act
The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 sought to ensure that all vehicles sold in the U.S. would meet certain fuel economy goals. Through this Act, Congress established the first fuel economy standards for on-road motor vehicles in the United States. Pursuant to the Act, the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), is responsible for establishing additional vehicle standards and for revising existing standards.

Since 1990, the fuel economy standard for new passenger cars has been 27.5 mpg. Since 1996, the fuel economy standard for new light trucks (gross vehicle weight of 8,500 pounds or less) has been 20.7 mpg.

Heavy-duty vehicles (i.e., vehicles and trucks over 8,500 pounds gross vehicle weight) are not currently subject to fuel economy standards. Compliance with Federal fuel economy standards is determined on the basis of each manufacturer’s average fuel economy for the portion of its vehicles produced for sale in the U.S. The Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program, which is administered by the EPA, was created to determine vehicle manufacturers’ compliance with the fuel economy standards. The EPA calculates a CAFE value for each manufacturer based on city and highway fuel economy test results and vehicle sales. Based on the information generated under the CAFE program, the USDOT is authorized to assess penalties for noncompliance.

Energy Compliance Act of 1992 (EPAct)
The Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct) was passed to reduce the Country’s dependence on foreign petroleum and improve air quality. EPAct includes several parts intended to build an inventory of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) in large, centrally fueled fleets in metropolitan areas. EPAct requires certain Federal, state, and local government and private fleets to purchase a percentage of light duty AFVs capable of running on alternative fuels each year. In addition, financial incentives are included in EPAct.

Federal tax deductions will be allowed for businesses and individuals to cover the incremental cost of AFVs. States are also required by the act to consider a variety of incentive programs to help promote AFVs.

Energy Policy Act of 2005
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 was signed into law on August 8, 2005. Generally, the Act provides for renewed and expanded tax credits for electricity generated by qualified energy sources, such as landfill gas; provides bond financing, tax incentives, grants, and loan guarantees for a clean renewable energy and rural community electrification; and establishes a Federal purchase requirement for renewable energy.

Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) ISTEA (49 U.S.C. § 101 et seq.) promoted the development of intermodal transportation systems to maximize mobility as well as address national and local interests in air quality and energy. ISTEA contained Lawndale General Plan Update

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factors that metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), were to address in developing transportation plans and programs, including some energy-related factors. To meet the ISTEA requirements, MPOs adopted explicit policies defining the social, economic, energy, and environmental values that were to guide transportation decisions in that metropolitan area. The planning process was then to address these policies. Another requirement was to consider the consistency of transportation planning with Federal, state, and local energy goals. Through this requirement, energy consumption was expected to become a criterion, along with cost and other values that determine the best transportation solution.

STATE
Warren-Alquist Act
The 1975 Warren-Alquist Act established the California Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, now known as CEC. The Act established state policy to reduce wasteful, uneconomical, and unnecessary uses of energy by employing a range of measures. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) regulates privately-owned utilities in the energy, rail, telecommunications, and water fields.

Energy Action Plan
The first Energy Action Plan (EAP) emerged in 2003 from a crisis atmosphere in California’s energy markets. The State’s three major energy policy agencies (CEC, CPUC, and the Consumer Power and Conservation Financing Authority [established under deregulation and now defunct]) came together to develop one high-level, coherent approach to meeting California’s electricity and natural gas needs. It was the first time that energy policy agencies formally collaborated to define a common vision and set of strategies to address California’s future energy needs and emphasize the importance of the impacts of energy policy on the California environment.

In the October 2005 Energy Action Plan II, CEC and CPUC updated their energy policy vision by adding some important dimensions to the policy areas included in the original EAP, such as the emerging importance of climate change, transportation-related energy issues, and research and development activities. The CEC adopted an update to the EAP II in February 2008 that supplements the earlier EAPs and examines the State’s ongoing actions in the context of global climate change.

State of California Energy Action Plan
The CEC is responsible for preparing the State Energy Action Plan, which identifies emerging trends related to energy supply, demand, conservation, public health and safety, and the maintenance of a healthy economy. The current plan is the 1997 California Energy Plan. The plan calls for the State to assist in the transformation of the transportation system to improve air quality, reduce congestion, and increase the efficient use of fuel supplies with the least environmental and energy costs. To further this policy, the plan identifies a number of strategies, including assistance to public agencies and fleet operators in implementing incentive programs for zero-emission vehicles and addressing their infrastructure needs; and encouragement of urban design that reduces vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and accommodates pedestrian and bicycle access.

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Assembly Bill 1493
In response to AB 1493, CARB approved amendments to the California Code of Regulations (CCR) adding GHG emission standards to California’s existing motor vehicle emission standards. Amendments to CCR Title 13 Sections 1900 (CCR 13 1900) and 1961 (CCR 13 1961), and adoption of Section 1961.1 (CCR 13 1961.1) require automobile manufacturers to meet fleet average GHG emission limits for all passenger cars, light-duty trucks within various weight criteria, and medium-duty passenger vehicle weight classes beginning with the 2009 model year. Emission limits are further reduced each model year through 2016.

For passenger cars and light-duty trucks 3,750 pounds or less loaded vehicle weight (LVW), the 2016 GHG emission limits are approximately 37 percent lower than during the first year of the regulations in 2009.

For medium-duty passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks 3,751 LVW to 8,500 pounds gross vehicle weight (GVW), GHG emissions are reduced approximately 24 percent between 2009 and 2016.

CARB requested a waiver of Federal preemption of California’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards. The intent of the waiver is to allow California to enact emissions standards to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles in accordance with the regulation amendments to the CCRs that fulfill the requirements of AB 1493. The EPA granted a waiver to California to implement its greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars.

Assembly Bill 1007
Assembly Bill 1007, (Pavley, Chapter 371, Statutes of 2005) directed the CEC to prepare a plan to increase the use of alternative fuels in California. As a result, the CEC prepared the State Alternative Fuels Plan in consultation with the state, Federal, and local agencies. The plan presents strategies and actions California must take to increase the use of alternative non-petroleum fuels in a manner that minimizes costs to California and maximizes the economic benefits of in-state production. The Plan assessed various alternative fuels and developed fuel portfolios to meet California’s goals to reduce petroleum consumption, increase alternative fuels use, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and increase in-state production of biofuels without causing a significant degradation of public health and environmental quality.

Executive Order B-48-18: Zero-Emission Vehicles
In January 2018, Executive Order (EO) B-48-18 was signed into law and requires all State entities to work with the private sector to have at least five million zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) on the road by 2030, as well as install 200 hydrogen fueling stations and 250,000 electric vehicle charging stations by 2025. It specifies that 10,000 of the electric vehicle charging stations should be direct current fast chargers. This Executive Order also requires all State entities to continue to partner with local and regional governments to streamline the installation of ZEV infrastructure. The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development is required to publish a Plug-in Charging Station Design Guidebook and update the 2015 Hydrogen Station Permitting Guidebook to aid in these efforts. All State entities are required to participate in updating the 2016 Zero-Emissions Vehicle Action Plan (Governor’s Interagency Working Group on ZeroEmission Vehicles 2016) to help expand private investment in ZEV infrastructure with a focus on serving low-income and disadvantaged communities. Additionally, all State entities are to support and recommend policies and actions to expand ZEV infrastructure at residential uses through the Low Carbon Fuel Standard Program, and recommend how to ensure affordability and accessibility for all drivers.

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California Building Energy Efficiency Standards
Title 24, Part 6 of the California Code of Regulations, known as the Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Standards), was established in 1978 in response to a legislative mandate to reduce California’s energy consumption. The standards are updated periodically to allow consideration and possible incorporation of new energy efficiency technologies and methods. On January 1, 2010, the California Building Standards Commission adopted CALGreen and became the first state in the United States to adopt a statewide green building standards code.

The 2022 update to the California Building Energy Efficiency Standards (the current version of the Standards) went into effect on January 1, 2023. The Standards are divided into three basic sets. First, there is a basic set of mandatory requirements that apply to all buildings. Second, there is a set of performance standards – the energy budgets – that vary by climate zone (of which there are 16 in California) and building type; thus, the Standards are tailored to local conditions. Finally, the third set constitutes an alternative to the performance standards, which is a set of prescriptive packages that are basically a recipe or a checklist compliance approach.

Renewable Portfolio Standard
In 2002, the Legislature enacted Senate Bill 1078 (Stats. 2002, ch. 516), which established the Renewables Portfolio Standard program, requiring retail sellers of electricity, including electrical corporations, community choice aggregators, and electric service providers, to purchase a specified minimum percentage of electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources such as wind, solar, geothermal, small hydroelectric, biomass, anaerobic digestion, and landfill gas. (See Pub. Utilities Code, Section 399.11 et seq. [subsequently amended].) The legislation set a target by which 20 percent of the State’s electricity would be generated by renewable sources. (Pub. Utility Code, Section 399.11, subd. (a) [subsequently amended].) As described in the Legislative Counsel’s Digest, Senate Bill 1078 required “[e]ach electrical corporation … to increase its total procurement of eligible renewable energy resources by at least one percent per year so that 20 percent of its retail sales are procured from eligible renewable energy resources. If an electrical corporation fails to procure sufficient eligible renewable energy resources in a given year to meet an annual target, the electrical corporation would be required to procure additional eligible renewable resources in subsequent years to compensate for the shortfall, if funds are made available as described. An electrical corporation with at least 20 percent of retail sales procured from eligible renewable energy resources in any year would not be required to increase its procurement in the following year.”
In 2006, the Legislature enacted Senate Bill 107 (Stats. 2006, ch. 464), which modified the Renewables Portfolio Standard to require that at least 20 percent of electricity retail sales be served by renewable energy resources by year 2010. (Pub. Utility Code, Section 399.11, subd (a) [subsequently amended].) Senate Bill X1-2 (Stats. 2011, 1st Ex. Sess., ch. 1) set even more aggressive statutory targets for renewable electricity, culminating in the requirement that 33 percent of the State’s electricity come from renewables by 2020. This legislation applies to all electricity retailers in the State, including publicly owned utilities, investor-owned utilities, electricity service providers, and community choice aggregators. All of these entities must meet renewable energy goals of 20 percent of retail sales from renewables by the end of Lawndale General Plan Update

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2013, 25 percent by the end of 2016, and 33 percent by the end of 2020. (See Pub. Utility Code, Section 399.11 et seq. [subsequently amended].)
SB 350, discussed above, increases the Renewable Portfolio Standard to require 50 percent of electricity generated to be from renewables by 2030. (Pub. Utility Code, Section 399.11, subd (a); see also Section 399.30, subd. (c)(2).) Of equal significance, Senate Bill 350 also embodies a policy encouraging a substantial increase in the use of electric vehicles. As noted earlier, Section 740.12(b) of the Public Utilities Code now states that the PUC, in consultation with CARB and the CEC, must “direct electrical corporations to file applications for programs and investments to accelerate widespread transportation electrification to reduce dependence on petroleum, meet air quality standards, … and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 and to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.” Executive Order, B-16-12, issued in 2012, embodied a similar vision of a future in which zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) will play a big part in helping the State meet its GHG reduction targets. Executive Order B16-12 directed State government to accelerate the market for in California through fleet replacement and electric vehicle infrastructure. The Executive Order set the following targets:
• By 2015, all major cities in California will have adequate infrastructure and be “ZEV ready”; • By 2020, the State will have established adequate infrastructure to support 1 million ZEVs in California;
• By 2025, there will be 1.5 million ZEVs on the road in California; and • By 2050, virtually all personal transportation in the State will be based on ZEVs, and GHG emissions from the transportation sector will be reduced by 80 percent below 1990 levels.

In 2018, Senate Bill 100 (Stats. 2018, ch. 312) revised the above-described deadlines and targets so that the State will have to achieve a 50 percent renewable resources target by December 31, 2026 (instead of by 2030) and achieve a 60 percent target by December 31, 2030. The legislation also establishes a State policy that eligible renewable energy resources and zero-carbon resources supply 100 percent of retail sales of electricity to California end-use customers and 100 percent of electricity procured to serve all State agencies by December 31, 2045.

In summary, California has set a statutory goal of requiring that, by 2030, 60 percent of the electricity generated in California should be from renewable sources, with increased generation capacity sufficient to allow the mass conversion of the statewide vehicle fleet from petroleum-fueled vehicles to electrical vehicles and/or other ZEVs. By 2045, all electricity must come from renewable resources and other carbon-free resources. Former Governor Brown had an even more ambitious goal for the State of achieving carbon neutrality as soon as possible and by no later than 2045. This goal was reaffirmed in the Final 2022 Scoping Plan, which lays out a path to achieve State targets for carbon neutrality and reduce anthropogenic GHG emissions by 85 percent below 1990 levels no later than 2045. The Legislature is thus looking to California drivers to buy electric cars, powered by green energy, to help the State meet its aggressive statutory goal, created by SB 32, of reducing statewide GHG emissions by 2030 to 40 percent below 1990 levels. Another key prong to this strategy is to make petroleum-based fuels less carbonintensive. A number of statutes in recent years have addressed that strategy.

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Senate Bill 1078 (2002), Senate Bill 107 (2006), Executive Order S-14-08 (2008), Senate Bill 350 (2015), and Senate Bill 100 (2018), Assembly Bill 1279 (2022), Senate Bill 1020 (2022) SB 1078 established the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) program, which required retail sellers of electricity to provide at least 20 percent of their supply from renewable sources by 2017. This goal has subsequently been accelerated several times. SB 107 changed the target date to 2010 and Executive Order S-14-08 expanded the State’s RPS to 33 percent renewable power by 2020. SB 350 expanded the RPS by requiring retail seller and publicly owned utilities to procure 50 percent of their electricity from eligible renewable energy resources by 2030, with interim goals of 40 percent by 2024 and 45 percent by 2027.

SB 100 accelerated and expanded the standards set forth in SB 350 by updating the RPS program to 50 percent eligible renewable energy resources by 2025 and 60 percent by 2030. In addition, SB 100 sets a 100 percent clean, zero carbon, and renewable energy policy for California’s electricity system by 2045.

Additionally, AB 1279, the California Climate Crisis Act, declares the policy of the state both to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible, but no later than 2045, and achieve and maintain net negative greenhouse gas emissions thereafter, and to ensure that by 2045, statewide anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are reduced to at least 85 percent below the 1990 levels. Lastly, SB 1020 revised state policy to require that eligible renewable energy resources and zero-carbon resources supply 90 percent of all retail sales of electricity to California end-use customers by December 31, 2035, 95 percent of all retail sales of electricity to California end-use customers by December 31, 2040, 100 percent of all retail sales of electricity to California end-use customers by December 31, 2045, and 100 percent of electricity procured to serve all state agencies by December 31, 2035.

LOCAL
City of Lawndale Climate Action Plan
The City of Lawndale, in cooperation with the South Bay Cities Council of Governments, has developed a Climate Action Plan (CAP) to reduce GHG emissions within the City. The City’s CAP evaluates energy and other resource consumption within the jurisdiction and serves as a guide for action by setting energy efficiency and GHG emission reduction goals and policies to achieve desired outcomes over a 20-year period (2035). The CAP identifies community-wide strategies to conserve energy and reduce GHG emissions from a range of sources within the jurisdiction, including transportation, land use, energy generation and consumption, water, and waste.

Lawndale Municipal Code
The City of Lawndale Municipal Code Chapter 3.14, Utility Users Tax, imposes a tax for users of various utilities within the City in order to fund municipal utility services, including electricity, gas, and telephone.

5.6.4 SIGNIFICANCE CRITERIA AND THRESHOLDS
Consistent with Appendix G of the CEQA Guidelines, the project will have a significant impact on the environment associated with energy use if it will:
• Result in potentially significant environmental impact due to wasteful, inefficient, or unnecessary consumption of energy resources, during project construction or operation (refer to Impact Statement EN-1); and/or
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• Conflict with or obstruct a state or local plan for renewable energy or energy efficiency (refer to Impact Statement EN-1).

METHODOLOGY
In order to determine whether or not the proposed Project would result in a significant impact on energy use, this EIR includes an analysis of proposed Project energy use, as provided below. A description of the methodology used to estimate energy emissions is provided within the impact analysis.

The CEQA Guidelines require consideration of the potentially significant energy implications of a project.

CEQA requires mitigation measures to reduce “wasteful, inefficient and unnecessary” energy usage (Public Resources Code Section 21100, subdivision [b][3]). According to Appendix G of the CEQA Guidelines, the means to achieve the goal of conserving energy include decreasing overall energy consumption, decreasing reliance on natural gas and oil, and increasing reliance on renewable energy sources. In particular, a project would be considered “wasteful, inefficient, and unnecessary” if it were to violate State and Federal energy standards and/or result in significant adverse impacts related to project energy requirements, energy inefficiencies, energy intensiveness of materials, cause significant impacts on local and regional energy supplies or generate requirements for additional capacity, fail to comply with existing energy standards, otherwise result in significant adverse impacts on energy resources, or conflict or create an inconsistency with applicable plan, policy, or regulation.

5.6.5 IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES
EN-1: Would the project result in potentially significant environmental impact due to wasteful, inefficient, or unnecessary consumption of energy resources, during project construction or operation; or conflict with or obstruct a state or local plan for renewable energy or energy efficiency?
Impact Analysis: The proposed Project is the General Plan Update, with a horizon year of 2045. Buildout of the General Plan includes residential, commercial, office, industrial, mixed-use, open space, and other land uses (see Section 3.0, Project Description for further detail). The amount of energy used in the Planning Area at buildout would directly correlate to the type and size of development, the energy consumption associated with unit appliances, outdoor lighting, and energy use associated with other buildings and activities. Other major sources of Planning Area energy consumption include fuel used by vehicle trips generated during construction and operational activities, and fuel used by off-road and onroad construction vehicles during construction. The following discussion provides calculated levels of energy use expected for future development accommodated by the General Plan Update, based on commonly used modelling software (i.e. CalEEMod v.2022.1 and the California Air Resource Board’s EMFAC2021). The following analysis provides an estimate of the energy consumption in the Planning Area in buildout year 2045.

ELECTRICITY AND NATURAL GAS
At 2045 buildout, the City of Lawndale’s electricity and natural gas consumption would be used primarily to power buildings (all types of buildings, including residential, commercial, office, industrial, public, etc.).

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Total annual electricity (kWh) and natural gas (kBTU) usage associated with operational activities at General Plan Update buildout are shown in Table 5.6-1, Maximum Regional Construction Emissions (pounds/day), (as provided by CalEEMod). The analysis performed uses a 2045 buildout for a 20-year planning horizon.

Table 5.6-1
Maximum Regional Construction Emissions (pounds/day)
Electricity (kWh/year) Natural Gas (kBTU/year)
258,114,808 947,517,417
Source: CalEEMod, v2022.1.

According to CalEEMod’s Appendix A: Calculation Details for CalEEMod, CalEEMod uses the California Commercial End Use Survey (CEUS) database to develop energy intensity value for non-residential buildings. The energy use from residential land uses is calculated based on the Residential Appliance Saturation Survey (RASS). Similar to CEUS, this is a comprehensive energy use assessment that includes the end use for various climate zones in California.

FUEL CONSUMPTION - ON-ROAD VEHICLES (OPERATION)
Implementation of the General Plan Update would generate vehicle trips during its operational phase.

Based on the Lawndale General Plan CEQA Transportation Analysis prepared by Kittelson & Associates, Inc., dated July 12, 2023 (Appendix F), future development as a result of implementation of the General Plan Update could generate up to approximately 1,026,827 vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per year; however, the Project itself does not propose any specific development. In order to calculate operational on-road vehicle energy usage and emissions, default trip lengths generated by CalEEMod were used, which are based on the Planning Area location and urbanization level parameters (i.e., “Los Angeles County” and “Urban,” respectively). These values are provided by the individual districts or use a default average for the State, depending on the location of the project. Based on Year 2045 gasoline and diesel miles per gallon (MPG) factors for individual vehicle classes as provided by EMFAC2021, a weighted MPG factor was derived for operational on-road vehicles of approximately 29.9 MPG for gasoline vehicles. With this information, as a conservative estimate, it was calculated that on-road vehicle energy usage in the Planning Area at buildout year 2045 would be approximately 34,367 gallons of gasoline per day, on average, or 12,544,095 annual gallons of gasoline fuel annually.

FUEL CONSUMPTION - ON-ROAD VEHICLES (CONSTRUCTION)
2045 buildout of the General Plan Update would also generate on-road vehicle trips during construction activities (from construction workers, vendors, and haulers). Estimates of vehicle fuel consumed were derived based on the assumed construction schedule, vehicle trip lengths, and number of workers per construction phase as provided by CalEEMod (v 2022.1), and Year 2045 gasoline and diesel MPG factors provided by EMFAC2021. Table 5.6-2, On-Road Mobile Fuel Generated by Project Construction Activities – By Phase, describes gasoline and diesel fuel used by on-road mobile sources during each phase of the construction schedule. As shown, the vast majority of on-road mobile vehicle fuel used during the Lawndale General Plan Update

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construction activities associated with buildout of the General Plan Update would occur during the building construction phase.

Table 5.6-2
On-Road Mobile Fuel Generated by Project Construction Activities – By Phase Construction Phase
Total Daily
Worker
Trips
Total Daily
Vendor Trips
Total Daily
Hauling Trips
Gallons of
Gasoline Fuel
Gallons of
Diesel Fuel
Demolition 15 0 0 62,142 0
Site Preparation 18 0 0 74,571 0
Grading 20 0 0 82,857 0
Building Construction 9,990 3,657 0 2,069,342 1,447,872 Paving 15 0 0 62,142 0
Architectural Coating 1,998 0 0 413,868 0
Total N/A N/A N/A 2,764,922 1,447,872
Source: CalEEMod, v2022.1.

OFF-ROAD VEHICLES (CONSTRUCTION)
Off-road construction vehicles would use diesel fuel during construction activities. A non-exhaustive list of off-road constructive vehicles expected to be used during construction activities includes: cranes, forklifts, generator sets, tractors, excavators, and dozers. Based on the total amount of CO2 emissions expected to be generated by buildout of the General Plan Update (as provided by the CalEEMod output in Appendix C, Air Quality, Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Modeling Data), and a CO2 to diesel fuel conversion factor (provided by the U.S. Energy Information Administration), future development as a result of implementation of the General Plan Update could use up to a total of 3,988,127 gallons of diesel fuel for off-road construction vehicles (during the demolition, site preparation and grading phases); however, the Project itself does not propose any specific development.

COMPLIANCE WITH STATEWIDE AND LOCAL ENERGY PLANS
Buildout of the General Plan Update would use energy resources for the operation of buildings (electricity and natural gas), for on-road vehicle trips (e.g., gasoline and diesel fuel), and from off-road construction activities (e.g. diesel fuel) associated with 2045 buildout of the General Plan Update. Each of these activities would require the use of energy resources. Developers of individual projects within the Planning Area would be responsible for conserving energy, to the extent feasible, and would rely heavily on reducing per capita energy consumption to achieve this goal, including through Statewide and local measures.

Buildout of the General Plan Update would be in compliance with all applicable Federal, State, and local regulations regulating energy usage. For example, SCE is responsible for the mix of energy resources used to provide electricity for its customers, and it is in the process of implementing the Statewide Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) to increase the proportion of renewable energy (e.g., solar and wind) within its Lawndale General Plan Update

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energy portfolio. In addition, new development would be required to install on-site solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, consistent with the latest version of Title 24; this would greatly reduce the amount of electricity needed to be sent from the grid to the new developments associated with the proposed Project.

SCE is expected to achieve at least 60 percent renewables by 2030, and 100 percent zero-carbon electricity by 2045 (in compliance with Senate Bill 100). Additionally, energy-saving regulations, including the latest State Title 24 building energy efficiency standards (“Part 6”), would be applicable to future development accommodated by the General Plan Update. Other Statewide measures, including those intended to improve the energy efficiency of the statewide passenger and heavy-duty truck vehicle fleet (e.g., the Pavley Bill and the Low Carbon Fuel Standard), would improve vehicle fuel economies, thereby conserving gasoline and diesel fuel. These energy savings would continue to accrue over time. Additionally, building new housing near new job opportunities would reduce commuting time and allow for opportunities for pedestrian transportation such as walking and biking to work, further reducing energy usage.

Furthermore, additional project-specific sustainability features that individual development projects could implement would further reduce the energy consumption of individual projects. The General Plan Update would also be in compliance with the planning documents described previously within this section.

The General Plan Update would not conflict with any applicable plan, policy, or regulation adopted for the purpose of reducing energy use or increasing the use of renewable energy. This is a less than significant impact, in this regard.

CONCLUSION
The General Plan Update includes policies and actions to support energy conservation and renewable energy, as well asreducing energy use. Specifically, Goal RM-5 promotes a community that safely manages its energy resources. Policy RM-5.1 requires the City to comply with all State requirements regarding the generation of power and encourage energy providers to investigate the use or expansion of renewable sources of energy. Policy RM-5.2 ensures that new construction and major redevelopment complies with the most current version of the California Green Building Standards Code. Policy RM-5.3 requires the City to promote the development and use of renewable energy resources to reduce dependency on fossil fuels. Policy RM-5.4 requires the City to promote the use of energy-efficient materials, equipment, and design in public and private facilities and infrastructure. Policy RM-5.5 requires the City to promote energy conservation and recycling by the public and private sectors. Policy RM-5.6 requires the City to collaborate with local service providers in determining and meeting the needs of the community for energy in clean, modern, and cost-effective ways. Policy RM-5.7 requires the City to support the decisions of the Lawndale business community as they select and implement the most appropriate, financially feasible, and responsible energy source for their individual operations. Policy RM-5.8 requires the City to promote public education programs that advocate for reducing energy consumption, and promote renewable sources of energy. Policy RM-5.9 requires the City to promote energy conservation by residents and businesses in existing structures, in close coordination with other agencies and local energy providers.

Action RM-5a requires the City to implement energy conservation measures in public buildings through the following actions. Action RM-5b requires that during the development review process, encourage innovative building design, layout, and orientation techniques to minimize energy use by taking advantage Lawndale General Plan Update

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of sun/shade patterns, prevailing winds, landscaping and building materials that control energy usage, and solar design. Action RM-5 requires the City to continue to review development projects to ensure that all new public and private development complies with the California Code of Regulations, Title 24 standards as well as the energy efficiency standards established by the General Plan and the Municipal Code. Action RM-5d requires the City to promote the CEC Building Energy Benchmarking Program (AB 802) on the City’s website to help benchmark and monitor energy use for participating businesses seeking to increase energy efficiency and realize cost savings. Action RM-5e requires the City to identify and reduce government constraints to installation of renewable energy infrastructure and electric vehicle charging stations, as feasible, through incentives such as, streamlined permitting, and expedited inspection times. Action RM-5f requires the City to consider participation in a Community Choice Aggregation program, such as Clean Power Alliance, to help meet the City’s energy objectives. Action RM5g requires the City to use the City’s website to promote existing incentivized programs such as Energy Upgrade California, financing programs such as Properly Assessed Clean Energy (PACE), and energy audits through State programs. Further, Action RM-5h requires the City to partner with SBCCOG and relevant utilities on outreach events and to obtain educational content and promote on the City’s website.

As a result, the General Plan Update would not result in any significant adverse impacts related to Project energy requirements, energy use inefficiencies, and/or the energy intensiveness of materials by amount and fuel type for during General Plan Update buildout, including during construction, operations, maintenance, and/or removal. The City of Lawndale would comply with all existing energy standards and would not result in significant adverse impacts on energy resources. For the reasons stated above, buildout of the General Plan Update would not be expected to cause an inefficient, wasteful, or unnecessary use of energy resources nor conflict with or obstruct a State or local plan for renewable energy or energy efficiency. This is a less than significant impact.

Proposed General Plan Update Goals, Policies, and Actions:

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ELEMENT
Goal RM-4: Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Improved air quality in Lawndale and the region through reductions in air pollutants and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Policy RM-4.1: Regional Cooperation. Support regional efforts, including those organized through the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG), and the California Air Resource Board (CARB) to implement the regional Air Quality Management Plan.

Policy RM-4.2: Measurement and Enforcement. Coordinate with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) to support their ability to properly measure air quality at emission sources and enforce the standards of the Clean Air Act.

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Policy RM-4.3: GHG Emissions. Align the City’s local GHG reduction targets with the statewide GHG reduction targets of Assembly Bill 32, and align the City’s GHG reduction goal with the statewide GHG reduction goal of Executive Order S-03-05.

Policy RM-4.4: Transportation Options. Promote alternative modes of transportation to reduce vehicular emissions and improve air quality. (See Mobility Element) Policy RM-4.5: Walkability. Encourage pedestrian-scale development and pedestrian-friendly design features to reduce vehicle emissions. (See Mobility Element) Policy RM-4.6: Land Use Planning. Encourage and incentivize higher density and mixed-use development opportunities within designated areas of the City to lessen the impacts of traffic congestion on local air quality. (See Land Use Element) Policy RM-4.7: Sensitive Receptors. Insulate sensitive receptors from areas of heightened air quality pollution by utilizing land use planning to buffer and protect residential areas.

Policy RM-4.8: Mitigation. Require the implementation of relevant mitigation measures for all future development upon identification of potential air quality impacts.

Policy RM-4.9: GHG Reduction. Consider and adopt new local policies and programs that will help to provide energy efficient alternatives to fossil fuel use and reduce consumption in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions consistent with the local measures identified in the City of Lawndale Climate Action Plan.

Policy RM-4.10: Public Engagement. Promote regional air quality programs in order to inform the public on regional air quality concerns and encourage the engagement of all residents in future planning decisions related to air quality.

Action RM-4a: Implement the local GHG reduction measures identified in the City of Lawndale Climate Action Plan (CAP), participate in future updates of the SBCCOG Climate Action Plan, and perform on-going monitoring and reporting of GHG reduction impacts. Develop a Climate Action Team to support and guide the City’s efforts to conserve energy and reduce emissions. Work with the SBCCOG and/or other local, Regional, State, and Federal agencies or utility to obtain funding necessary to implement, monitor, and report the CAP measures.

Action RM-4b: As applicable, review new industrial and commercial development projects during the CEQA process for potential air quality impacts to residences and other sensitive receptors.

Ensure that mitigation measures and best management practices are implemented to reduce significant emissions of criteria pollutants.

Action RM-4c: Review development, infrastructure, and planning projects for consistency with SCAQMD requirements during the CEQA review process. Require project applicants to prepare air quality analyses to address SCAQMD and General Plan requirements, as appropriate, which include analysis and identification of:

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1. Air pollutant emissions associated with the project during construction, project operation, and cumulative conditions.

2. Potential exposure of sensitive receptors to toxic air contaminants.

3. Significant air quality impacts associated with the project for construction, project operation, and cumulative conditions.

4. Mitigation measures to reduce significant impacts to less than significant or the maximum extent feasible where impacts cannot be mitigated to less than significant.

Action RM-4d: Work with the South Coast Air Quality Management District, Southern California Association of Governments, the South Bay Cities Council of Governments, and the California Air Resource Board to implement programs aimed at improving regional air quality.

Action RM-4e: Continue to review development projects to ensure that all new public and private development complies with the California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 24 standards as well as the energy efficiency standards established by the Lawndale Municipal Code.

Action RM-4f: Provide the necessary facilities and infrastructure to facilitate the use of low or zeroemission vehicles such as electric vehicle charging facilities at key City facilities as operations necessitate and/or as funding becomes available.

Action RM-4g: Evaluate and consider multi-modal transportation benefits to all City employees, such as free or low-cost monthly public transportation (bus) passes. Encourage employer participation in similar programs. Encourage new transit/shuttle services and use.

Action RM-4h: Establish programs that encourage community car-sharing and carpooling.

Action RM-4i: Support the establishment and expansion of a regional network of electric vehicle charging stations and encourage the expanded use of electric vehicles.

Action RM-4j: Encourage multi-family residential and non-residential development to increase the use of higher-albedo materials for surfaces including roofs, parking areas, driveways, roads, and sidewalks. Encourage developments with parking lot areas to shade these areas with vegetation or solar panels when appropriate. Support various programs to plant and maintain trees, which can also contribute to a reduction of urban heat islands.

Such equipment shall be outfitted with Best Available Control Technology (BACT) Lawndale General Plan Update

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devices including a California Air Resources Board Certified Level 3 Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) or equivalent. The DPF reduces diesel particulate matter and NOx emissions during construction activities.
• Require a minimum of 50 percent of construction debris be diverted for recycling. • Require building materials to contain a minimum 10 percent recycled content. • Require materials such as paints, primers, sealants, coatings, and glues to have a low volatile organic compound concentration compared to conventional products. If low VOC materials are not available, architectural coating phasing should be extended sufficiently to reduce the daily emissions of VOCs.

Action RM-4l: Future development projects will be required to demonstrate consistency with SCAQMD’s operational emission thresholds. For projects where operational emissions exceed regulatory thresholds, the following measures may be used to reduce impacts.

Note the following measures are not all inclusive and developers have the option to add or substitute measures that are equally or more appropriate for the scope of the project. • Develop a project specific TDM program for residents and/or employees that provides opportunities for carpool/vanpools.
• Provide onsite solar/renewable energy in excess of regulatory requirements. • Require that owners/tenants of non-residential or multi-family residential developments use architectural coatings that are 10 grams per liter or less when repainting/repairing properties.
• Require drip irrigation and irrigation sensor units that prevent watering during rain storms.
• Ensure all parking areas are wired for capability of future EV charging and include EV charging stations that exceed regulatory requirements.

Goal RM-5: Energy Resources. A community that safely manages its energy resources.

Policy RM-5.1: Compliance with State Legislation. Comply with all State requirements regarding the generation of power and encourage energy providers to investigate the use or expansion of renewable sources of energy.

Policy RM-5.2: Green Building Standards Code. Ensure that new construction and major redevelopment complies with the most current version of the California Green Building Standards Code.

Policy RM-5.3: Renewable Energy. Promote the development and use of renewable energy resources to reduce dependency on fossil fuels.

Policy RM-5.4: Energy-Efficient Materials. Promote the use of energy-efficient materials, equipment, and design in public and private facilities and infrastructure.

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Policy RM-5.5: Energy Conservation. Promote energy conservation and recycling by the public and private sectors.

Policy RM-5.6: Energy Needs. Collaborate with local service providers in determining and meeting the needs of the community for energy in clean, modern, and cost-effective ways.

Policy RM-5.7: Business Community. Support the decisions of the Lawndale business community as they select and implement the most appropriate, financially feasible, and responsible energy source for their individual operations.

Policy RM-5.8: Public Education. Promote public education programs that advocate for reducing energy consumption, and promote renewable sources of energy.

Policy RM-5.9: Promote Energy Conservation in Existing Building Stock. Promote energy conservation by residents and businesses in existing structures, in close coordination with other agencies and local energy providers.

Action RM-5a: Implement energy conservation measures in public buildings through the following actions:
a. Promote energy efficient buildings and site design for all new public buildings during the site development permit process; and
b. Install energy saving devices in new public buildings and retrofit existing public buildings.

Action RM-5b: During the development review process, encourage innovative building design, layout, and orientation techniques to minimize energy use by taking advantage of sun/shade patterns, prevailing winds, landscaping and building materials that control energy usage, and solar design.

Action RM-5c: Continue to review development projects to ensure that all new public and private development complies with the California Code of Regulations, Title 24 standards as well as the energy efficiency standards established by the General Plan and the Municipal Code.

Action RM-5d: Promote the CEC Building Energy Benchmarking Program (AB 802) on the City’s website to help benchmark and monitor energy use for participating businesses seeking to increase energy efficiency and realize cost savings.

Action RM-5e: Identify and reduce government constraints to installation of renewable energy infrastructure and electric vehicle charging stations, as feasible, through incentives such as, streamlined permitting, and expedited inspection times.

Action RM-5f: Consider participation in a Community Choice Aggregation program, such as Clean Power Alliance, to help meet the City’s energy objectives.

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Action RM-5g: Use the City’s website to promote existing incentivized programs such as Energy Upgrade California, financing programs such as Properly Assessed Clean Energy (PACE), and energy audits through State programs.

Action RM-5h: Partner with SBCCOG and relevant utilities on outreach events and to obtain educational content and promote on the City’s website.

Mitigation Measures: No mitigation measures are required.

Level of Significance: Less Than Significant Impact.

5.6.6 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS
Section 4.0, Basis of Cumulative Analysis, establishes growth and development within Los Angeles County as anticipated by SCAG as having the potential to interact with the proposed Project to the extent that a significant cumulative effect may occur. The cumulative projects’ setting for energy would be similar for the region and for projects within the City.

Would the project, combined with other related cumulative projects, result in potentially significant environmental impact due to wasteful, inefficient, or unnecessary consumption of energy resources, during project construction or operation.

Impact Analysis: As future development projects are received and reviewed by the City in subsequent years, those projects would be reviewed for consistency with the General Plan Update and all relevant State-level programs and requirements. All future projects must implement the most current version of the Title 24 energy efficiency requirements, as required by State law. Consistency with the General Plan Update and other mandatory State-level programs would ensure that future project-level contributions to inefficient, wasteful or unnecessary energy use would be less than significant. Moreover, as identified above, buildout of the General Plan Update would not be expected to cause an inefficient, wasteful, or unnecessary use of energy resources nor conflict with or obstruct a state or local plan for renewable energy or energy efficiency. As a result, the proposed General Plan Update’s incremental contribution to cumulative energy impacts would be less than cumulatively considerable.

Proposed General Plan Update Goals, Policies, and Actions: Refer to the General Plan goals, policies, and actions cited above.

Mitigation Measures: No mitigation measures are required.

Level of Significance: Less Than Significant Impact.

5.6.7 SIGNIFICANT UNAVOIDABLE IMPACTS
Energy use impacts associated with the implementation of the General Plan Update would be less than significant. No significant unavoidable energy use impacts would occur as a result of the General Plan Update.

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5.6.8 REFERENCES
Atkins, City of Lawndale Energy Efficiency Climate Action Plan, December 2015.

California Energy Commission, 2021 Total System Electric Generation, https://www.energy.ca.gov/datareports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2021-total-system-electric-generation, accessed July 12, 2023a.

California Energy Commission, Electricity Consumption by Planning Area, http://www.ecdms.energy.ca.gov/elecbyplan.aspx, accessed July 12, 2023b.

California Energy Commission, 2020 Total Electricity System Power, https://www.energy.ca.gov/datareports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2020-total-system-electric-generation/2020, accessed July 12, 2023c.

California Energy Commission, Electricity Consumption by County, https://ecdms.energy.ca.gov/elecbycounty.aspx, accessed July 12, 2023d.

Southern California Edison, Southern California Edison’s Service Area, https://download.newsroom.edison.com/create_memory_file/?f_id=5cc32d492cfac24d21aecf4 c&content_verified=True, April 2019, accessed July 12, 2023.

U.S. Energy Information Administration, California State Profile and Energy Estimates, https://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=CA#tabs-1, accessed July 12, 2023a.

U.S. Energy Information Administration, Monthly Energy Review, https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/, accessed July 12, 2023b.

U.S. Energy Information Administration, California State Profile and Energy Estimates: Table F16: Total Petroleum Consumption Estimates, 2020,
https://www.eia.gov/state/data.php?sid=CA#ConsumptionExpenditures, accessed July 12, 2023c.

U.S. Energy Information Administration, State Energy Data System: 1960-2020, July 12, 2022.

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5.7 GEOLOGY AND SOILS

5.7.1 PURPOSE
This section identifies the existing geology, soils, and seismicity conditions within the Planning Area and provides an analysis of potential impacts associated with implementation of the General Plan Update.

This section is partly based upon the Cultural and Paleontological Resource Study for the General Plan Update: City of Lawndale, Los Angeles County (Cultural Study), prepared by Duke Cultural Resources Management, LLC and dated October 2020 and updated July 2023; refer to Appendix D, Cultural and Paleontological Resources Assessment.

5.7.2 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING

GEOLOGIC CONDITIONS
The City of Lawndale, including the Planning Area, is located within the Peninsular Ranges Geomorphic Province, which extends from Mount San Jacinto in the north to Baja California in the south and includes the Inland Empire, Los Angeles County, Orange County, and San Diego Counties. The Peninsular Ranges Geomorphic Province is located in the southwestern corner of California and is bounded by the Transverse Ranges Geomorphic Province to the north and the Colorado Desert Geomorphic Province to the east. This geomorphic province is characterized by elongated northwest-trending mountain ridges separated by sediment-floored valleys. Many faults to the west of the Salton Trough section of the San Andreas Fault Zone parallel this northwest-southeast trending fault zone and have taken up some of the strain of the San Andreas.

Peninsular Ranges
The Peninsular Ranges Geomorphic Province consists of a series of mountain ranges separated by long valleys, formed from faults branching from the San Andreas Fault. The topographic trend is similar to the Coast Ranges, but the geology is more like the Sierra Nevada, with granitic rocks intruding the older metamorphic rocks. The Los Angeles Basin and the Channel Islands of Santa Catalina, Santa Barbara, San Clemente, and San Nicolas are included in this province. At the northern end of the province, Mount San Jacinto forms the dramatic backdrop to the Coachella Valley more than 10,000 feet below. The Peninsular Ranges extend south across the international border into Baja California, forming the spine of Baja California.

Regional Geology
The geology of southern California formed as a result of complex plate tectonics and fault movement.

The most notable fault in southern California, the San Andreas Fault, is a right lateral strike-slip (or transform) fault that marks the boundary between the Pacific tectonic plate and the North American tectonic plate. Both plates are moving northward, but the Pacific plate is moving at a faster rate than the North American plate and the relative difference in the two rates results in movement along the San Andreas Fault. Northwest of the Los Angeles basin, where the southern San Joaquin Valley meets the San Emigdio and Tehachapi Mountains, the orientation of the San Andreas Fault changes from generally Lawndale General Plan Update

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Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.7-2 Geology and Soils northwest to west-northwest. This portion of the fault system is known as the “Big Bend.” Another large fault in southern California, the left-lateral Garlock Fault, intersects the San Andreas Fault system at this location. This bend in the San Andreas Fault system results in transpressional forces between the two tectonic plates, a geologic result of which was the uplift of the Transverse Ranges, including the San Gabriel Mountains.

The City of Lawndale is located within the northern margin of the Peninsular Ranges. The topography of Lawndale is relatively flat with an elevation of approximately 59 feet above sea level. The City is located in the southwestern portion of Los Angeles County. Los Angeles County varies greatly in topography, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and high mountain ranges to the east. The topography in the County varies significantly, from beaches on the west, to mountains and then desert to the east. Much of the topography in between consists of mesas intersected by canyons.

FAULTS
Faults are classified as Historic, Holocene, Late Quaternary, Quaternary, and Pre-Quaternary according to the age of most recent movement (CGS 2002). These classifications are described as follows:
• Historic: faults on which surface displacement has occurred within the past 200 years; • Holocene: shows evidence of fault displacement within the past 11,000 years, but without historic record;
• Late Quaternary: shows evidence of fault displacement within the past 700,000 years, but may be younger due to a lack of overlying deposits that enable more accurate age estimates; • Quaternary: shows evidence of displacement sometime during the past 1.6 million years; and • Pre-Quaternary: without recognized displacement during the past 1.6 million years.

Faults are further distinguished as active, potentially active, or inactive (CGS 2002). • Active: An active fault is a Historic or Holocene fault that has had surface displacement within the last 11,000 years;
• Potentially Active: A potentially active fault is a pre-Holocene Quaternary fault that has evidence of surface displacement between about 1.6 million and 11,000 years ago; and • Inactive: An inactive fault is a pre-Quaternary fault that does not have evidence of surface displacement within the past 1.6 million years. The probability of fault rupture is considered low; however, this classification does not mean that inactive faults cannot, or will not, rupture.

While there are no known fault zones located within City limits, the City is located between two active strike-slip faults: the Newport-Inglewood fault zone and the Palos Verdes Fault. The nearest fault zone is the Newport-Inglewood Fault, located approximately two miles northeast of the City. Figure 5.7-1, Regional Fault Zones, illustrates the location of nearby fault zones surrounding the Planning Area.

The most significant historically active and potentially active fault zones that are capable of seismic ground shaking and which can impact Lawndale are discussed below.

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Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.7-3 Geology and Soils Newport-Inglewood Fault
The Newport-Inglewood Fault is considered the second most active fault in California. It runs from the City of Inglewood through Huntington Beach and out into the Pacific Ocean. This fault is capable of producing earthquakes in the range of M 6.3 to M 7.5 (magnitude of 6.3 to 7.5 on the Richter Scale). The M 6.5 1933 Long Beach earthquake occurred on the Newport-Inglewood Fault, causing 120 deaths, the collapsing of unreinforced masonry buildings, and severe damage (United States Geologic Survey 2023b).

The Newport-Inglewood Fault is located approximately 2.25 miles northeast of the Planning Area (DOC 2023b).

San Andreas Fault
The San Andreas Fault is a 400-mile-long fault running from the Mexican border to a point offshore, west of San Francisco. Geologic studies show that over the past 1,400 to 1,500 years, large earthquakes have occurred at about 130-year intervals on the southern San Andreas Fault. As the last large earthquake on the southern San Andreas occurred in 1857, that section of the fault is considered a likely location for an earthquake within the next few decades (Michael Baker 2016). There is a 59 percent chance that an earthquake of M 6.7 (magnitude of 6.7 on the Richter Scale) or larger will occur on this fault in the next 30 years (Los Angeles County 2020).

The San Andreas fault is located approximately 45 miles north of the Planning Area.

Whittier-Elsinore Fault
The Whittier-Elsinore Fault is a right-lateral strike-slip fault with some reverse slip located along the eastern edge of the Los Angeles Basin (Southern California Earthquake Data Center 2023). The WhittierElsinore Fault is located along the southern base of the Puente Hills. Earthquakes with surface rupture on the Whittier Fault are estimated to have probable magnitudes ranging from M 6.0 to M 7.2 (magnitude of 6.0 to 7.2 on the Richter Scale). The Whittier fault joins the Chino Fault near Prado Dam where they merge into the Elsinore Fault. At the northern end, the fault splays into several faults, creating the Whittier-Elsinore Fault Zone (USGS 2023a).

The Whittier-Elsinore Fault is located approximately 20 miles northeast of the City (Department of Conservation 2023b).

Palos Verdes Fault Zone
The Palos Verdes fault zone is located off the coast of Redondo Beach and Torrance, along the northern front of the Palos Verdes Hills, and continues southward through the Palos Verdes peninsula and offshore, outside the San Pedro Bay. The Palos Verdes Fault is capable of an earthquake of M 6.0 to M

7.0 (magnitude of 6.0 to 7.0 on the Richter Scale). The issue of concern is the fault causing shaking and liquefaction within the region (Los Angeles County 2020).

The Palos Verdes fault zone is located approximately four miles southwest of the Planning Area.

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Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.7-4 Geology and Soils Santa Monica Fault
The Santa Monica Fault consists of two subparallel faults that trend along the southern edge of the Santa Monica Mountains. These faults extend onshore from Pacific Palisades and continue through Santa Monica and Beverly Hills to Hollywood, where they merge into a single fault strand. These subparallel faults were referred to as the "Santa Monica fault zone." The Santa Monica fault zone consists of a north-dipping blind reverse fault and a subparallel fault in the hanging wall that reaches the surface; the blind fault was named the "Santa Monica Fault." The subparallel surface fault, which is the fault associated with the noted surficial scarps and shallow groundwater barriers, named the "Potrero Canyon Fault" (California Geological Survey 2018). This fault is capable of producing an earthquake of M

6.0 to 7.0 (magnitude of 6.0 to 7.0 on the Richter Scale) (Los Angeles County 2020).

The Santa Monica Fault is located approximately 11 miles northwest of the City. The Santa Monica Fault is not considered a significant ground surface rupture hazard east of Beverly Hills, indicating that it does not pose a major threat to the Planning Area.

Charnock Fault
The Charnock Fault trends northwest-southwest, approximately parallel to the trend of the NewportInglewood Fault. Review of available geologic literature indicates the Charnock Fault has displaced Quaternary to Late Quaternary units; however, no offset of late Pleistocene or Holocene age alluvial deposits have been reported (Camp Dresser & McKee Inc. 2001). Because no displacement of Holocene age alluvium has occurred, the Charnock fault is considered potentially active. The potential for surface rupture associated with the Charnock Fault is considered low.

The Charnock Fault is located approximately two miles northwest of the Planning Area.

SEISMIC HAZARDS
Seismic hazards include both rupture (surface and subsurface) along active faults and ground shaking, which can occur over wider areas. Ground shaking, produced by various tectonic phenomena, is the principal source of seismic hazards in areas devoid of active faults. All areas of the State are subject to some level of seismic ground shaking.

Several scales may be used to measure the strength or magnitude of an earthquake. Magnitude scales (ML) measure the energy released by earthquakes. The Richter scale, which represents magnitude at the earthquake epicenter, is an example of an ML. As the Richter scale is logarithmic, each whole number represents a 10-fold increase in magnitude over the preceding number. Table 5.7-1, Richter Magnitudes and Effects, represents effects that would be commonly associated with Richter Magnitudes.

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Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.7-5 Geology and Soils Table 5.7-1
Richter Magnitudes and Effects
Magnitude Effects
< 3.5 Typically not felt

3.5 – 5.4 Often felt but damage is rare

5.5 – 6.0 Damage is slight for well-built buildings

6.1 – 6.9 Destructive potential over ±60 miles of occupied area

7.0 – 7.9 “Major Earthquake” with the ability to cause damage over larger areas ≥ 8 “Great Earthquake” can cause damage over several hundred miles Source: De Novo Planning, City of Lawndale General Plan Existing Conditions Report, 2023.

Strong ground shaking from an earthquake can result in damage associated with landslides, ground lurching, structural damage, and liquefaction. Major faults in the regional area, which have caused earthquakes and those with the potential to cause earthquakes and ground shaking, include the San Andreas fault and Newport-Inglewood fault.

The Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast, Version 3, or UCERF3, is the latest official earthquake rupture forecast for the State of California. It provides estimates of the likelihood and severity of potentially damaging earthquake ruptures in the long- and near-term. Combining this with ground motion models produces estimates of the severity of ground shaking that can be expected during a given period (seismic hazard), and of the threat to the built environment (seismic risk). This information is used to inform engineering design and building codes, planning for disaster, and evaluating whether earthquake insurance premiums are sufficient for the prospective losses.

UCERF3 was prepared by the Working Group on California Earthquake Probabilities (WGCEP), a collaboration between the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the California Geological Survey (CGS), and the Southern California Earthquake Center, with significant funding from the California Earthquake Authority. The UCERF3 Model represents the latest model from the WGCEP. Results for the Los Angeles region faults, which includes the Lawndale region, based on the UCERF3 are shown in Table

5.7-2, Likelihood of Having One or More Earthquakes by Size in the Next 30 Years (Starting from 2014).

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Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.7-6 Geology and Soils Table 5.7-2
Likelihood of Having One or More Earthquakes by Size in the Next 30 Years (Starting from 2014) Magnitude
(greater than or equal to)
Average repeat time
(years)
30-year likelihood of one or
more events
Readiness
5 1.4 100% 1.0
6 10 96% 1.0

6.7 40 60% 1.1
7 61 46% 1.2

7.5 109 31% 1.3
8 532 7% 1.3
Source: USGS, UCERF3: A New Earthquake Forecast for California’s Complex Fault System, March 2015, https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2015/3009/pdf/fs2015-3009.pdf.

Note: Readiness indicates the factor by which probabilities are currently elevated, or lower, because of the length of time since the previous large earthquake. A factor of 1.0 indicates current earthquake likelihood relative to long-term likelihood is equal; a factor above 1.0 indicates elevated probabilities; and a factor below 1.0 indicates lower probabilities.

The USGS Earthquake Probabilities predicts the probabilities of earthquakes within Greater California, the Southern California/Los Angeles Region, and the Northern California/San Francisco Region. The USGS Earthquake Probabilities predicts the probability that an earthquake will occur in the Los Angeles region within the next 30 years is:
• 60 percent that an earthquake measuring magnitude 6.7 will occur; • 46 percent that an earthquake measuring magnitude 7 will occur; and • 31 percent that an earthquake measuring magnitude 7.5 will occur.

SEISMIC HAZARDS ZONES
Alquist-Priolo Fault Zone
An active earthquake fault, per California’s Alquist-Priolo Act, is one that has ruptured within the Holocene Epoch (≈11,000 years). Based on this criterion, the CGS identifies Earthquake Fault Zones.

These Earthquake Fault Zones are identified in Special Publication 42 (SP42), which is updated as new fault data become available. The SP42 lists all counties and cities within California that are affected by designated Earthquake Fault Zones. The Fault Zones are delineated on maps within SP42 (Earthquake Fault Zone Maps).

Southern California is a region of high seismic activity. Similar to most cities in the region, Lawndale is subject to risks associated with potentially destructive earthquakes. The Planning Area is located in the seismically active southern California region; however, there are no designated Alquist-Priolo fault zones within the Planning Area. Historically-active regional fault zones and their associated size and frequency are listed in Table 5.7-3, Historically Active and Active Fault Zones in the Region.

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Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.7-7 Geology and Soils Table 5.7-3
Historically Active and Active Fault Zones in the Region Fault Maximum Moment
Magnitude
Historical Seismicity
(Last 150 years)
Slip Rate
(mm/year)
San Andreas (Mojave section) 7.4 M 7.0 (1899) 30.0
Newport-Inglewood 7.1 M 6.4 (1933) 1.0
Sierra Madre (San Fernando section) 6.7 M 6.4 (1971) 2.0 Whittier-Elsinore 6.8 M 5.9 (1987) 2.5
Palos Verdes 7.3 -- 3.0
San Gabriel 7.2 -- 1.0
Verdugo 6.9 -- 0.5
Santa Monica 6.6 -- 1.0
Source: De Novo Planning, City of Lawndale General Plan Existing Conditions Report, 2023.

Although there are no fault zones within the Planning Area, regional fault zones may have an impact on the City if the rupture is of a significant magnitude. There are numerous earthquake faults within 15 miles of the City. Of the faults in the region, the most active are the Palos Verdes fault, located to the south, and the Newport-Inglewood fault, located to the northeast.

Seismic Hazard Zones
The State Seismic Hazards Mapping Act (1990) addresses hazards along active faults. The City of Lawndale is predominantly within the Inglewood Quadrangle, as delineated by CGS. However, the southern region of the City, between 171st Street and Artesia Boulevard, is within the Torrance Quadrangle. Seismic hazard zones are currently mapped within the Inglewood and Torrance quadrangles, and include areas mapped for liquefaction and landslide hazards (Department of Conservation 2023a).

LIQUEFACTION
Liquefaction, which is primarily associated with loose, saturated materials, is most common in areas of sand and silt or on reclaimed lands. Cohesion between the loose materials that comprise the soil may be jeopardized during seismic events and the ground will take on liquid properties. Thus, liquefaction requires specific soil characteristics and seismic shaking.

Liquefaction zones are areas where historical occurrence of liquefaction, or local geological, geotechnical, and ground water conditions indicate a potential for permanent ground displacements such that mitigation as defined in Public Resources Code Section 2693(c) would be required. As shown on Figure 5.7-2, Potential Liquefaction Susceptibility, there are no areas within the Planning Area designated as having the potential for liquefaction. There is a small pocket along the Dominguez Channel, located outside of the Planning Area (approximately 0.7 miles east of the City and 0.4 miles south of the Sphere of Influence), identified as having liquefaction potential.

Liquefaction may induce lateral spreading. Lateral spread refers to landslides that are a result of lateral displacement of gently sloping ground. Areas identified to have high liquefaction susceptibility as well as Lawndale General Plan Update

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Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.7-8 Geology and Soils sloping grounds are vulnerable to lateral spreading. The Planning Area is relatively flat and as discussed above, is not identified as having liquefaction potential. Therefore, the Planning Area would not be susceptible to lateral spreading.

OTHER GEOLOGIC HAZARDS
Soils
According to the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), there are five different soil types located in the Planning Area. Table 5.7-4, Planning Area Soils, and Figure 5.7-3, Soil Survey, present the soil types and associated acreages located in the Planning Area.

Table 5.7-4
Planning Area Soils
Soil Types Total Acres
Urban land-Centinela-Typic Xerothents, fine substratum complex 1,098 Urban land- Aquic Xerorthents, fine substratum-Cropley complex 60 Urban land-Windfetch-Typical Haploxerolls complex 122
Urban land- Abaft-Marina Complex 176
Urban land-Marina Complex 118
Grand Total 1,574*
Source: De Novo Planning, City of Lawndale General Plan Existing Conditions Report, 2023.

Note: * Includes all land within the Planning Area, including non-parcelized areas. This accounts for the difference between total acres identified in this table and in Table 3-1, Existing General Plan Land Use Designations.

Erosion
The U.S. NRCS delineates soil units and compiles soils data as part of the National Cooperative Soil Survey. The following description of erosion factors is provided by the NRCS Physical Properties Descriptions:
• Erosion factor K indicates the susceptibility of a soil to sheet and rill erosion by water. Values of K range from 0.02 to 0.69. Other factors being equal, the higher the value, the more susceptible the soil is to sheet and rill erosion by water. Erosion factor Kw indicates the erodibility of the whole soil, whereas Kf indicates the erodibility of the fine soils. The estimates are modified by the presence of rock fragments.

Soil erosion data for the City of Lawndale was obtained from the NRCS in 2022 (United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service 2022). As identified by the NRCS web soil survey, the erosion factor K within the Planning Area varies from 0.02 to 0.55, which is considered a low to high potential for erosion. Generally, erosion potential within the Planning Area increases to the south.

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The NRCS provides a description of linear extensibility (also known as shrink-swell potential or expansive potential). The shrink-swell potential is low if the soil has a linear extensibility of less than three percent; moderate if three to six percent; high if six to nine percent; and very high if more than nine percent. If the linear extensibility is more than three, shrinking and swelling can cause damage to buildings, roads, and other structures and to plant roots; special design is commonly needed.

The linear extensibility of the soils within Lawndale ranges from ‘Low’ to ‘Low to High.’ Figure 5.7-4, Shrink-Swell Potential of Soils, illustrates the shrink-swell potential of soils in the Planning Area. The majority of the Planning Area has ‘Low to Medium’ expansive soils. The areas with ‘Low to High’ expansive soils are in proximity to Dominguez Channel, within the Sphere of Influence (SOI).

Landslides
CGS classifies landslides based on the type of material that failed and the type of movement that the failed material exhibited. Material types are broadly categorized as either rock or soil, or a combination of the two for complex movements. Landslide movements are categorized as falls, topples, spreads, slides, or flows.

Landslide potential is influenced by physical factors, such as slope, soil, vegetation, and precipitation.

Landslides require a slope, and can occur naturally from seismic activity, excessive saturation, and wildfires, or from human-made conditions such as construction disturbance, vegetation removal, wildfires, etc. Figure 5.7-5, Landslide Susceptibility, illustrates the landslide potential (for non-seismically induced potential) in the vicinity of the Planning Area. The highest levels of susceptibility are located adjacent to Dominguez Channel within the SOI and some areas of the City adjacent to the I-405 freeway.

Earthquake Induced Landslides
Earthquake-Induced Landslide Zones are areas where previous occurrence of landslide movement, or local topographic, geological, geotechnical, and subsurface water conditions indicate a potential for permanent ground displacements such that mitigation as defined in Public Resources Code Section 2693(c) would be required. The California Seismic Hazard Mapping Program delineates the approximate boundaries of areas susceptible to earthquake-induced landslides and other slope failures (e.g., rockfalls). According to the Seismic Hazard Mapping Program, Lawndale does not have areas susceptible to earthquake-induced landslides and other slope failures (Department of Conservation 2023a).

Subsidence
Subsidence is the settlement of soils of very low density generally from either oxidation of organic material, or desiccation and shrinkage, or both, following drainage. Subsidence takes place gradually, usually over a period of several years. In California, large areas of land subsidence were first documented by USGS scientists in the first half of the 20th century. Most of this subsidence was a result of excessive groundwater pumping. Completion of California's State and Federal water projects that bring water from California’s wet north to its dry south allowed some groundwater aquifers to recover, and subsidence decreased in these areas. There is no record of historic or current USGS-recorded subsidence within the Planning Area.

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Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.7-10 Geology and Soils Collapsible Soils
Hydroconsolidation occurs when soil layers collapse, or settle, as water is added under loads. Natural deposits susceptible to hydroconsolidation are typically aeolian, alluvial, or colluvial materials, that have a high apparent strength when dry. The dry strength of the materials may be attributed to the clay and silt constituents in the soil and the presence of cementing agents (i.e., salts). Capillary tension may tend to bond soil grains. Once these soils are subjected to excessive moisture and foundation loads, the constituency including soluble salts or bonding agents is weakened or dissolved, capillary tensions are reduced and collapse occurs resulting in settlement. Existing alluvium within the Planning Area may be susceptible to collapse and excessive settlements, which could create the risk of hydroconsolidation if these soils were exposed to excessive moisture.

PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES
The geologic units underlying the City of Lawndale record coastal and inland deposition during the Pleistocene Epoch (2.5 million years ago to 11,700 years ago). The Planning Area is broadly located within the Southern California/Northern Baja Coast region and it is composed of coastal and alluvial plains, marine terraces, and low hills. As part of the Cultural Resource Assessment, a paleontological records search was requested from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (LACM). Table

5.7-5, Geologic Units and Their Paleontological Potential, shows the level of sensitivity of the underlying geologic units for paleontological resources. The City of Lawndale is underlain by two geologic units: Old alluvium and Old eolian deposits.

Table 5.7-5
Geologic Units and Their Paleontological Potential
Age Geologic Unit Fossils Present Paleontological Sensitivity Pleistocene
Old alluvium (Qoa)
Whale, horse, Columbian mammoth High at surface and at depth Old eolian deposits (Qoe)
Source: Duke Cultural Resources Management, Cultural Resource Assessment, 2023.

Old, alluvium, undivided (Qoa)
Old alluvium underlies the majority of the City of Lawndale, including the Planning Area. It is composed of moderately well-consolidated, poorly sorted, permeable, slightly dissected gravel, sand, silt, and clay.

These sediments were deposited on canyon floors by fluvial activity in the late to middle Pleistocene Epoch.

Old eolian deposits (Qoe)
Old eolian deposits underlie the northwest and southwest corners of the City of Lawndale. It is composed of poorly consolidated, dense to very dense, well-sorted, fine- to coarse-grained sand and silty sand. These sediments were deposited as eolian coastal dunes in the late to middle Pleistocene but the dune formation processes are now inactive.

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Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.7-11 Geology and Soils Deposits from the Pleistocene Epoch have not produced any fossil localities within the Planning Area, but have produced two fossil localities within three miles:
• The “Mobile Oil Refinery” locality produced cetacean (whale) and Equus (horse) material from two miles southeast of the Planning Area and;
• Locality LACM 2035 produced Mammuthus columbi (Columbian mammoth) on 139th Street, one mile north of the Planning Area.

Due to fossil material being previously discovered in deposits from the Pleistocene Epoch in the vicinity of the Planning Area, both old alluvium and old eolian deposits have a high paleontological sensitivity at the surface and at depth.

5.7.3 REGULATORY SETTING

FEDERAL
Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act
The Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 established the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP). Under the NEHRP, four Federal agencies have responsibility for long-term earthquake risk reduction: the USGS, the National Science Foundation, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. NEHRP’s mission includes improved understanding, characterization, and prediction of hazards and vulnerability; improvements of building codes and land use practices; risk reduction through post-earthquake investigation and education; development and improvement of design and construction techniques; improvement of mitigation capacity; and accelerated application of research results.

STATE
Earthquake Fault Zoning Act (Alquist-Priolo Act)
The State of California Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Act (1972) was established to mitigate the hazard of surface faulting to structures for human occupancy. Pursuant to the act, the State geologist has established regulatory zones (known as earthquake fault zones) around surface traces of active faults. Application for a development permit for any project within a delineated earthquake fault zone is required to be accompanied by a geologic report, prepared by a geologist registered in the State of California, that is directed to the problem of potential surface fault displacement through a project site.

Seismic Hazards Mapping Act
The Seismic Hazard Mapping Act (SHMA) was adopted by the State in 1990 to protect the public from the effects of non-surface fault rupture earthquake hazards, including strong ground shaking, liquefaction, seismically induced landslides, ground amplification, or other ground failure caused by earthquakes. The goal of the act is to minimize loss of life and property by identifying and mitigating seismic hazards. The CGS is the primary agency responsible for the implementation of the SHMA. The CGS prepares maps identifying seismic hazard zones and provides them to local governments, which include areas susceptible to amplified shaking, liquefaction, earthquake-induced landslides, and other ground failures. SHMA requires responsible agencies to only approve projects within these zones Lawndale General Plan Update

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Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.7-12 Geology and Soils following a site-specific investigation to determine if the hazard is present, and if so, the inclusion of appropriate mitigation(s). In addition, the SHMA requires real estate sellers and agents at the time of sale to disclose whether a property is within one of the designated seismic hazard zones.

California Building Standards Code (Title 24)
Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations (CCR) provides state regulations that govern the design and construction of buildings, associated facilities, and equipment. These regulations are also known as building standards (reference California Health and Safety Code Section 18909). Cities and counties are required by state law to enforce CCR Title 24, and may adopt ordinances making more restrictive requirements than provided by CCR Title 24 due to local climatic, geological, or topographical conditions.

Caltrans Seismic Design Criteria
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has Seismic Design Criteria (SDC), which is an encyclopedia of new and currently practiced seismic design and analysis methodologies for the design of new bridges in California. The SDC adopts a performance-based approach specifying minimum levels of structural system performance, component performance, analysis, and design practices for ordinary standard bridges. The SDC has been developed with input from the Caltrans Offices of Structure Design, Earthquake Engineering and Design Support, and Materials and Foundations. Memo 20-1 Seismic Design Methodology (Caltrans 1999) outlines the bridge category and classification, seismic performance criteria, seismic design philosophy and approach, seismic demands and capacities on structural components, and seismic design practices that collectively make up Caltrans’ seismic design.

LOCAL
County of Los Angeles 2020 All-Hazards Mitigation Plan
The Los Angeles County 2020 All-Hazards Mitigation Plan (AHMP) assesses risks posed by natural hazards and identifies a mitigation action plan for reducing the risks in Los Angeles County. The primary focus of the 2020 AHMP is preparation for natural hazards and secondary hazards that follow as a result of a natural hazard. In addition, potential climate change impacts are addressed in the plan as increasing surface temperatures will likely result in more droughts and subsequently the risk of wildfires.

Therefore, climate change, dam failure, drought, earthquake, flood, landslide, tsunami, and wildfire are the main focuses in the 2020 AHMP.

City of Lawndale Local Hazard Mitigation Plan 2016
The City of Lawndale developed the 2016 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) in an effort to reduce future loss of life and property resulting from natural disasters and to provide increased resiliency for the City, allowing Lawndale to return to “the norm” sooner, with fewer impacts to people and infrastructure. The purpose of the Lawndale LHMP is to provide the City with a blueprint for hazard mitigation action planning. The plan identifies resources, information, and strategies for risk reduction, and provides a tool to measure the success of mitigation implementation on a continual basis.

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Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.7-13 Geology and Soils City of Lawndale Municipal Code
Title 13, Public Services, includes Chapter 13.12, Storm water and urban runoff pollution control, and Chapter 13.16, Standard urban stormwater mitigation plan and low impact development implementation. Chapter 13.12 defines the illicit discharges and connections prohibited; controls pollutants from industrial sites; provides required best management practices (BMPs); regulates construction activity in regards to stormwater measures; and establishes fees for the services provided.

Chapter 13.16 establishes the City’s standard urban stormwater mitigation program (SUSMP) conditions and stormwater management program. The SUSMP is a compliance component under the municipal National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. New development and redevelopment projects are required to comply with SUSMP conditions assigned by the City that consist of: (1) low impact development (LID) structural and non-structural best management practices (BMPs); (2) source control BMPs; and (3) structural and non-structural BMPs for specific types of uses. The City’s stormwater management program/watershed management program is also incorporated into Chapter

13.16 and contains specific conditions and procedures for meeting planning and land development program and SUSMP requirements.

Lawndale Municipal Code, Chapter 15.04, Building code, adopts the 2022 California Building Code as amended by Title 26, Los Angeles County Building Code, as the City’s building code, which regulates the erection, construction, enlargements, alteration, repair, moving, removal, conversion, demolition, occupancy, use, equipment, height, area, security, abatement, and maintenance of certain residential buildings or structures within the City. To protect lives and infrastructure in the City, the Building & Safety Division is responsible for compliance with building and zoning codes that mitigate geologic hazards and the Municipal Services Department is responsible for code enforcement.

Title 17, Zoning, Section 17.88.080, Soils report, requires a soils report where irrigated landscaped areas exceed ten thousand square feet or where difficult soil or landscaping conditions exist at the project site. The soils report shall describe the depth, composition, fertility, and landscaping suitability of the soil at the project site, and shall include recommendations for soil amendment, fertilizer, and other items as needed.

5.7.4 SIGNIFICANCE CRITERIA AND THRESHOLDS
Appendix G of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines contains the Initial Study Environmental Checklist, which includes questions related to geology and soils. The issue presented in the Initial Study Environmental Checklist have been utilized as thresholds of significant in this section.

Accordingly, a project may create a significant environmental impact if it would:
• Directly or indirectly cause potential substantial adverse effects, including the risk of loss, injury, or death involving;
o Rupture of a known earthquake fault, as delineated on the most recent Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Map issued by the State Geologist for the area or based on other substantial evidence of a known fault. Refer to Division of Mines and Geology Special Publication 42 (refer to Impact Statement GS-1); o Strong seismic ground shaking (refer to Impact Statement GS-1); Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.7-14 Geology and Soils o Seismic-related ground failure, including liquefaction (refer to Impact Statement GS-1); and
o Landslides (refer to Impact Statement GS-1).
• Result in substantial soil erosion or the loss of topsoil (refer to Impact Statement GS-2); • Be located on a geologic unit or soil that is unstable, or that would become unstable as a result of the project, and potentially result in on or off-site landslide, lateral spreading, subsidence, liquefaction or collapse (refer to Impact Statement GS-3); • Be located on expansive soil, as defined in Tables 18-1-D of the Uniform Building Code (1994), creating substantial direct or indirect risks to life or property (refer to Impact Statement GS-4); • Have soils incapable of adequately supporting the use of septic tanks or alternative waste water disposal systems where sewers are not available for the disposal of waste water (refer to Impact Statement GS-5); and/or
• Directly or indirectly destroy a unique paleontological resource or site or unique geologic feature (refer to Impact Statement GS-6).

5.7.5 IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES
GS-1: Would the project directly or indirectly cause potential substantial adverse effects, including the risk of loss, injury, or death involving rupture of a known earthquake fault, strong seismic ground shaking, seismic-related ground failure, including liquefaction, or landslides?
Impact Analysis: The Planning Area, like the rest of southern California, is situated within a seismically active region as the result of being located near the active margin between the North American and Pacific tectonic plates. Development associated with the General Plan Update could expose people or structures to potential substantial adverse effects, including the risk of loss, injury, or death involving strong seismic ground shaking.

As discussed in Section 5.7.2, Environmental Setting, there are no designated Alquist-Priolo fault zones within the Planning Area. While there are no major active faults within the Planning Area, major active and potentially active faults exist in the vicinity of the Planning Area as shown in Figure 5.7-1, including the Newport-Inglewood Fault, San Andreas Fault, and Palos Verdes Fault. Therefore, the Planning Area could experience considerable ground shaking generated by faults located near the City.

As shown in Figure 5.7-2, there are no areas within the Planning Area designated by the CGS as having the potential for liquefaction. Further, the City’s LHMP does not identify the Planning Area as being located within an area that is susceptible to liquefaction. Additionally, as discussed above, there are no earthquake-induced landslide seismic hazard zones mapped within the Planning Area.

Future development projects would be required to comply with the provisions of the California Building Standards Code (CBSC), which requires development projects to perform geotechnical investigations in accordance with State law, engineer improvements to address potential seismic and ground failure issues, and use earthquake-resistant construction techniques to address potential earthquake loads Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.7-15 Geology and Soils when constructing buildings and improvements. As future development and infrastructure projects are considered by the City, each project would be evaluated for conformance with the CBSC, General Plan, Lawndale Municipal Code, and other regulations. In addition to the requirements associated with the CBSC and the Municipal Code, the General Plan Update Public Safety Element includes goals, policies and actions to address potential impacts associated with seismic activity. Policy PS-2.1 requires that geotechnical hazard data is incorporated into in future land use decision-making, site design, and construction standards. Policy PS-2.2 requires the enforcement of State seismic design guidelines and all relevant building codes to reduce the risk of damage associated with seismic activity, with a special focus on creating resilient critical infrastructure and facilities. Policy PS-2.3 ensures that mitigation measures are monitored and enforced to reduce risks for projects where seismic and geologic hazards can be mitigated and prohibits development in areas where seismic and geologic hazards cannot be mitigated. Policy PS-2.4 encourages the City to educate the community to mitigate potential injury and damage associated with earthquakes. Action PS-2a directs the City to review and update the City’s geologic and seismic hazards maps at least annually. Action PS-2b ensures development proposals are reviewed to confirm compliance with California Health and Safety Code Section 19100 et seq. (Earthquake Protection Law), which requires that buildings be designed to resist stresses produced by natural forces such as earthquakes and wind. Action PS-2c ensures adoption and implementation of the latest version of the building codes adopted by the State. Action PS-2d requires surveys of soil and geologic conditions by State licensed Engineering Geologists and Civil Engineers during review of discretionary development and redevelopment proposals, where appropriate. When potential geologic impacts are identified, project applicants are required to mitigate the impacts per the recommendations contained within the geologic survey. Action PS-2e requires feasible mitigation measures for development projects to reduce the risk to the community from hazards related to geologic conditions and seismic activity.

Future development projects associated with implementation of the General Plan Update would be reviewed to identify and assess seismic safety issues and would be required to design and construct improvements in compliance with the applicable building codes and standards in place at the time to reduce the potential adverse effects associate with strong seismic ground shaking. With the implementation of the policies and actions in the General Plan, as well as applicable State and City codes, potential impacts associated with strong seismic ground shaking would be less than significant.

Proposed General Plan Update Goals, Policies, and Actions:

PUBLIC SAFETY ELEMENT
Goal PS-2: Geologic and Seismic Hazards. A community protected from loss of life or injury and damage to property due to geologic and seismic hazards.

Policy PS-2.1: Geologic Hazard Identification. Continue to incorporate geotechnical hazard data in future land use decision-making, site design, and construction standards.

Policy PS-2.2: Earthquake Protection. Enforce State seismic design guidelines and all relevant building codes to reduce the risk of damage associated with seismic activity, with a special focus on creating resilient critical infrastructure and facilities.

Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.7-16 Geology and Soils Policy PS-2.3: Development Projects. Monitor and enforce mitigation measures to reduce risks for projects where seismic and geologic hazards can be mitigated and prohibit development in areas where seismic and geologic hazards cannot be mitigated.

Policy PS-2.4: Seismic Hazard Education. Continue to seek out opportunities to educate and encourage the community on ways to implement measures to mitigate potential injury and damage associated with earthquakes.

Action PS-2a: Review and update (at least annually) the City’s geologic and seismic hazards maps in concert with updates from the California Geologic Survey and local surveys.

Action PS-2b: Review development proposals to confirm compliance with California Health and Safety Code Section 19100 et seq. (Earthquake Protection Law), which requires that buildings be designed to resist stresses produced by natural forces such as earthquakes and wind.

Action PS-2c: Adopt the latest version of the building codes adopted by the State of California and ensure implementation in all new construction and renovations.

Action PS-2d: During review of discretionary development and redevelopment proposals, require surveys of soil and geologic conditions by State licensed Engineering Geologists and Civil Engineers where appropriate. When potential geologic impacts are identified, require project applicants to mitigate the impacts per the recommendations contained within the geologic survey.

Action PS-2e: Reduce the risk to the community from hazards related to geologic conditions and seismic activity by requiring feasible mitigation of such impacts on development projects. Assess development proposals for potential hazards pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act. Require measures to mitigate all identified significant public safety hazards.

Mitigation Measures: No mitigation measures are required.

Level of Significance: Less Than Significant Impact.

GS-2: Result in substantial soil erosion or the loss of topsoil? Impact Analysis: Implementation of the General Plan Update would provide for development and improvement projects that would involve some land clearing, mass grading, and other ground-disturbing activities that could temporarily increase soil erosion rates during and shortly after project construction.

As noted previously, soil erosion data for the Planning Area was obtained from the NRCS. As identified by the NRCS web soil survey, the erosion factor K within the Planning Area varies widely. The NRCS identifies an erosion factor K within the Planning Area of 0.02 to 0.55, which is considered a low to high potential for erosion. Depending upon the location of the specific project site, construction activities, and soil conditions, construction-related erosion could result in the loss of a substantial amount of nonrenewable topsoil and could adversely affect water quality in nearby surface waters. Similarly, precipitation and irrigation of landscaping may result in runoff during project operations, which could result in the loss of nonrenewable topsoil and potentially affect water quality. However, the Planning Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.7-17 Geology and Soils Area is primarily urbanized with limited pervious areas; new development would primarily occur through infill development and redevelopment of sites that are currently developed and do not contain significant amounts of pervious area. Due to the limited pervious areas that occur within the City, it is not anticipated that Project implementation would increase impervious areas resulting in increased runoff when compared to existing conditions.

As future development and infrastructure projects are considered by the City, each project would be evaluated for conformance with the CBSC, General Plan, Lawndale Municipal Code, and other relevant regulations. In compliance with NPDES Permit regulations, the State of California requires that any construction activity disturbing one acre or more of soil comply with the Construction General Permit.

The permit requires development and implementation of a stormwater pollution prevention and monitoring plan (SWPPP), which must include erosion-control and sediment-control BMPs that would meet or exceed measures required by the Construction General Permit to control stormwater quality degradation due to potential construction-related pollutants. The SWPPP would include project specific best management measures that are designed to control drainage and erosion.

The General Plan Update includes a range of policies and actions related to best management practices, NPDES requirements, and minimizing discharge of materials (including eroded soils) into the storm drain system. Proposed Resource Management Element Policy RM-6-2 encourages all landscaping in new development and significantly altered redevelopment projects to be designed to reduce water demand, prevent erosion, decrease flooding, and reduce pollutants through the installation of irrigation systems, the selection of appropriate plant materials, and proper soil preparation. Action RM-6a requires new development and redevelopment projects to implement BMPs to reduce soil erosion and pollutants in urban runoff. Proposed Public Safety Element Action PS-2d requires surveys of soil and geologic conditions by State licensed Engineering Geologists and Civil Engineers during review of discretionary development and redevelopment proposals, where appropriate. When potential geologic impacts are identified, project applicants are required to mitigate the impacts per the recommendations contained within the geologic survey. Policy PS-5.4 encourages new developments that add substantial amounts of impervious surfaces to integrate LID BMPs to reduce stormwater runoff. Policy PS-5.6 directs the City to maintain and regularly assess the status of local storm drainage infrastructure to confirm that the system is functioning property. With the implementation of the policies and actions in the General Plan Update, as well as applicable State and City requirements, potential impacts associated with erosion and loss of topsoil would be less than significant.

Proposed General Plan Update Goals, Policies, and Actions:

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ELEMENT
Policy RM-6.2: Landscaping. Encourage all public and private landscaping in new development and significantly altered redevelopment projects to be designed to reduce water demand, prevent erosion, decrease flooding, and reduce pollutants through the installation of irrigation systems, the selection of appropriate plant materials, and proper soil preparation.

Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.7-18 Geology and Soils Action RM-6a: To reduce soil erosion and pollutants in urban runoff, require new development and redevelopment projects to control stormwater runoff through implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs) to prevent any deterioration of water quality that would impair subsequent or competing uses of the water. Existing development shall control stormwater runoff so as to prevent any deterioration of water quality that would impair subsequent or competing uses of the water. As specific development projects are implemented, project proponents will be required to consult with relevant agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE), Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB), and the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG). Also, ensure that projects of one acre or more complete a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) pursuant to State of California, Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) and the City’s MS4 permit (order no. R4-2012-0175 (NPDES No. CAS 004001).

PUBLIC SAFETY ELEMENT
Action PS-2d: During review of discretionary development and redevelopment proposals, require surveys of soil and geologic conditions by State licensed Engineering Geologists and Civil Engineers where appropriate. When potential geologic impacts are identified, require project applicants to mitigate the impacts per the recommendations contained within the geologic survey.

Policy PS-5.4: Best Management Practices. Encourage new developments that add substantial amounts of impervious surfaces to integrate low impact development Best Management Practices to reduce stormwater runoff.

Policy PS-5.6: Local Storm Drainage Infrastructure. Maintain and regularly assess the status of local storm drainage infrastructure to confirm that the system is functioning property.

Mitigation Measures: No mitigation measures are required.

Level of Significance: Less Than Significant Impact.

GS-3: Be located on a geologic unit or soil that is unstable, or that would become unstable as a result of the project, and potentially result in on or off-site landslide, lateral spreading, subsidence, liquefaction or collapse?
Impact Analysis: Future development anticipated by the General Plan Update could result in the exposure of people and structures to conditions that have the potential for adverse effects associated with ground instability or failure. Refer to Impact Statement GS-1 for potential impacts related to liquefaction. The following discussion identifies the potential for landslides, lateral spreading, or collapse within the Planning Area:

Landslide
Figure 5.7-5 illustrates the landslide potential (for non-seismically induced potential) in the vicinity of the Planning Area. Due to the Planning Area’s relatively flat topography, the majority of the Planning Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.7-19 Geology and Soils Area has low susceptibility to landsliding, with increasing susceptibility associated with manufactured slopes near the I-405 and the Dominguez Channel.

Lateral Spreading
Lateral spreading refers to landslides that are a result of lateral displacement of gently sloping ground.

Areas identified to have high liquefaction susceptibility as well as sloping grounds are vulnerable to lateral spreading. The Planning Area is relatively flat and as discussed above, is not identified as having liquefaction potential. Therefore, the Planning Area would not be susceptible to lateral spreading.

Subsidence
Soils with high shrink-swell potential can be particularly susceptible to subsidence during a loss of soil moisture. The Planning Area and surrounding area contain soils that range from having low shrink-swell potential to very high shrink-swell potential. The City of Lawndale does not have any historic or current USGS-recorded subsidence.

Collapse
Collapsible soils undergo a rearrangement of their grains and a loss of cementation, resulting in substantial and rapid settlement under relatively low loads. Collapsible soils occur predominantly at the base of mountain ranges, where Holocene-age alluvial fan and wash sediments have been deposited during rapid run-off events. Differential settlement of structures typically occurs when heavily irrigated landscape areas are near a building foundation. Examples of common problems associated with collapsible soils include tilting floors, cracking or separation in structures, sagging floors, and nonfunctional windows and doors. Existing alluvium within the Planning Area may be susceptible to collapse and excessive settlements, which could create the risk of hydroconsolidation if these soils were exposed to excessive moisture.

Conclusion
As discussed above, the Planning Area is not susceptible to lateral spreading, subsidence, or liquefaction. The potential for landslide within the Planning Area is low.

The General Plan Update includes policies and actions to address geologic conditions within the Planning Area. Public Safety Element Policy PS-2.1 requires that geotechnical hazard data be incorporated in future land use decision-making, site design, and construction standards. Policy PS-2.2 enforces State seismic design guidelines and all relevant building codes to reduce the risk of damage associated with seismic activity, with a special focus on creating resilient critical infrastructure and facilities. Policy PS2.3 requires mitigation measures be monitored and enforced to reduce risks for projects where seismic and geologic hazards can be mitigated and prohibits development in areas where seismic and geologic hazards cannot be mitigated. Policy PS-2.4 encourages the City to educate the community to mitigate potential injury and damage associated with earthquakes. Action PS-2a directs the City to review and update the City’s geologic and seismic hazards maps at least annually. Action PS-2b ensures development proposals are reviewed to confirm compliance with California Health and Safety Code Section 19100 et seq. (Earthquake Protection Law), which requires that buildings be designed to resist stresses produced by natural forces such as earthquakes and wind. Action PS-2c ensures adoption and Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.7-20 Geology and Soils implementation of the latest version of the building codes adopted by the State. Action PS-2d requires surveys of soil and geologic conditions by State licensed Engineering Geologists and Civil Engineers during review of discretionary development and redevelopment proposals, where appropriate. When potential geologic impacts are identified, project applicants are required to mitigate the impacts per the recommendations contained within the geologic survey. Action PS-2e requires feasible mitigation on development projects to reduce the risk to the community from hazards related to geologic conditions and seismic activity.

As future development and infrastructure projects are considered by the City, each project would be evaluated for conformance with the CBSC, the General Plan Update policies and actions, Lawndale Municipal Code, and other regulations. Subsequent development and infrastructure projects requiring discretionary review would also be analyzed for potential environmental impacts, consistent with the requirements of CEQA. Future development and improvement projects would be required to prepare site-specific geotechnical studies to identify geologic and soil conditions specific to the site and provide design recommendations consistent with the requirements of State and City codes. Implementation of CBSC and the Municipal Code requirements related to seismic and geologic conditions and the General Plan Update policies and actions would ensure that future development projects are evaluated for potential geologic and seismic risks and that potential risks are adequately addressed. With the implementation of the policies and actions in the General Plan Update, as well as applicable State and City codes, potential impacts associated with unstable geologic conditions would be reduced to less than significant.

Proposed General Plan Update Goals, Policies, and Actions:

PUBLIC SAFETY ELEMENT
Goal PS-2: Geologic and Seismic Hazards. A community protected from loss of life or injury and damage to property due to geologic and seismic hazards.

Policy PS-2.1: Geologic Hazard Identification. Continue to incorporate geotechnical hazard data in future land use decision-making, site design, and construction standards.

Policy PS-2.3: Development Projects. Monitor and enforce mitigation measures to reduce risks for projects where seismic and geologic hazards can be mitigated and prohibit development in areas where seismic and geologic hazards cannot be mitigated.

Action PS-2a: Review and update (at least annually) the City’s geologic and seismic hazards maps in concert with updates from the California Geologic Survey and local surveys.

Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.7-21 Geology and Soils Action PS-2b: Review development proposals to confirm compliance with California Health and Safety Code Section 19100 et seq. (Earthquake Protection Law), which requires that buildings be designed to resist stresses produced by natural forces such as earthquakes and wind.

Action PS-2c: Adopt the latest version of the building codes adopted by the State of California and ensure implementation in all new construction and renovations.

Mitigation Measures: No mitigation measures are required.

Level of Significance: Less Than Significant Impact.

GS-4: Be located on expansive soil, as defined in Tables 18-1-D of the Uniform Building Code (1994), creating substantial direct or indirect risks to life or property? Impact Analysis: Expansive soil properties can cause substantial damage to building foundations, piles, pavements, underground utilities, and/or other improvements. Structural damage, such as warping and cracking of improvements, and rupture of underground utility lines, may occur if the expansive potential of soils is not considered during the design and construction of all improvements.

Figure 5.7-4 illustrates the shrink-swell potential of soils in the Planning Area. The majority of the Planning Area has ‘Low to Medium’ expansive soils. The areas with ‘Low to High’ expansive soils are in proximity to Dominguez Channel, within the SOI.

The proposed Public Safety Element of the General Plan Update includes policies and actions that are designed to protect the City from geologic hazards, including expansive soils. Policy PS-2.1 incorporates geotechnical hazard data in future land use decision-making, site design, and construction standards.

Policy PS-2.2 enforces State seismic design guidelines and all relevant building codes to reduce the risk of damage associated with seismic activity, with a special focus on creating resilient critical infrastructure and facilities. Policy PS-2.3 monitors and enforces mitigation measures to reduce risks for projects where seismic and geologic hazards can be mitigated and prohibits development in areas where seismic and geologic hazards cannot be mitigated. Action PS-2a directs the City to review and update the City’s geologic and seismic hazards maps at least annually. Action PS-2b ensures development proposals are reviewed to confirm compliance with California Health and Safety Code Section 19100 et seq. (Earthquake Protection Law), which requires that buildings be designed to resist stresses produced by Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.7-22 Geology and Soils natural forces such as earthquakes and wind. Action PS-2c ensures adoption and implementation of the latest version of the building codes adopted by the State. Action PS-2d requires surveys of soil and geologic conditions by State licensed Engineering Geologists and Civil Engineers during review of discretionary development and redevelopment proposals, where appropriate. When potential geologic impacts are identified, project applicants are required to mitigate the impacts per the recommendations contained within the geologic survey. Action PS-2e reduces the risk to the community from hazards related to geologic conditions and seismic activity by requiring feasible mitigation of such impacts on development projects.

As stated, future development and infrastructure projects considered by the City, would be evaluated for conformance with the CBSC, the General Plan Update policies and actions, Lawndale Municipal Code, and other regulations. Subsequent development and infrastructure projects requiring discretionary review would also be analyzed for potential environmental impacts, consistent with the requirements of CEQA. Future development and improvement projects would be required to prepare site-specific geotechnical studies to identify geologic and soil conditions specific to the site, including the potential for expansive soils. A site-specific geotechnical investigation would identify the potential for damage related to expansive soils and non-uniformly compacted fill and engineered fill. If a risk is identified, design criteria and specification options may include removal of the problematic soils, and replacement, as needed, with properly conditioned and compacted fill material that is designed to withstand the forces exerted during the expected shrink-swell cycles and settlements. Design criteria and specifications set forth in the design-level geotechnical investigation would ensure impacts from problematic soils are minimized. Thus, implementation of CBSC and the Municipal Code requirements related to on-site soil conditions and the General Plan Update policies and actions would ensure that future development projects are evaluated for potential risks associated with development on expansive soils, and that potential risks are adequately addressed. Therefore, this impact is considered less than significant.

Proposed General Plan Update Goals, Policies, and Actions:

PUBLIC SAFETY ELEMENT
Goal PS-2: Geologic and Seismic Hazards. A community protected from loss of life or injury and damage to property due to geologic and seismic hazards.

Policy PS-2.1: Geologic Hazard Identification. Continue to incorporate geotechnical hazard data in future land use decision-making, site design, and construction standards.

Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.7-23 Geology and Soils Action PS-2a: Review and update (at least annually) the City’s geologic and seismic hazards maps in concert with updates from the California Geologic Survey and local surveys.

Action PS-2c: Adopt the latest version of the building codes adopted by the State of California and ensure implementation in all new construction and renovations.

Mitigation Measures: No mitigation measures are required.

Level of Significance: Less Than Significant Impact.

GS-5: Have soils incapable of adequately supporting the use of septic tanks or alternative waste water disposal systems where sewers are not available for the disposal of waste water?
Impact Analysis: As described in Section 5.19, Utilities and Service Systems, wastewater service is provided to the Planning Area by the City and the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts (LACSD). Local wastewater produced in the City connects to sewer mains maintained by the LACSD. LACSD owns, operates, and maintains sewer lines that form the backbone of the regional wastewater conveyance system. Future development within the Planning Area would be required to connect to the existing sewer system and would not involve the use of septic tanks or alternative wastewater disposal systems.

As such, no impact would occur.

Proposed General Plan Update Goals, Policies, and Actions: There are no General Plan Update goals, policies, or actions specific to septic tanks or alternative waste water disposal systems.

Mitigation Measures: No mitigation measures are required.

Level of Significance: No Impact.

GS-6: Directly or indirectly destroy a unique paleontological resource or site or unique geologic feature?
Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.7-24 Geology and Soils Impact Analysis: The City of Lawndale is underlain by two geologic units: Old alluvium and Old eolian deposits. These two geologic units are considered to have a high paleontological sensitivity at surface and at depth. Although fossil localities have not been recorded within the Planning Area, deposits from the Pleistocene Epoch have produced two fossil localities within three miles of the Planning Area.

Therefore, it is possible that undiscovered paleontological resources could be encountered during ground-disturbing activities. This is considered a potentially significant impact.

The paleontological resources research indicates that the geologic formations in the City are known to contain paleontological localities with rare, well-preserved fossil materials that offer important information about the plant or animal and/or its evolutionary history. Both formations have been determined to be highly sensitive for paleontological resources. These important resources are most often destroyed as a result of construction, such as excavation, trenching, and tunneling.

Only qualified, trained paleontologists with specific expertise in the type of fossils being evaluated can determine the scientific significance of paleontological resources. Fossils are considered to be significant if one or more of the following criteria apply (Scott 2003):

1. The fossils provide information on the evolutionary relationships and developmental trends among organisms, living or extinct.

2. The fossils provide data useful in determining the age(s) of the rock unit or sedimentary stratum, including data important in determining the depositional history of the region and the timing of geologic events therein.

3. The fossils provide data regarding the development of biological communities or interaction between paleobotanical and paleozoological biotas.

4. The fossils demonstrate unusual or spectacular circumstances in the history of life.

5. The fossils are in short supply and/or in danger of being depleted or destroyed by the elements, vandalism, or commercial exploitation, and are not found in other geographic locations.

6. All identifiable vertebrate fossils are considered significant due to the rarity of their preservation.

As so defined, significant paleontological resources are determined to be fossils or assemblages of fossils that are unique, unusual, rare, uncommon, or diagnostically important. Significant fossils can include remains of large to very small aquatic and terrestrial vertebrates or remains of plants and invertebrate animals previously not represented in certain portions of the stratigraphy. Assemblages of fossils that might aid stratigraphic correlation, particularly those offering data for the interpretation of tectonic events, geomorphologic evolution, and paleoclimatology are also critically important.

Damage to or destruction of a paleontological resource would be considered a potentially significant impact under local, State, or Federal criteria. The proposed General Plan Update Resource Management Element includes policies and actions to protect significant paleontological resources within the Planning Area. Policy RM-3.1 requires the protection areas containing paleontological resources. Action RM-3a requires the City assess development proposals for potential impacts to sensitive historic, Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.7-25 Geology and Soils archaeological, and paleontological resources pursuant to CEQA. Action RM-3f requires an assessment of the potential for development proposals to significantly impact paleontological resources pursuant to CEQA. If the project involves earthworks, the City may require a study conducted by a professional paleontologist to determine if paleontological assets are present, and if the project will significantly impact the resources. If significant impacts are identified, the City may require the project to be modified to avoid impacting the paleontological materials, require monitoring of rock units with high potential to contain significant nonrenewable paleontological resources, or require mitigation measures to mitigate the impacts, such as recovering the paleontological resources for preservation.

With implementation of the General Plan Update policies and actions, potential impacts to paleontological resources associated with future development anticipated by the General Plan Update would be reduced to less than significant.

Proposed General Plan Update Goals, Policies, and Actions:

Action RM-3f: The City shall require an assessment of the potential for development proposals to significantly impact paleontological resources pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines. If the project involves earthworks, the City may require a study conducted by a professional paleontologist to determine if paleontological assets are present, and if the project will significantly impact the resources. If significant impacts are identified, the City may require the project to be modified to avoid impacting the paleontological materials, require monitoring of rock units with high potential to contain significant nonrenewable paleontological resources, or require mitigation measures to mitigate the impacts, such as recovering the paleontological resources for preservation.

Mitigation Measures: No mitigation measures are required.

Level of Significance: Less Than Significant Impact.

5.7.6 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS
Section 4.0, Basis of Cumulative Analysis, identifies projected growth within the Planning Area and County with the potential to interact with the proposed Project to the extent that a significant cumulative effect relative to geology and soils may occur. The cumulative projects’ regional geologic setting and regional seismicity would be similar; however, the local geologic setting, surficial geology, and subsurface soil conditions would vary according to the site location and specific conditions.

Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.7-26 Geology and Soils Would the project, combined with other related cumulative projects, directly or indirectly cause potential substantial adverse effects, including the risk of loss, injury, or death involving rupture of a known earthquake fault, as delineated on the most recent AlquistPriolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Map issued by the State Geologist for the area or based on other substantial evidence of a known fault?
Impact Analysis: There are no designated Alquist-Priolo fault zones within the Planning Area. Future development and cumulative development would be required to comply with CBSC, and each project within the City would be evaluated for conformance with the CBSC, General Plan, Lawndale Municipal Code, and other regulations. Therefore, the proposed Project would not contribute to cumulative impacts related to potential adverse effects involving rupture of a known earthquake fault and impacts in this regard are not cumulatively considerable.

Proposed General Plan Update Goals, Policies, and Actions: Refer to the General Plan goals, policies, and actions cited above.

Mitigation Measures: No mitigation measures are required.

Level of Significance: Less Than Significant Impact.

Would the project, combined with other related cumulative projects, directly or indirectly cause potential substantial adverse effects, including the risk of loss, injury, or death involving strong seismic ground shaking or seismic-related ground failure, including liquefaction?
Impact Analysis: The Project proposes a comprehensive update to the City’s General Plan, including a revised Land Use Map. Buildout associated with the General Plan Update Land Use Map would allow for new or increased residential and non-residential development within specific areas of the City when compared to existing conditions, potentially exposing people to strong seismic ground shaking or seismic-related ground failure. The Planning Area is not located within a mapped liquefaction zone, as delineated by the CGS. Future development and cumulative development would generally experience similar ground shaking associated with seismic activity.

Future development within the Planning Area and cumulative projects would be required to conduct a site-specific geotechnical study to determine the geotechnical feasibility of the specific development being proposed at that time. Any recommendations presented in the geotechnical study would be required to be incorporated into the design and construction of the future development. The geotechnical study would include specific recommendations based on seismic design parameters for foundation design, retaining and screening walls, exterior flatwork, concrete mix design, corrosion, pavement design, and general earthwork and grading, among other factors.

Future development and cumulative development would be required to comply with all applicable regulations in the most recent CBSC, which includes design requirements to mitigate the effects of potential hazards associated with seismic ground shaking and liquefaction. The Lawndale Building and Safety Services Division would review construction plans for compliance with the CBSC and Lawndale Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.7-27 Geology and Soils Municipal Code, as well as the geotechnical study’s recommendations. Further, future projects implemented under the General Plan Update would be required to be consistent with the General Plan Update policies and actions pertaining to geologic hazards. The polices and actions included within the General Plan Update and compliance with the existing regulatory environment would reduce the cumulative effect of the General Plan Update on geologic hazards to a less-than-significant level.

Therefore, the Project’s incremental effects involving exposure of people and structures to potential substantial adverse effects involving strong seismic ground shaking or seismic-related ground failure, including liquefaction would not be cumulatively considerable.

Proposed General Plan Update Goals, Policies, and Actions: Refer to the General Plan goals, policies, and actions cited above.

Mitigation Measures: No mitigation measures are required.

Level of Significance: Less Than Significant Impact.

Would the project, combined with other related cumulative projects result in substantial soil erosion or the loss of topsoil?
Impact Analysis: Future development sites and cumulative development sites within the City and surrounding areas may contain soils that have erosion potential. Implementation of the construction activities associated with Project implementation and cumulative development projects would involve some land clearing, mass grading, and other ground-disturbing activities that could temporarily increase soil erosion rates during and shortly after project construction. Similarly, precipitation and irrigation of landscaping may result in runoff during project operations, which could result in the loss of nonrenewable topsoil and potentially affect water quality. However, the Planning Area is primarily urbanized with limited pervious areas; new development would primarily occur through infill development and redevelopment of sites that are currently developed and do not contain significant amounts of pervious area. Due to the limited pervious areas that occur within the Planning Area, it is not anticipated that Project implementation would increase impervious areas resulting in increased runoff when compared to existing conditions.

Site specific geology and soil conditions would be evaluated on a project-by-project basis. However, all future residential development associated with the proposed Project and cumulative projects within the region would be required to comply with stormwater runoff and pollution control requirements required by the regional water quality control board and implemented by the specific jurisdiction in which the development occurs. Construction activities within the City would be required to comply with the Lawndale Municipal Code which implements erosion and siltation control measures of the Construction General Permit, reducing potential impacts associated with soil erosion or the loss of topsoil during construction activities. Additionally, future development and cumulative development would be required to comply with postconstruction runoff pollution reduction BMPs implemented through the SUSMP. Further, future projects implemented under the General Plan Update would be required to be consistent with the General Plan Update policies and actions pertaining to stormwater runoff and other causes of soil erosion. The polices and actions included within the General Plan Update and compliance with the existing regulatory environment would reduce the cumulative effect of the Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.7-28 Geology and Soils General Plan Update on soil erosion and loss of topsoil to a less-than-significant level. Thus, the Project’s incremental effects involving substantial soil erosion or the loss of top soil would not be cumulatively considerable.

Proposed General Plan Update Goals, Policies, and Actions: Refer to the General Plan goals, policies, and actions cited above.

Mitigation Measures: No mitigation measures are required.

Level of Significance: Less Than Significant Impact.

Would the project, combined with other related cumulative projects be located on a geologic unit or soil that is unstable, or that would become unstable as a result of the project, and potentially result in on- or off-site landslide, lateral spreading, subsidence, liquefaction or collapse or be located on expansive soil, as defined in Table 18-1-B of the Uniform Building Code (1994), creating substantial direct or indirect risks to life or property? Impact Analysis: Due to the generally flat topography within the City and surrounding area, the potential for lateral spreading within the Planning Area is considered to be low. Further, the Planning Area is not identified as having the potential for subsidence. Soils exposed to excessive moisture within the Planning Area could be at risk of hydroconsolidation and soils with layers of expansive clay could result in structural damage associated with expansive soils. The geotechnical and soil characteristics of future development associated with the Project and any cumulative development within the City would be evaluated on a project-by-project basis and appropriate mitigation measures would be required to reduce potential impacts associated with unstable geologic units or soils.

Future development associated with implementation of the proposed Project would be required to prepare a geotechnical study for the specific site being proposed for development. The Lawndale Building and Safety Services Division would review construction plans for compliance with the CBSC and City Municipal Code, as well as the geotechnical study’s recommendations. Further, future projects implemented under the General Plan Update would be required to be consistent with the General Plan Update policies and actions pertaining to geologic hazards. The polices and actions included within the General Plan Update and compliance with the existing regulatory environment would reduce the cumulative effect of the General Plan Update on geologic hazards to a less-than-significant level.

Therefore, the Project’s incremental effects involving unstable geologic units or soils would not be cumulatively considerable.

Proposed General Plan Update Goals, Policies, and Actions: Refer to the General Plan goals, policies, and actions cited above.

Mitigation Measures: No mitigation measures are required.

Level of Significance: Less Than Significant Impact.

Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.7-29 Geology and Soils Would the project, combined with other related cumulative projects, have soils incapable of adequately supporting the use of septic tanks or alternative waste water disposal systems where sewers are not available for the disposal of waste water? As discussed above, future development within the Planning Area would be required to connect to the existing sewer system and would not involve the use of septic tanks or alternative wastewater disposal systems. As such, no impact would occur. Therefore, the Project’s incremental effects involving soils incapable of adequately supporting the use of septic tanks or alternative waste water disposal systems would not be cumulatively considerable.

Proposed General Plan Update Goals, Policies, and Actions: There are no General Plan Update goals, policies, or actions specific to septic tanks or alternative waste water disposal systems.

Mitigation Measures: No mitigation measures are required.

Level of Significance: No Impact.

Would the project, combined with other related cumulative projects directly or indirectly destroy a unique paleontological resource or site or unique geologic feature? Impact Analysis: The Planning Area has the potential to contain paleontological resources. As discussed above, compliance with the City’s Municipal Code and implementation of General Plan Update policies and actions would reduce potential impacts to paleontological resources associated with future construction activities in the Planning Area to a less than significant level. There is also the potential for cumulative project sites within the region to have soils that contain paleontological resources.

Construction activities associated with the cumulative projects have the potential to directly or indirectly destroy paleontological resources specific to those development sites. However, these potential impacts are site-specific and generally do not result in cumulative effects. Additionally, individual projects would undergo environmental review on a project-by-project basis pursuant to CEQA to evaluate potential impacts to paleontological resources. Where significant or potentially significant impacts are identified, implementation of all feasible site-specific mitigation would be required to avoid or reduce impacts. Further, future projects implemented under the General Plan Update would be required to be consistent with the General Plan Update policies and actions pertaining to paleontological resources. The polices and actions included within the General Plan Update and compliance with the existing regulatory environment would reduce the cumulative effect of the General Plan Update on paleontological resources to a less than significant level. Therefore, the Project’s incremental effects involving paleontological resources would not be cumulatively considerable.

Proposed General Plan Update Goals, Policies, and Actions: Refer to the General Plan goals, policies, and actions cited above.

Mitigation Measures: No mitigation measures are required.

Level of Significance: Less Than Significant Impact.

Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.7-30 Geology and Soils

5.7.7 SIGNIFICANT UNAVOIDABLE IMPACTS
Geology and soils impacts associated with the implementation of the General Plan Update would be less than significant. No significant unavoidable geology and soils impacts would occur as a result of the General Plan Update.

5.7.8 REFERENCES
California Geological Survey (CGS), California Geomorphic Provinces, California Geological Survey Note 36, 2002.

California Geologic Survey (CGS), Fault Evaluation Report FER 259: The Hollywood, Santa Monica and Newport-Inglewood Fault in the Beverly Hills and Topanga 7.5 Quadrangle, January 5, 2018.

Camp Dresser & McKee Inc., Earth/Geology Technical Report LAX Master Plan EIS/EIR, January 2001.

Department of Conservation (DOC), CGS Information Warehouse: Regulatory Maps, https://maps.conservation.ca.gov/cgs/informationwarehouse/index.html?map=regulatorymaps accessed March 8, 2023a.

Department of Conservation (DOC), DOC Maps: Geologic Hazards, https://maps.conservation.ca.gov/geologichazards/ accessed March 8, 2023b.

De Novo Planning, City of Lawndale General Plan Existing Conditions Report, June 2023.

Duke Cultural Resources Management, LLC, Cultural and Paleontological Resource Study for the General Plan Update: City of Lawndale, Los Angeles County, October 2020, updated July 2023.

Los Angeles County, County of Los Angeles 2020 All-Hazards Mitigation Plan, 2020.

Michael Baker International, Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, City of Lawndale, March 2016.

Scott, E. & Springer, K., CEQA and fossil preservation in southern California, The Environmental Monitor, 2003.

Southern California Earthquake Data Center (SCEDC), Earthquake Information, Fault Name Index:

Whittier Fault, https://scedc.caltech.edu/earthquake/whittier.html, accessed March 8, 2023.

United States Geologic Survey (USGS), Quaternary Fault and Fold Database of the United States: Elsinore fault zone, Chino section (Class A) No. 126b,
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/cfusion/qfault/show_report_AB_archive.cfm?fault_id=126&sectio n_id=b accessed March 8, 2023a.

United States Geologic Survey (USGS), Quaternary Fault and Fold Database of the United States:

Newport-Inglewood-Rose Canyon fault zone, south Los Angeles Basin section (Class A) No. 127b, https://earthquake.usgs.gov/cfusion/qfault/show_report_AB_archive.cfm?fault_id=127&sectio n_id=b, accessed March 8, 2023b.

Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.7-31 Geology and Soils United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Web Soil Survey, February 2022.

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CITY OF LAWNDALE

GENERAL PLAN UPDATE
LEGEND
City of Lawndale
Sphere of Influence
Planning Area
Quaternary Faults within the
Sources: City of Lawndale; Los Angeles County.

Date: June 20, 2023.

Figure 5.7-1.

Regional Fault Zones
Avalon-Compton Fault
Potrero Fault
Los Angeles
Los Angeles
Hawthorne
Inglewood
Carson
Palos Verdes
Estates
Redondo Beach
Compton Manhattan
Beach
El Segundo
Lawndale
Gardena
Hermosa
Beach
Torrance
Rolling
Hills Estates
Lomita
0 ½ 1
Miles
Newport-Inglewood-Rose
Canyon Fault Zone
105
110
405
1 1
107 Hawthorne B vl d
S Western Ave
91 P
a
c
i
f
i
c
O
c
e
a
n
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CITY OF LAWNDALE

GENERAL PLAN UPDATE
LEGEND
City of Lawndale
Sphere of Influence
Planning Area
Adjacent Incorporated Area
Potential Liquefaction Area
Sources: City of Lawndale; Los Angeles County.

Date: June 20, 2023.

Figure 5.7-2.

Potential Liquefaction
Susceptibility
Dominguez Channel
Crenshaw Blvd
Prairie Ave
W Rosecrans Ave
Hawthorne Blvd
Prairie Ave
Inglewood Ave
Manhattan Beach Blvd
Rosecrans Ave
Redondo Beach Blvd
Yukon Ave
Marine Ave
Condon Ave
147th St
171st St
Ainsworth Ave
Jefferson Ave
W 168th St
S La C ien e g a Blvd
M cB a i n A ve
Cranbrook Ave
S Doty Ave
Gerkin Ave
S Shoup Ave
W 170th St
Bodger Ave
Kornblum A ve
Carnegie Ln
Vanderbilt Ln
W 140th St
165th St
144th St
W 162nd St Ramona Ave
163rd St
Prairie Ave
170th St
Doty Ave
Johnston Ave
Dow Ave
Kingsdale Ave
Mansel Ave
153rd St
S Lemoli Ave
156th St
Cerise Ave
W 152nd St
Robinson St
Perkins Ln
Felton Ln
W 145th St
Mackay Ln
Freeman Ave
Osage Ave
May Ave
W 157th St
Burin Ave
Grevillea Ave
Firmona Ave
W 154th St
Gates Ave
Graham Ave
Curtis Ave
Voorhees Ave
Ruhland Ave
Nelson Ave
144th Pl
173 rd S t
175th Pl
W 171st St
S Eriel Ave
W 163rd St
168th St
164th St
167th St
W 173rd St 173rd Pl
W 166th St
W 142nd St
141st St
W 147th St
W 149th St
W 161st St
W 160th St
154th St
14 8 th S t
Lemoli Ave
166th St
Eastwood Ave
Chadron Ave
162nd St Beland Blvd
W 159th St
Yukon Ave
160th St
Larch Ave
172nd St
Fo nth ill A ve
153rd Pl
W 146th St
161st St
Avis Ave
139th St
169th St
159th St
W 156th St
W 139th St
142nd St
S Ermanita Ave
S Faysmith Ave
1 4 7 th P l Roselle Ave
Cordary Ave
S Florwood Ave
W 153rd St
W 154th St
175th St
Pinckard Ave
Gibson Ln
405
Artesia Blvd
Mathews Ave
H a w t h o r n e
R e d o n d o B e a c h
G a r d e n a
To r ra n c e
0 500 1,000
Feet
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CITY OF LAWNDALE

GENERAL PLAN UPDATE
LEGEND
City of Lawndale
Sphere of Influence
Planning Area
Adjacent Incorporated Area
NRCS Soil Description
Urban land-Centinela-Typic
Xerorthents, fine substratum
complex (±1,098 acres)
Urban land-Aquic
Xerorthents, fine substratumCropley complex (±60 acres) Urban land-Windfetch-Typical
Haploxerolls complex
(±122 acres)
Urban land-Abaft-Marina
complex (±176 acres)
Urban land-Marina complex
(±118 acres)
Sources: City of Lawndale; Los Angeles County; NRCS Web Soil Survey, Los Angeles County, California, Southeastern Part (CA696), Survey Area/Tabular Version 7, Spatial Version 4.

Date: June 20, 2023.

Figure 5.7-3.

Soil Survey
Dominguez Channel
Crenshaw Blvd
Prairie Ave
W Rosecrans Ave
Hawthorne Blvd
Prairie Ave
Inglewood Ave
Manhattan Beach Blvd
Rosecrans Ave
Redondo Beach Blvd
Yukon Ave
Marine Ave
Condon Ave
147th St
171st St
Ainsworth Ave
Jefferson Ave
W 168th St
S La C ien e g a Blvd
M cB a i n A ve
Cranbrook Ave
S Doty Ave
Gerkin Ave
S Shoup Ave
W 170th St
Bodger Ave
Kornblum A ve
Carnegie Ln
Vanderbilt Ln
W 140th St
165th St
144th St
W 162nd St Ramona Ave
163rd St
Prairie Ave
170th St
Doty Ave
Johnston Ave
Dow Ave
Kingsdale Ave
Mansel Ave
153rd St
S Lemoli Ave
156th St
Cerise Ave
W 152nd St
Robinson St
Perkins Ln
Felton Ln
W 145th St
Mackay Ln
Freeman Ave
Osage Ave
May Ave
W 157th St
Burin Ave
Grevillea Ave
Firmona Ave
W 154th St
Gates Ave
Graham Ave
Curtis Ave
Voorhees Ave
Ruhland Ave
Nelson Ave
144th Pl
173 rd S t
175th Pl
W 171st St
S Eriel Ave
W 163rd St
168th St
164th St
167th St
W 173rd St 173rd Pl
W 166th St
W 142nd St
141st St
W 147th St
W 149th St
W 161st St
W 160th St
154th St
14 8 th S t
Lemoli Ave
166th St
Eastwood Ave
Chadron Ave
162nd St Beland Blvd
W 159th St
Yukon Ave
160th St
Larch Ave
172nd St
Fo nth ill A ve
153rd Pl
W 146th St
161st St
Avis Ave
139th St
169th St
159th St
W 156th St
W 139th St
142nd St
S Ermanita Ave
S Faysmith Ave
1 4 7 th P l Roselle Ave
Cordary Ave
S Florwood Ave
W 153rd St
W 154th St
175th St
Pinckard Ave
Gibson Ln
405
Artesia Blvd
Mathews Ave
H a w t h o r n e
R e d o n d o B e a c h
G a r d e n a
To r ra n c e
0 500 1,000
Feet
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ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
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CITY OF LAWNDALE

GENERAL PLAN UPDATE
LEGEND
City of Lawndale
Sphere of Influence
Planning Area
Adjacent Incorporated Area
Shrink-Swell Potential*
Low
Low to Medium
Low to High
Sources: City of Lawndale; Los Angeles County. NRCS Web Soil Survey, Los Angeles County, California, Southeastern Part (CA696), Survey Area/Tabular Version 7, Spatial Version 4.

Date: June 20, 2023.

Figure 5.7-4.

Shrink-Swell Potential
of Soils
Dominguez Channel
Crenshaw Blvd
Prairie Ave
W Rosecrans Ave
Hawthorne Blvd
Prairie Ave
Inglewood Ave
Manhattan Beach Blvd
Rosecrans Ave
Redondo Beach Blvd
Yukon Ave
Marine Ave
Condon Ave
147th St
171st St
Ainsworth Ave
Jefferson Ave
W 168th St
S La C ien e g a Blvd
M cB a i n A ve
Cranbrook Ave
S Doty Ave
Gerkin Ave
S Shoup Ave
W 170th St
Bodger Ave
Kornblum A ve
Carnegie Ln
Vanderbilt Ln
W 140th St
165th St
144th St
W 162nd St Ramona Ave
163rd St
Prairie Ave
170th St
Doty Ave
Johnston Ave
Dow Ave
Kingsdale Ave
Mansel Ave
153rd St
S Lemoli Ave
156th St
Cerise Ave
W 152nd St
Robinson St
Perkins Ln
Felton Ln
W 145th St
Mackay Ln
Freeman Ave
Osage Ave
May Ave
W 157th St
Burin Ave
Grevillea Ave
Firmona Ave
W 154th St
Gates Ave
Graham Ave
Curtis Ave
Voorhees Ave
Ruhland Ave
Nelson Ave
144th Pl
173 rd S t
175th Pl
W 171st St
S Eriel Ave
W 163rd St
168th St
164th St
167th St
W 173rd St 173rd Pl
W 166th St
W 142nd St
141st St
W 147th St
W 149th St
W 161st St
W 160th St
154th St
14 8 th S t
Lemoli Ave
166th St
Eastwood Ave
Chadron Ave
162nd St Beland Blvd
W 159th St
Yukon Ave
160th St
Larch Ave
172nd St
Fo nth ill A ve
153rd Pl
W 146th St
161st St
Avis Ave
139th St
169th St
159th St
W 156th St
W 139th St
142nd St
S Ermanita Ave
S Faysmith Ave
1 4 7 th P l Roselle Ave
Cordary Ave
S Florwood Ave
W 153rd St
W 154th St
175th St
Pinckard Ave
Gibson Ln
405
Artesia Blvd
Mathews Ave
H a w t h o r n e
R e d o n d o B e a c h
G a r d e n a
To r ra n c e
0 500 1,000
Feet
*Shrink-Swell potential of soils is determined by
Linear Extensibility. Linear Extensibility refers to
the change in length of an unconfined clod as
moisture content is decreased from a moist to a
dry state. Volume change is reported as a
percent change for the whole soil. Shrink-swell
potential is low if the soil has a linear extensibility of less than 3%, moderate if 3-6%, high if 6-9%,
and very high if greater than 9%. In soil
complexes such as the ones shown on this map,
linear extensibility is measured and recorded for
each soil component, thus creating a range of
shrink-swell potentials for each soil unit.

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CITY OF LAWNDALE

GENERAL PLAN UPDATE
LEGEND
City of Lawndale
Sphere of Influence
Planning Area
Adjacent Incorporated Area
Sources: City of Lawndale; Los Angeles County; California Geological Survey Map Sheet 58, 2011.

Date: June 20, 2023.

Figure 5.7-5.

Landslide Susceptibility
Dominguez Channel
Crenshaw Blvd
Prairie Ave
W Rosecrans Ave
Hawthorne Blvd
Prairie Ave
Inglewood Ave
Manhattan Beach Blvd
Rosecrans Ave
Redondo Beach Blvd
Yukon Ave
Marine Ave
Condon Ave
147th St
171st St
Ainsworth Ave
Jefferson Ave
W 168th St
S La C ien e g a Blvd
M cB a i n A ve
Cranbrook Ave
S Doty Ave
Gerkin Ave
S Shoup Ave
W 170th St
Bodger Ave
Kornblum A ve
Carnegie Ln
Vanderbilt Ln
W 140th St
165th St
144th St
W 162nd St Ramona Ave
163rd St
Prairie Ave
170th St
Doty Ave
Johnston Ave
Dow Ave
Kingsdale Ave
Mansel Ave
153rd St
S Lemoli Ave
156th St
Cerise Ave
W 152nd St
Robinson St
Perkins Ln
Felton Ln
W 145th St
Mackay Ln
Freeman Ave
Osage Ave
May Ave
W 157th St
Burin Ave
Grevillea Ave
Firmona Ave
W 154th St
Gates Ave
Graham Ave
Curtis Ave
Voorhees Ave
Ruhland Ave
Nelson Ave
144th Pl
173 rd S t
175th Pl
W 171st St
S Eriel Ave
W 163rd St
168th St
164th St
167th St
W 173rd St 173rd Pl
W 166th St
W 142nd St
141st St
W 147th St
W 149th St
W 161st St
W 160th St
154th St
14 8 th S t
Lemoli Ave
166th St
Eastwood Ave
Chadron Ave
162nd St Beland Blvd
W 159th St
Yukon Ave
160th St
Larch Ave
172nd St
Fo nth ill A ve
153rd Pl
W 146th St
161st St
Avis Ave
139th St
169th St
159th St
W 156th St
W 139th St
142nd St
S Ermanita Ave
S Faysmith Ave
1 4 7 th P l Roselle Ave
Cordary Ave
S Florwood Ave
W 153rd St
W 154th St
175th St
Pinckard Ave
Gibson Ln
405
Artesia Blvd
Mathews Ave
H a w t h o r n e
R e d o n d o B e a c h
G a r d e n a
To r ra n c e
0 500 1,000
Feet
Landslide Susceptibility
Increasing Susceptibility
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Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-1 Greenhouse Gas Emissions

5.8 GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

5.8.1 PURPOSE
This section identifies the existing climate conditions, the current state of climate change science, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions sources within California and the Planning Area and provides an analysis of potential impacts associated with implementation of the General Plan Update. This section is primarily based upon greenhouse gas emissions analysis and modeling prepared by De Novo Planning Group and included as Appendix C, Air Quality, Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Modeling Data.

5.8.2 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING

GREENHOUSE GASES AND CLIMATE CHANGES LINKAGES
Various gases in the Earth’s atmosphere, classified as atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHGs), play a critical role in determining the Earth’s surface temperature. Solar radiation enters Earth’s atmosphere from space, and a portion of the radiation is absorbed by the Earth’s surface. The Earth emits this radiation back toward space, but the properties of the radiation change from high-frequency solar radiation to lower-frequency infrared radiation. This is called the greenhouse effect, and leads to global warming as well as an overall global climate change, which includes long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns.

Greenhouse gases, which are transparent to solar radiation, are effective in absorbing infrared radiation.

As a result, this radiation that otherwise would have escaped back into space is now retained, resulting in a warming of the atmosphere. This phenomenon is known as the greenhouse effect. Among the prominent GHGs contributing to the greenhouse effect are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), ozone (O3), water vapor (H2O), N2O, and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

Gases in the atmosphere can contribute to the greenhouse effect both directly and indirectly. Direct effects occur when the gas itself absorbs radiation. Indirect radiative forcing occurs when chemical transformations of the substance produce other greenhouse gases, when a gas influences the atmospheric lifetimes of other gases, and/or when a gas affects atmospheric processes that alter the radiative balance of the earth (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2011).

Naturally occurring greenhouse gases include water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and ozone (O3). Several classes of halogenated substances that contain fluorine, chlorine, or bromine are also greenhouse gases, but they are, for the most part, solely a product of industrial activities. There are also several gases that do not have a direct global warming effect but indirectly affect terrestrial and/or solar radiation absorption by influencing the formation or destruction of greenhouse gases, including tropospheric and stratospheric ozone. These gases include carbon monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and non-CH4 volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs). Aerosols, which are extremely small particles or liquid droplets, such as those produced by sulfur dioxide (SO2) or elemental carbon emissions, can also affect the absorptive characteristics of the atmosphere (U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency 2011).

Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-2 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Although the direct greenhouse gases CO2, CH4, and N2O occur naturally in the atmosphere, human activities have changed their atmospheric concentrations. From the pre-industrial era (i.e., ending about 1750) to 2011, concentrations of these three greenhouse gases have increased globally by 40, 150, and 20 percent, respectively.

Emissions of GHGs contributing to global climate change are attributable in large part to human activities associated with the industrial/manufacturing, utility, transportation, residential, and agricultural sectors.

In California, the transportation sector is the largest emitter of GHGs, followed by the industrial sector.

As the name implies, global climate change is a global problem. GHGs are global pollutants, unlike criteria air pollutants and toxic air contaminants, which are pollutants of regional and local concern, respectively.

California produced approximately 418.2 million gross metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (MMTCO2e) in 2019, meeting the annual Statewide target set by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), which required that California emissions be below 431 MMTCO2e by 2020 (California Air Resources Board 2021). To meet CARB’s Statewide targets, California emissions must further be reduced to below 260 MMTCO2e by 2030.

Carbon dioxide equivalents are a measurement used to account for the fact that different GHGs have different potential to retain infrared radiation in the atmosphere and contribute to the greenhouse effect.

This potential, known as the global warming potential of a GHG, is also dependent on the lifetime, or persistence, of the gas molecule in the atmosphere. Expressing GHG emissions in carbon dioxide equivalents takes the contribution of all GHG emissions to the greenhouse effect and converts them to a single unit equivalent to the effect that would occur if only CO2 were being emitted.

Consumption of fossil fuels in the transportation sector was the single largest source of California’s GHG emissions in 2019, accounting for 41 percent of total GHG emissions in the State (California Air Resources Board 2021). This category was followed by the industrial sector (24 percent), the electricity generation sector (including both in-State and out-of-State sources) (14 percent), the agriculture and forestry sector (7 percent), the residential energy consumption sector (8 percent), and the commercial energy consumption sector (6 percent).

EFFECTS OF GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE
The effects of increasing global temperature are far-reaching and extremely difficult to quantify. The scientific community continues to study the effects of global climate change. In general, increases in the ambient global temperature as a result of increased GHGs are anticipated to result in rising sea levels, which could threaten coastal areas through accelerated coastal erosion, threats to levees and inland water systems, and disruption to coastal wetlands and habitat.

If the temperature of the ocean warms, it is anticipated that the winter snow season would be shortened.

Snowpack in the Sierra Nevada provides both water supply (runoff) and storage (within the snowpack before melting), which is a major source of water supply for the State. The snowpack portion of the supply could potentially decline by 50 percent to 75 percent by the end of the 21st century. This phenomenon could lead to significant challenges securing an adequate water supply for a growing State population.

Further, the increased ocean temperature could result in increased moisture flux into the State; however, since this would likely increasingly come in the form of rain rather than snow in the high elevations, Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-3 Greenhouse Gas Emissions increased precipitation could lead to increased potential and severity of flood events, placing more pressure on California’s levee/flood control system.

Sea level has risen approximately seven inches during the last century and it is predicted to rise an additional 22 to 35 inches by 2100, depending on the future GHG emissions levels. If this occurs, resultant effects could include increased coastal flooding, saltwater intrusion, and disruption of wetlands. As the existing climate throughout California changes over time, mass migration of species, or failure of species to migrate in time to adapt to the perturbations in climate, could also result. According to the most recent California Climate Change Assessment (California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment), the impacts of global warming in California are anticipated to include, but are not limited to, the following.

Wildfires
In recent years, the area burned by wildfires has increased in parallel with increasing air temperatures.

Wildfires have also been occurring at higher elevations in the Sierra Nevada mountains, a trend which is expected to continue under future climate change. Climate change will likely modify the vegetation in California, affecting the characteristics of fires on the land. Land use and development patterns also play an important role in future fire activity. Because of these complexities, projections of wildfire in future decades in California range from modest changes from historical conditions to relatively large increases in wildfire regimes depending on the time period for the projection and what interacting factors are included in the analysis.

Public Health
Extreme heat conditions are defined as weather that is much hotter than average for a particular time and place—and sometimes more humid, too. Extreme heat is not just a nuisance; it kills hundreds of Americans every year and causes many more to become seriously ill (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2016). Nineteen heat-related events occurred from 1999 to 2009 that had significant impacts on human health, resulting in about 11,000 excess hospitalizations. However, the National Weather Service issued Heat Advisories for only six of the events. Heat-Health Events (HHEs), which better predict risk to populations vulnerable to heat, will worsen drastically throughout the State: for example, by midcentury, the Central Valley is projected to experience average HHEs that are two weeks longer, and HHEs could occur four to ten times more often in the Northern Sierra region.

Higher temperatures are expected to increase the frequency, duration, and intensity of conditions conducive to air pollution formation. Climate change poses direct and indirect risks to public health, as people will experience earlier death and worsening illnesses. Air quality could be further compromised by increases in wildfires, which emit fine particulate matter that can travel long distances depending on wind conditions.

Energy Resources
Higher temperatures will increase annual electricity demand for homes, driven mainly by the increased use of air conditioning units. High demand is projected in inland and Southern California, and more moderate increases are projected in cooler coastal areas. However, the increased annual residential energy demand for electricity is expected to be offset by reduced use of natural gas for space heating.

Increases in peak hourly demand during the hot months of the year could be more pronounced than Lawndale General Plan Update

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Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-4 Greenhouse Gas Emissions changes in annual demand. This is a critical finding for California’s electric system, because generating capacity must match peak electricity demand.

It should also be noted that with the electrification of vehicles, there will also be a significant increase in residential energy use in the near future. Those increases are offset by the reduction of internal combustion use.

Water Supply
A vast network of man-made reservoirs and aqueducts capture and transport water throughout the State from northern California rivers and the Colorado River. The current distribution system relies on Sierra Nevada snowpack to supply water during the dry spring and summer months. Rising temperatures, potentially compounded by decreases in precipitation, could severely reduce spring snowpack, increasing the risk of summer water shortages.

The State’s water supplies are also at risk from rising sea levels. An influx of saltwater would degrade California’s estuaries, wetlands, and groundwater aquifers. Saltwater intrusion caused by rising sea levels is a major threat to the quality and reliability of water within the southern edge of the Sacramento/San Joaquin River Delta, a major State fresh water supply.

Current management practices for water supply and flood management in California may need to be revised for a changing climate. This is in part because such practices were designed for historical climatic conditions, which are changing and will continue to change during the rest of this century and beyond. As one example, the reduction in the Sierra Nevada snowpack, which provides natural water storage, will have implications throughout California’s water management system. Even under the wetter climate projections, the loss of snowpack would pose challenges to water managers, hamper hydropower generation, and nearly eliminate all skiing and other snow-related recreational activities.

Agriculture
Increased GHG emissions are expected to cause widespread changes to the agriculture industry reducing the quantity and quality of agricultural products Statewide. Although higher carbon dioxide levels can stimulate plant production and increase plant water-use efficiency, California’s farmers will face greater water demand for crops and a less reliable water supply as temperatures rise.

Plant growth tends to be slow at low temperatures, increasing with rising temperatures up to a threshold.

However, faster growth can result in less-than-optimal development for many crops, so rising temperatures are likely to worsen the quantity and quality of yield for a number of California’s agricultural products. Products likely to be most affected include wine grapes, fruits, and nuts, as well as milk due to the reduced quality of grazing food such as alfalfa.

Crop growth and development will be affected, as will the intensity and frequency of pest and disease outbreaks. Rising temperatures will likely aggravate ozone pollution, which makes plants more susceptible to disease and pests and interferes with plant growth.

In addition, continued climate change will likely shift the ranges of existing invasive plants and weeds and alter competition patterns with native plants. Range expansion is expected in many species while range Lawndale General Plan Update

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Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-5 Greenhouse Gas Emissions contractions are less likely in rapidly evolving species with significant populations already established.

Should range contractions occur, it is likely that new or different invasive species will fill the emerging gaps. Continued global warming is also likely to alter the abundance and types of many pests, lengthen pests’ breeding season, and increase pathogen growth rates.

Forests and Landscapes
Climate change will make forests more susceptible to extreme wildfires. California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment found that by 2100, if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, the frequency of extreme wildfires burning over approximately 25,000 acres would increase by nearly 50 percent, and that average area burned Statewide would increase by 77 percent by the end of the century. In the areas that have the highest fire risk, wildfire insurance is estimated to see costs rise by 18 percent by 2055 and the amount of property insured would decrease.

Moreover, continued global warming will alter natural ecosystems and biological diversity within the State. For example, alpine and sub-alpine ecosystems are expected to decline by as much as 60 to 80 percent by the end of the century as a result of increasing temperatures. The productivity of the State’s forests is also expected to decrease as a result of global warming.

Rising Sea Levels
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimates that, under mid to high sea-level rise scenarios, 31 to 67 percent of southern California beaches may completely erode by 2100 without large-scale human interventions (United States Geological Survey 2017). Statewide damages could reach nearly $17.9 billion from inundation of residential and commercial buildings under 50 centimeters (approximately 20 inches) of sea-level rise, which is close to the 95th percentile of potential sea-level rise by the middle of this century. A 100-year coastal flood, on top of this level of sea-level rise, would almost double the costs.

Rising sea levels, more intense coastal storms, and warmer water temperatures will increasingly threaten the State’s coastal regions. Rising sea levels would inundate coastal areas with saltwater, accelerate coastal erosion, threaten vital levees and inland water systems, and disrupt wetlands and natural habitats.

5.8.3 REGULATORY SETTING

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for administering the FCAA. The FCAA requires the EPA to set NAAQS for several problem air pollutants based on human health and welfare criteria. Two types of NAAQS were established: primary standards, which protect public health, and Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-6 Greenhouse Gas Emissions secondary standards, which protect the public welfare from non-health-related adverse effects such as visibility reduction.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Endangerment Finding.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) authority to regulate GHG emissions stems from the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Massachusetts v. EPA (2007). The Supreme Court ruled that GHGs meet the definition of air pollutants under the existing Clean Air Act and must be regulated if these gases could be reasonably anticipated to endanger public health or welfare. Responding to the Court’s ruling, the EPA finalized an endangerment finding in December 2009. Based on scientific evidence it found that six GHGs (CO2, CH4, N2O, hydrofluorocarbons [HFCs], perfluorocarbons [PFCs], and sulfur hexafluoride [SF6]) constitute a threat to public health and welfare. Thus, it is the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the existing Act and the EPA’s assessment of the scientific evidence that form the basis for the EPA’s regulatory actions.

Compliance with Federal fuel economy standards is determined on the basis of each manufacturer’s average fuel economy for the portion of its vehicles produced for sale in the U.S. The Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program, which is administered by the EPA, was created to determine vehicle manufacturers’ compliance with the fuel economy standards. The EPA calculates a CAFE value for each manufacturer based on city and highway fuel economy test results and vehicle sales. Based on the information generated under the CAFE program, the USDOT is authorized to assess penalties for noncompliance.

Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct)
The Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct) was passed to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign petroleum and improve air quality. EPAct includes several parts intended to build an inventory of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) in large, centrally fueled fleets in metropolitan areas. EPAct requires certain Federal, state, and local government and private fleets to purchase a percentage of light duty AFVs capable of running on alternative fuels each year. In addition, financial incentives are included in EPAct.

Energy Policy Act of 2005
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 was signed into law on August 8, 2005. Generally, the act provides for renewed and expanded tax credits for electricity generated by qualified energy sources, such as landfill gas; provides bond financing, tax incentives, grants, and loan guarantees for a clean renewable energy Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-7 Greenhouse Gas Emissions and rural community electrification; and establishes a Federal purchase requirement for renewable energy.

Clean Power Plan and New Source Performance Standards for Electric Generating Units 2015 On October 23, 2015, the EPA published a final rule (effective December 22, 2015) establishing the carbon pollution emission guidelines for existing stationary sources: electric utility generating units (80 FR 64510– 64660), also known as the Clean Power Plan. These guidelines prescribe how states must develop plans to reduce GHG emissions from existing fossil-fuel-fired electric generating units. The guidelines establish CO2 emission performance rates representing the best system of emission reduction for two subcategories of existing fossil-fuel-fired electric generating units: (1) fossil-fuel-fired electric utility steam-generating units and (2) stationary combustion turbines. Concurrently, the EPA published a final rule (effective October 23, 2015) establishing standards of performance for GHG emissions from new, modified, and reconstructed stationary sources: electric utility generating units (80 FR 64661–65120). The rule prescribes CO2 emission standards for newly constructed, modified, and reconstructed affected fossil-fuel-fired electric utility generating units. The U.S. Supreme Court stayed implementation of the Clean Power Plan pending resolution of several lawsuits. Additionally, in March 2017, the EPA Administrator was directed to review the Clean Power Plan in order to determine whether it is consistent with current executive policies concerning GHG emissions, climate change, and energy.

Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) ISTEA (49 U.S.C. Section 101 et seq.) promoted the development of intermodal transportation systems to maximize mobility as well as address national and local interests in air quality and energy. ISTEA contained factors that metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), were to address in developing transportation plans and programs, including some energy-related factors. To meet the ISTEA requirements, MPOs adopted explicit policies defining the social, economic, energy, and environmental values that were to guide transportation decisions in that metropolitan area. The planning process was then to address these policies. Another requirement was to consider the consistency of transportation planning with Federal, state, and local energy goals. Through this requirement, energy consumption was expected to become a criterion, along with cost and other values that determine the best transportation solution.

The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) went into effect on December 4, 2015, to provide long-term funding for surface transportation with a focus on improving mobility on America’s highways, creating jobs and supporting economic growth, and accelerating project delivery and promoting innovation.

U.S. Federal Climate Change Policy
According to the EPA, “the United States government has established a comprehensive policy to address climate change” that includes slowing the growth of emissions; strengthening science, technology, and institutions; and enhancing international cooperation. To implement this policy, “the Federal government is using voluntary and incentive-based programs to reduce emissions and has established programs to promote climate technology and science.” The Federal government’s goal is to reduce net GHG emissions by 50 to 52 percent from 2005 levels in 2030 and reach net-zero emissions no later than 2050 (U.S.

Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-8 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Department of State 2021). In addition, the EPA administers multiple programs that encourage voluntary GHG reductions, including “ENERGY STAR”, “Climate Leaders”, and Methane Voluntary Programs.

However, as of this writing, there are no adopted Federal plans, policies, regulations, or laws directly regulating GHG emissions.

Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule
On September 22, 2009, EPA issued a final rule for mandatory reporting of GHGs from large GHG emissions sources in the United States. In general, this national reporting requirement will provide EPA with accurate and timely GHG emissions data from facilities that emit 25,000 metric tons or more of CO2 per year. This publicly available data will allow the reporters to track their own emissions, compare them to similar facilities, and aid in identifying cost effective opportunities to reduce emissions in the future. Reporting is at the facility level, except that certain suppliers of fossil fuels and industrial greenhouse gases along with vehicle and engine manufacturers will report at the corporate level. An estimated 85 percent of the total U.S. GHG emissions, from approximately 10,000 facilities, are covered by this final rule.

Presidential Executive Order 13783
Presidential Executive Order 13783, Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth (March 28, 2017), orders all Federal agencies to apply cost-benefit analyses to regulations of GHG emissions and evaluations of the social cost of carbon, nitrous oxide, and methane.

STATE
California Air Resources Board
California Air Resources Board (CARB), a part of the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), is responsible for the coordination and administration of both Federal and State air pollution control programs within California. In this capacity, CARB conducts research, sets state ambient air quality standards (California Ambient Air Quality Standards [CAAQS]), compiles emission inventories, develops suggested control measures, and provides oversight of local programs. CARB establishes emissions standards for motor vehicles sold in California, consumer products (such as hairspray, aerosol paints, and barbecue lighter fluid), and various types of commercial equipment. It also sets fuel specifications to further reduce vehicular emissions.

In 2004, CARB adopted an Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM) to limit heavy-duty diesel motor vehicle idling in order to reduce public exposure to diesel particulate matter and other toxic air contaminants (Title 13 California Code of Regulations [CCR], §2485). The measure applies to diesel-fueled commercial vehicles with gross vehicle weight ratings greater than 10,000 pounds that are licensed to operate on highways, regardless of where they are registered. This measure generally does not allow diesel-fueled commercial vehicles to idle for more than 5 minutes at any given location with certain exemptions for equipment in which idling is a necessary function such as concrete trucks. While this measure primarily targets diesel particulate matter emissions, it has co-benefits of minimizing GHG emissions from unnecessary truck idling.

On July 26, 2007, CARB adopted emission standards for off-road diesel construction equipment of greater than 25 horsepower such as bulldozers, loaders, backhoes and forklifts, as well as many other self- Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-9 Greenhouse Gas Emissions propelled off-road diesel vehicles. This regulation aims to reduce emissions by installation of diesel soot filters and encouraging the retirement, replacement, or repower of older, dirtier engines with newer emission-controlled models. Additionally, in 2008, CARB approved the Truck and Bus regulation to reduce particulate matter and nitrogen oxide emissions from existing diesel vehicles operating in California (13 CCR, §2025, subsection (h)). While these regulations primarily target reductions in criteria air pollutant emission, they have co-benefits of minimizing GHG emissions due to improved engine efficiencies.

California Executive Orders S-3-05 and S-20-06, and Assembly Bill 32 On June 1, 2005, Governor Schwarzenegger signed EO S-3-05. The goal of this EO is to reduce California’s GHG emissions to: 1) 2000 levels by 2010, 2) 1990 levels by the 2020 and 3) 80 percent below the 1990 levels by the year 2050. EO-S-20-06 establishes responsibilities and roles of the Secretary of Cal/EPA and State agencies in climate change.

In 2006, this goal was further reinforced with the passage of Assembly Bill 32 (AB 32), the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. AB 32 sets the same overall GHG emissions reduction goals while further mandating that CARB create a plan, which includes market mechanisms, and implement rules to achieve “real, quantifiable, cost-effective reductions of greenhouse gases.” EO S-20-06 further directs State agencies to begin implementing AB 32, including the recommendations made by the State’s Climate Action Team.

Climate Change Scoping Plan
On December 11, 2008, CARB adopted its Climate Change Scoping Plan (Scoping Plan), which functions as a roadmap of CARB’s plans to achieve GHG reductions in California required by Assembly Bill (AB) 32 through subsequently enacted regulations. The Scoping Plan contains the main strategies California will implement to reduce carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2e) emissions by 169 million metric tons (MMT), or approximately 30 percent, from the State’s projected 2020 emissions level of 596 MMT of CO2e under a business‐as‐usual scenario. (This is a reduction of 42 MMT CO2e, or almost 10 percent, from 2002–2004 average emissions, but requires the reductions in the face of population and economic growth through 2020.) The Scoping Plan also breaks down the amount of GHG emissions reductions CARB recommends for each emissions sector of the State’s GHG inventory. The Scoping Plan calls for the largest reductions in GHG emissions to be achieved by implementing the following measures and standards:
• Improved emissions standards for light-duty vehicles (estimated reductions of 31.7 MMT CO2e); • The Low-Carbon Fuel Standard (15.0 MMT CO2e);
• Energy efficiency measures in buildings and appliances and the widespread development of combined heat and power systems (26.3 MMT CO2e); and
• A renewable portfolio standard for electricity production (21.3 MMT CO2e).

CARB updated the Scoping Plan in 2013 (First Update to the Scoping Plan) and again in 2017. The 2013 Update built upon the initial Scoping Plan with new strategies and recommendations, and also set the groundwork to reach the long-term goals set forth by the State. Successful implementation of existing programs (as identified in previous iterations of the Scoping Plan) has allowed California to meet the 2020 target. The 2017 Update expands the scope of the plan further by focusing on the strategy for achieving the State’s 2030 GHG target of 40 percent emissions reductions below 1990 levels (to achieve the target Lawndale General Plan Update

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Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-10 Greenhouse Gas Emissions codified into law by SB 32), and substantially advances toward the State’s 2050 climate goal to reduce GHG emissions by 80 percent below 1990 levels.

The 2017 Update relies on the preexisting programs paired with an extended, more stringent Cap-andTrade Program, to deliver climate, air quality, and other benefits. The 2017 Update identifies new technologically feasible and cost-effective strategies to ensure that California meets its GHG reduction goals.

CARB adopted the 2022 Scoping Plan Update (2022 Scoping Plan) on December 15, 2022. The 2022 Scoping Plan Update assesses progress towards the SB 32 GHG reduction target of at least 40 percent below 1990 emissions by 2030, while laying out a path to achieving carbon neutrality no later than 2045 and a reduction in anthropogenic emissions by 85 percent below 1990 levels.

Executive Order S-13-08
EO S-13-08 was issued on November 14, 2008. The EO is intended to hasten California’s response to the impacts of global climate change, particularly sea level rise, and directs State agencies to take specified actions to assess and plan for such impacts, including requesting the National Academy of Sciences to prepare a Sea Level Rise Assessment Report, directing the Business, Transportation, and Housing Agency to assess the vulnerability of the State’s transportation systems to sea level rise, and requiring the Office of Planning and Research and the Natural Resources Agency to provide land use planning guidance related to sea level rise and other climate change impacts.

The order also required State agencies to develop adaptation strategies to respond to the impacts of global climate change that are predicted to occur over the next 50 to 100 years. The adaption strategies report summarizes key climate change impacts to the State for the following areas: public health; ocean and coastal resources; water supply and flood protection; agriculture; forestry; biodiversity and habitat; and transportation and energy infrastructure. The report recommends strategies and specific responsibilities related to water supply, planning and land use, public health, fire protection, and energy conservation.

Assembly Bill 1493
In response to AB 1493, CARB approved amendments to the California Code of Regulations (CCR) adding GHG emission standards to California’s existing motor vehicle emission standards. Amendments to CCR Title 13 Sections 1900 (CCR 13 1900) and 1961 (CCR 13 1961), and adoption of Section 1961.1 (CCR 13 1961.1) require automobile manufacturers to meet fleet average GHG emission limits for all passenger cars, light-duty trucks within various weight criteria, and medium-duty passenger vehicle weight classes beginning with the 2009 model year. Emission limits are further reduced each model year through 2016.

For medium-duty passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks 3,751 LVW to 8,500 pounds gross vehicle weight (GVW), GHG emissions are reduced approximately 24 percent between 2009 and 2016.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-11 Greenhouse Gas Emissions greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles in accordance with the regulation amendments to the CCRs that fulfill the requirements of AB 1493. The EPA granted a waiver to California to implement its greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars.

Assembly Bill 1007
Assembly Bill 1007, (Pavley, Chapter 371, Statutes of 2005) directed the CEC to prepare a plan to increase the use of alternative fuels in California. As a result, the CEC prepared the State Alternative Fuels Plan in consultation with the State, Federal, and local agencies. The plan presents strategies and actions California must take to increase the use of alternative non-petroleum fuels in a manner that minimizes costs to California and maximizes the economic benefits of in-State production. The Plan assessed various alternative fuels and developed fuel portfolios to meet California’s goals to reduce petroleum consumption, increase alternative fuels use, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and increase in-State production of biofuels without causing a significant degradation of public health and environmental quality.

Bioenergy Action Plan – Executive Order #S-06-06
Executive Order (EO) #S-06-06 establishes targets for the use and production of biofuels and biopower and directs State agencies to work together to advance biomass programs in California while providing environmental protection and mitigation. The EO establishes the following target to increase the production and use of bioenergy, including ethanol and biodiesel fuels made from renewable resources:
produce a minimum of 20 percent of its biofuels within California by 2010, 40 percent by 2020, and 75 percent by 2050. The EO also calls for the State to meet a target for use of biomass electricity.

Senate Bill 32
In 2016, the California State Legislature adopted Senate Bill (SB) 32 and its companion bill AB 197, and both were signed by Governor Brown (Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr., 2016). SB 32 and AB 197 amend HSC Division 25.5, establish a new GHG reduction target of 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030, and include provisions to ensure the benefits of State climate policies reach into disadvantaged communities.

Senate Bill 743
On September 27, 2013, Senate Bill (SB) 743 was signed into law. SB 743 was passed to promote the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the development of multimodal transportation networks, and a diversity of land uses. SB 743 changes the way that public agencies evaluate the transportation impacts of projects under CEQA. The revisions to the State CEQA Guidelines establish new criteria for determining the significance of a project’s transportation impacts that will more appropriately balance the needs of congestion management with statewide goals related to infill development, promotion of public health through active transportation, and reduction of GHGs. The 2017 Update to the Scoping Plan identified that slower VMT growth from more efficient land use development patterns would promote achievement of the State’s climate goals.

The Office of Planning and Research (OPR) published the Technical Advisory on Evaluating Transportation Impacts in CEQA (December 2018) to provide recommendations for jurisdictions to apply VMT metrics Lawndale General Plan Update

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Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-12 Greenhouse Gas Emissions and thresholds compliant with SB 743. OPR’s advisory includes recommendations pertaining to screening criteria, metrics, and significant impact thresholds. OPR’s recommendations are not binding and lead agencies ultimately have the discretion to set or apply their own significance thresholds, provided they are based on significant evidence.

For land use and transportation projects, SB 743-compliant CEQA analysis became mandatory on July 1, 2020. More detail about SB 743 is provided in the setting section of Section 5.17, Transportation.

Executive Order B-48-18: Zero-Emission Vehicles
In January 2018, EO B-48-18 was signed into law and requires all State entities to work with the private sector to have at least five million zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) on the road by 2030, as well as install 200 hydrogen fueling stations and 250,000 electric vehicle charging stations by 2025. It specifies that 10,000 of the electric vehicle charging stations should be direct current fast chargers. This Executive Order also requires all State entities to continue to partner with local and regional governments to streamline the installation of ZEV infrastructure. The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development is required to publish a Plug-in Charging Station Design Guidebook and update the 2015 Hydrogen Station Permitting Guidebook to aid in these efforts. All State entities are required to participate in updating the 2016 Zero-Emissions Vehicle Action Plan (Governor’s Interagency Working Group on Zero-Emission Vehicles 2016) to help expand private investment in ZEV infrastructure with a focus on serving low-income and disadvantaged communities. Additionally, all State entities are to support and recommend policies and actions to expand ZEV infrastructure at residential uses through the Low Carbon Fuel Standard Program, and recommend how to ensure affordability and accessibility for all drivers.

Assembly Bill 2076: California Strategy to Reduce Petroleum Dependence In response to the requirements of Assembly Bill (AB) 2076 (Chapter 936, Statutes of 2000), the CEC and CARB developed a strategy to reduce petroleum dependence in California. The strategy, Reducing California’s Petroleum Dependence, was adopted by the CEC and CARB in 2003. The strategy recommends that California reduce on-road gasoline and diesel fuel demand to 15 percent below 2003 demand levels by 2020 and maintain that level for the foreseeable future; the Governor and Legislature work to establish national fuel economy standards that double the fuel efficiency of new cars, light trucks, and sport utility vehicles (SUVs); and increase the use of non-petroleum fuels to 20 percent of on-road fuel consumption by 2020 and 30 percent by 2030.

Assembly Bill 2188: Solar Permitting Efficiency Act
Assembly Bill (AB) 2188, enacted in California in 2015, required local governments to adopt a solar ordinance by September 30, 2015 that creates a streamlined permitting process that conforms to the best practices for expeditious and efficient permitting of small residential rooftop solar systems. The act is designed to lower the cost of solar installations in California and further expand the accessibility of solar to more California homeowners. The bulk of the time and cost savings associated with a streamlined permitting process comes from the use of a standardized eligibility checklist and a simplified plan. This bill also shortens the number of days for those seeking Homeowner’s Association (HOA) approval for a written denial of a proposed solar installation.

Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-13 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Governor’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (Executive Order #S-01-07) Executive Order #S-01-07 establishes a statewide goal to reduce the carbon intensity of California’s transportation fuels by at least 10 percent by 2020 through establishment of a Low Carbon Fuel Standard.

The Low Carbon Fuel Standard is incorporated into the State Alternative Fuels Plan and is one of the proposed discrete early action GHG reduction measures identified by the CARB pursuant to AB 32.

Senate Bill 97
Senate Bill (SB) 97 (Chapter 185, 2007) required OPR to develop recommended amendments to the State CEQA Guidelines for addressing greenhouse gas emissions. OPR prepared its recommended amendments to the State CEQA Guidelines to provide guidance to public agencies regarding the analysis and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and the effects of greenhouse gas emissions in draft CEQA documents. The Amendments became effective on March 18, 2010.

Senate Bill 375
SB 375 (Stats. 2008, ch. 728) (SB 375) was built on AB 32 (California’s 2006 climate change law). SB 375’s core provision is a requirement for regional transportation agencies to develop a Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) in order to reduce GHG emissions from passenger vehicles. The SCS is one component of the existing Regional Transportation Plan (RTP).

The SCS outlines the region’s plan for combining transportation resources, such as roads and mass transit, with a realistic land use pattern, in order to meet a State target for reducing GHG emissions. The strategy must take into account the region’s housing needs, transportation demands, and protection of resource and farmlands.

Additionally, SB 375 modified the State’s Housing Element Law to achieve consistency between the land use pattern outlined in the SCS and the Regional Housing Needs Assessment allocation. The legislation also substantially improved cities’ and counties’ accountability for carrying out their housing element plans.

Finally, SB 375 amended CEQA (Pub. Resources Code, Section 21000 et seq.) to ease the environmental review of developments that help reduce the growth of GHG emissions.

Executive Order B-30-15
On April 29, 2015, Governor Brown issued EO B-30-15, which establishes a State GHG reduction target of 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. The new emission reduction target provides for a mid-term goal that would help the State to continue on course from reducing GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 (per AB 32) to the ultimate goal of reducing emissions 80 percent under 1990 levels by 2050 (per EO S-03-05).

This is in line with the scientifically established levels needed in the U.S. to limit global warming below two degrees Celsius – the warming threshold at which scientists say there will likely be major climate disruptions. EO B-30-15 also addresses the need for climate adaptation and directs State government to:
• Incorporate climate change impacts into the State’s Five-Year Infrastructure Plan; Lawndale General Plan Update

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Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-14 Greenhouse Gas Emissions • Update the Safeguarding California Plan, the State climate adaptation strategy, to identify how climate change will affect California infrastructure and industry and what actions the State can take to reduce the risks posed by climate change;
• Factor climate change into State agencies' planning and investment decisions; and • Implement measures under existing agency and departmental authority to reduce GHG emissions.

Advanced Clean Cars Program
In January 2012, CARB approved the Advanced Clean Cars program which combines the control of GHG emissions and criteria air pollutants, as well as requirements for greater numbers of zero-emission vehicles, into a single package of standards for vehicle model years 2017 through 2025. The new rules strengthen the GHG standard for 2017 models and beyond. This will be achieved through existing technologies, the use of stronger and lighter materials, and more efficient drivetrains and engines. The program’s zero-emission vehicle regulation requires battery, fuel cell, and/or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to account for up to 15 percent of California’s new vehicle sales by 2025. The program also includes a clean fuels outlet regulation designed to support the commercialization of zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell vehicles planned by vehicle manufacturers by 2015 by requiring increased numbers of hydrogen fueling stations throughout the State. The program will have significant energy demand implications as battery, fuel cell, and/or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle sales increase overtime, creating new demand for electricity services both in residential and commercial buildings (e.g., charging stations) as well as demand for new EV and hydrogen fuel cell charging stations. The number of stations will grow as vehicle manufacturers sell more fuel cell vehicles. According to the CARB, by 2025, when the rules will be fully implemented, the Statewide fleet of new cars and light trucks will emit 34 percent fewer global warming gases and 75 percent fewer smog-forming emissions than the Statewide fleet in 2016.

California Building Energy Efficiency Standards
Title 24, Part 6 of the California Code of Regulations, known as the Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Standards), was established in 1978 in response to a legislative mandate to reduce California’s energy consumption. The standards are updated periodically to allow consideration and possible incorporation of new energy efficiency technologies and methods. On January 1, 2010, the California Building Standards Commission adopted CALGreen and became the first state in the United States to adopt a statewide green building standards code.

The 2022 California Building Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential and Nonresidential Buildings (California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Part 6), commonly referred to as “Title 24,” became effective on January 1, 2023. In general, Title 24 requires the design of building shells and building components to conserve energy. The standards are updated periodically to allow consideration and possible incorporation of new energy efficiency technologies and methods. The Standards are divided into three basic sets. First, there is a basic set of mandatory requirements that apply to all buildings. Second, there is a set of performance standards – the energy budgets – that vary by climate zone (of which there are 16 in California) and building type; thus, the Standards are tailored to local conditions. Finally, the third set constitutes an alternative to the performance standards, which is a set of prescriptive packages that are basically a recipe or a checklist compliance approach.

Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-15 Greenhouse Gas Emissions The CEC estimates that the 2022 Title 24 standards will reduce 10 million metric tons of GHG over 30 years (CEC 2021). When compared to the 2019 Title 24 standards, the 2022 update focuses on: encouraging electric heat pump technology and use; establishing electric-ready requirements when natural gas is installed; expanding solar photovoltaic (PV) system and battery storage standards; and strengthening ventilation standards to improve indoor air quality.

California Green Building Standards (CALGreen)
The 2022 California Green Building Standards Code (California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Part 11), commonly referred to as CALGreen, went into effect on January 1, 2023. CALGreen is the first-in-thenation mandatory green buildings standards code. The California Building Standards Commission developed CALGreen in an effort to meet the State’s landmark initiative Assembly Bill (AB) 32 goals, which established a comprehensive program of cost-effective reductions of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. CALGreen was developed to (1) reduce GHG emissions from buildings; (2) promote environmentally responsible, cost-effective, and healthier places to live and work; (3) reduce energy and water consumption; and (4) respond to the environmental directives of the administration. CALGreen requires that new buildings employ water efficiency and conservation, increase building system efficiencies (e.g. lighting, heating/ventilation and air conditioning [HVAC], and plumbing fixtures), divert construction waste from landfills, and incorporate electric vehicles charging infrastructure. There is growing recognition among developers and retailers that sustainable construction is not prohibitively expensive, and that there is a significant cost-savings potential in green building practices and materials (U.S. Green Building Council 2022).

Executive Order B-55-18
EO B-55-18, issued by Governor Brown in September 2018, establishes a statewide goal to achieve carbon neutrality as soon as possible, and no later than 2045, and achieve and maintain net-negative emissions thereafter. The goal is an addition to the existing Statewide targets of reducing the State’s GHG emissions.

Senate Bill 1078 (2002), Senate Bill 107 (2006), Executive Order S-14-08 (2008), Senate Bill 350 (2015), and Senate Bill 100 (2018)
SB 1078 established the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) program, which required retail sellers of electricity to provide at least 20 percent of their supply from renewable sources by 2017. This goal has subsequently been accelerated several times. SB 107 changed the target date to 2010 and Executive Order S-14-08 expanded the State’s RPS to 33 percent renewable power by 2020. SB 350 expanded the RPS by requiring retail seller and publicly owned utilities to procure 50 percent of their electricity from eligible renewable energy resources by 2030, with interim goals of 40 percent by 2024 and 45 percent by 2027.

Assembly Bill 939, Assembly Bill 341, and Assembly Bill 1826 The Integrated Solid Waste Management Act of 1989 (AB 939) (California Public Resources Code Section 40050 et seq.) established an integrated waste management system that focuses on source reduction, recycling, composting, and land disposal of waste. AB 939 requires every city and county in California to Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-16 Greenhouse Gas Emissions divert 50 percent of its waste from landfills whether through waste reduction, recycling, or other means.

AB 341, which took effect on July 1, 2012, amended the California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989 to set California’s recycling goal of 75 percent by the year 2020. AB 1826 requires recycling of organic matter by businesses generating such wastes in amounts over certain thresholds. AB 1826 also requires that local jurisdictions implement an organic waste recycling program to divert organic waste generated by businesses and multi-family developments that consist of five or more units.

Senate Bill 1383
SB 1383, issued by Governor Brown in September 2016, set Statewide methane emissions reduction targets to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCP). The SLCPs included under this bill – including methane, fluorinated gases, and black carbon – are GHGs that are much more potent than carbon dioxide and can have detrimental effects on human health and climate change. SB 1383 requires the CARB to adopt a strategy to reduce methane by 40 percent, hydrofluorocarbon gases by 40 percent, and anthropogenic black carbon by 50 percent below 2013 levels by 2030. The methane emission reduction goals include a 75 percent reduction in the level of statewide disposal of organic waste from 2014 levels by 2025.

Senate Bill 379
In 2015, SB 379 revised California Government Code Section 65302 et seq. to require that cities and counties update their safety elements to address climate adaptation and resiliency strategies applicable to their jurisdiction. The updates are required at the next update of their local hazard mitigation plan (LHMP) on or after January 1, 2017. Local jurisdictions without an LHMP must update their safety elements beginning on or before January 1, 2022. The safety element update must include a vulnerability assessment identifying the risks that climate change poses to the local jurisdiction, and feasible implementation strategies to protect the community.

Assembly Bill 1279
Assembly Bill 1279, passed in 2022, declares the State’s objective to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible, but no later than 2045, and to achieve and maintain net negative greenhouse gas emissions thereafter. This is in addition to, and does not replace or supersede, Statewide greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets.

Cap-and-Trade Program
The Climate Change Scoping Plan identifies a Cap-and-Trade Program as a key strategy CARB would employ to help California meet its GHG reduction targets for 2020 and 2030, and ultimately achieve an 80 percent reduction from 1990 levels by 2050. Pursuant to its authority under HSC Division 25.5, CARB designed and adopted a California Cap-and-Trade Program to reduce GHG emissions from major sources (deemed “covered entities”) by setting a firm cap on statewide GHG emissions and employing market mechanisms to achieve the State’s emission-reduction mandate of returning to 1990 levels of emissions by 2020 and 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 (17 CCR §§95800 to 96023). Under the Cap-and-Trade Program, an overall limit is established for GHG emissions from capped sectors (e.g., electricity generation, petroleum refining, cement production, and large industrial facilities that emit more than 25,000 metric tons CO2e per year), caps decline over time, and facilities subject to the cap can trade Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-17 Greenhouse Gas Emissions permits to emit GHGs. The Statewide cap for GHG emissions from the capped sectors commenced in 2013 and declines over time, achieving GHG emission reductions throughout the Program’s duration (17 CCR §§95800 to 96023). On July 17, 2017 the California legislature passed AB 398, extending the Cap-andTrade Program through 2030.

An inherent feature of the Cap-and-Trade Program is that it does not guarantee GHG emissions reductions in any discrete location or by any particular source. Rather, GHG emissions reductions are only guaranteed on a statewide basis.

If California’s direct regulatory measures reduce GHG emissions more than expected, then the Cap-andTrade Program would be responsible for relatively fewer emissions reductions. If California’s direct regulatory measures reduce GHG emissions less than expected, then the Cap-and-Trade Program would be responsible for relatively more emissions reductions. In other words, the Cap-and-Trade Program functions similarly to an insurance policy for meeting California’s GHG emissions reduction mandates.

LOCAL
South Coast Air Quality Management District
The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) adopted a Policy on Global Warming and Stratospheric Ozone Depletion in April 1990. The policy commits the SCAQMD to consider global impacts in rulemaking and in drafting revisions to the Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP). In March 1992, the SCAQMD Governing Board reaffirmed this policy and adopted amendments to the policy to include the following directives:
• Phase out the use and corresponding emissions of CFCs, methyl chloroform (1,1,1-trichloroethane or TCA), carbon tetrachloride, and halons by December 1995; • Phase out the large quantity use and corresponding emissions of HCFCs by the year 2000; • Develop recycling regulations for HCFCs (e.g., SCAQMD Rules 1411 and 1415); • Develop an emissions inventory and control strategy for methyl bromide; and • Support the adoption of a California GHG emission reduction goal.

The legislative and regulatory activity detailed above is expected to require significant development and implementation of energy efficient technologies and shifting of energy production to renewable sources.

SCAG’s Connect SoCal: Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS) Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) is the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for the region in which the City of Lawndale is located. In 2020, SCAG adopted Connect SoCal, the 2020- 2045 RTP/SCS, which is an update to the previous 2016 RTP/SCS. The 2020 RTP/SCS considers the role of transportation in the broader context of economic, environmental, and quality-of-life goals for the future, identifying regional transportation strategies to address mobility needs. The 2020 RTP/SCS describes how the region can attain the GHG emission-reduction targets set by CARB by achieving a 19 percent reduction by 2035 compared to the 2005 level.

Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-18 Greenhouse Gas Emissions SCAG’s 2020 RTP/SCS builds on the land use policies that were incorporated into the 2016 RTP/SCS, and provides specific strategies for successful implementation. These strategies include implementing the Sustainable Communities Program (SCP) – Housing and Sustainable Development (HSD) which will both accelerate housing production as well as enable implementation of the Sustainable Communities Strategy of Connect SoCal; encouraging use of active transportation, or human powered transportation such as bicycles, tricycles, wheelchairs, electric wheelchairs/scooters, skates, and skateboards; and supporting alternative fueled vehicles. The 2020 RTP/SCS overall land use pattern reinforces the trend of focusing new housing and employment in infill areas well served by transit.

In addition, the 2020 RTP/SCS includes goals and strategies to promote active transportation and improve transportation demand management (TDM). The 2020 RTP/SCS strategies support local planning and projects that serve short trips, increase access to transit, expand understanding and consideration of public health in the development of local plans and projects, and support improvements in sidewalk quality, local bike networks, and neighborhood mobility areas. The 2020 RTP/SCS proposes to better align active transportation investments with land use and transportation strategies, increase competitiveness of local agencies for Federal and State funding, and to expand the potential for all people to use active transportation.

South Coast Air Quality Management District Air Quality Management Plan The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP) is the regional blueprint for achieving air quality standards in the South Coast Air Basin, an area that includes Orange County and the non-desert portions of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Through a combination of regulatory and incentive approaches via partnerships at all levels of government, healthy air quality is within reach.

SCAQMD approved the Final 2022 AQMP on December 2, 2022. The Final 2022 AQMP builds upon measures already in place from previous AQMPs to reduce air pollution and meet the Federal ozone standard established by the U.S. EPA in 2015. It includes a variety of additional actions and strategies such as regulation, accelerated deployment of available cleaner technologies (e.g., zero emission emissions technologies, when cost-effective and feasible, and low NOX technologies in other applications), best management practices, co-benefits from existing programs (e.g., climate and energy efficiency), incentives, and other Clean Air Act measures to achieve the 2015 8-hour ozone standard.

South Bay Bicycle Master Plan: Draft Final Plan
The South Bay Bicycle Master Plan (August 2011) is intended to guide the development and maintenance of a comprehensive bicycle network and set of programs and policies throughout the cities of El Segundo, Gardena, Hermosa Beach, Lawndale, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, and Torrance over a period of 20 years. The Plan recommends programs meant to promote and increase bicycle ridership for all levels of ability across the South Bay.

City of Lawndale Climate Action Plan
The City of Lawndale, in cooperation with the South Bay Cities Council of Governments, has developed a Climate Action Plan (CAP) to reduce GHG emissions within the City. The City’s CAP serves as a guide for action by setting GHG emission reduction goals and establishing strategies and policies to achieve desired Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-19 Greenhouse Gas Emissions outcomes over a 20-year period (2035). The CAP identifies community-wide strategies to conserve energy and reduce GHG emissions from a range of sources within the jurisdiction, including transportation, land use, energy generation and consumption, water, and waste.

5.8.4 SIGNIFICANCE CRITERIA AND THRESHOLDS
Appendix G of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines contains the Initial Study Environmental Checklist, which includes questions related to climate change-related impacts:
• Generate greenhouse gas emissions, either directly or indirectly, that may have a significant impact on the environment (refer to Impact Statement GHG-1); or • Conflict with an applicable plan, policy, or regulation adopted for the purpose of reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases (refer to Impact Statement GHG-1).

ANALYSIS APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY
Cumulative impacts are the collective impacts of one or more past, present, and future projects that, when combined, result in adverse changes to the environment. In determining the significance of a project’s contribution to anticipated adverse future conditions, a lead agency should generally undertake a two‐step analysis. The first question is whether the combined effects from both the proposed Project and other projects would be cumulatively significant. If the agency answers this inquiry in the affirmative, the second question is whether “the project’s incremental effects are cumulatively considerable” and thus significant in and of themselves. The cumulative global project list for this issue (climate change) comprises anthropogenic (i.e., human-made) GHG emissions sources across the globe. No project alone would reasonably be expected to contribute to a noticeable incremental change to the global climate, but rather effects are shown to be caused by the cumulative emissions from across the globe. However, legislation and executive orders on the subject of climate change in California have established a statewide context and process for developing an enforceable statewide cap on GHG emissions. Given the nature of environmental consequences from GHGs and global climate change, CEQA requires that lead agencies consider evaluating the cumulative impacts of GHGs. Small contributions to this cumulative impact (from which significant effects are occurring and are expected to worsen over time) may be potentially considerable and, therefore, significant.

OPR recommends that lead agencies under CEQA create a plan to reduce GHG emissions that meets the goals of both CEQA and general plans. OPR states that the GHG emissions reduction plan can be either a stand-alone CAP or directly part of the general plan. The City of Lawndale, in cooperation with the South Bay Cities Council of Governments, developed a Climate Action Plan (CAP) in 2017 to reduce GHG emissions within the City of Lawndale. The City’s CAP serves as a guide for action by setting GHG reduction goals and establishing strategies and policy to achieve desired outcomes.

Quantitative disclosure of the Project’s GHG emissions is provided below. Additionally, an analysis of the proposed Project’s consistency with the City of Lawndale CAP and the California Statewide 2030 GHG emissions target of 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 (as encapsulated by SB 32), as well as a qualitative analysis of the Project’s consistency with the California statewide net zero target by 2045 (as encapsulated in AB 1279), is also provided.

Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-20 Greenhouse Gas Emissions

5.8.5 IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES
GHG-1: Would the project generate greenhouse gas emissions, either directly or indirectly, that may have a significant impact on the environment?
Would the project conflict with an applicable plan, policy, or regulation adopted for the purpose of reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases?
Impact Analysis: Emissions of GHGs contributing to global climate change are attributable in large part to human activities associated with the industrial/manufacturing, utility, transportation, residential, and agricultural sectors. Implementation of the General Plan Update would contribute to increases of GHG emissions that are associated with global climate change. Estimated GHG emissions attributable to future development would be primarily associated with increases of CO2 and other GHG pollutants, such as methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), from mobile sources and utility usage.

PROJECT GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
Construction Emissions
Potential future development associated with implementation of the General Plan Update would generate GHGs during the construction and operational phases of the Project. The proposed Project’s primary source of construction-related GHGs would result from emissions of CO2 associated with individual development projects’ construction and worker vehicle trips; refer to Table 5.8-1, Construction GHG Emissions (Metric Tons/Year). Additionally, site-specific development would likely require limited demolition and grading, and would also include site preparation, paving, building construction, and architectural coating phases. Construction was assumed to occur starting in year 2023 and ending in year 2045.1 Since specific development projects are not currently proposed, default parameters were used for construction activities, except for the construction schedule, which was adjusted to reflect the buildout year of 2045. See Appendix C, Air Quality, Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Modeling Data, for more detail.

Table 5.8-1
Construction GHG Emissions (Metric Tons/Year)
Year Bio-CO2 NBio-CO2 Total CO2 CH4 N2O R CO2e
Maximum 0 35,703 35,703 1.53 2.66 50.7 36,584
Source: CalEEMod version 2022.1
As shown in Table 5.8-1, Project construction-related activities would generate a maximum of approximately 36,584 MTCO2e of GHG emissions in a single year. Total GHG emissions constructionrelated activities would be approximately 677,483, over the entire course of construction (assumed to start in year 2023 and end in year 2045. See Appendix C, Air Quality, Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions 1 Although construction associated with the Project is not anticipated to start until year 2025, year 2023 was used as a starting year for the purposes of modeling for the sake of a conservative analysis, since earlier construction years use less efficient on- and off-road construction equipment, compared with later years.

Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-21 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Modeling Data, for more detail. Once construction is complete, the generation of construction-related GHG emissions would cease.

Operational Emissions
The operational phase of future development associated with implementation of the proposed Project would generate GHGs primarily from the individual development’s operational vehicle trips and building energy (electricity and natural gas) usage; refer to Table 5.8-2, Operational GHG Emissions 2040 (Metric Tons/Year). Other sources of GHG emissions would be minimal.

Table 5.8-2
Operational GHG Emissions 2045 (Metric Tons/Year)
Category Bio-CO2 NBio-CO2 Total CO2 CH4 N2O R CO2e
Area 0 511 511 0.02 0 0 513
Energy 0 80,808 80,808 8.31 0.56 0 81,184
Mobile 0 107,424 107,424 4.29 4.45 12.4 108,869
Waste 211 0 2,111 211 0 0 7,385
Water 529 3,213 3,742 54.7 1.34 0 5,509
Refrigerants 0 0 0 0 0 44.5 44.5
Total 2,640 191,956 194,596 278 6.35 56.9 203,504
Source: CalEEMod version 2022.1
As shown in Table 5.8-2, Project operational GHG emissions would total approximately 203,504 MTCO2e annually. The Lawndale General Plan Update includes goals, policies, and actions to reduce GHG emissions, as provided below. The proposed Project would provide for more residential, commercial, and mixed-use development in proximity to each other, as well as in proximity to transit. Further, Project implementation would provide for a denser urban environment with improved amenities that support active (non-motorized) transportation opportunities within the Planning Area. Accordingly, as discussed further below, the Project is consistent with plans and policies designed to achieve the State’s GHG reduction goals. However, it cannot be guaranteed that construction and operational emissions would result in a less than significant impact with regards to GHG impacts, as discussed in further detail below.

CONSISTENCY WITH APPLICABLE GHG PLANS, POLICIES, OR REGULATIONS Lawndale Climate Action Plan - Community GHG Emissions Inventory, Forecasts, and Targets The following summarizes the Lawndale’s CAP’s quantification of baseline GHG emissions, the establishment of GHG emissions targets that demonstrate a level which the contribution of GHG emissions from activities covered by the CAP would not be cumulatively considerable, and forecasts for future year GHG emissions. These analyses and results are provided in the CAP and are briefly summarized below.

GHG Emissions Inventory
The first step towards reducing GHG emissions is estimating the baseline and future expected emissions.

These estimates are categorized by sources – commercial and residential energy, on-road transportation, Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-22 Greenhouse Gas Emissions solid waste, water, wastewater, and off-road sources. The City completed inventories for 2005, 2007, 2010, and 2012. The baseline year is 2005, which means that the future emissions reductions will be measured against emissions that occurred in 2005.

Table 5.8-3, City of Lawndale Community-wide GHG Emissions by Sector from 2005 to 2012, provides a summary of the City’s 2005 (baseline) and 2012 community inventories. As shown in Table 5.8-3, the transportation sector is the largest contributor to emissions.

Table 5.8-3
City of Lawndale Community-wide GHG Emissions by Sector from 2005 to 2012 Sector 2005 2012 % Change 2005 to 2012
On-Road Transportation 66,334 71,769 8.2%
Residential Energy 31,749 31,330 -1.3%
Commercial Energy 20,664 16,856 -18.4%
Solid Waste 5,456 3,442 -36.9%
Water 5,214 3,223 -38.2%
Off-Road Equipment 1,012 108 -89.3%
Wastewater 120 91 -24.2%
Total 130,549 126,819 -2.9%
Source: South Bay Cities Council of Governments, City of Lawndale Climate Action Plan, December 2017.

GHG Emissions Forecasts and Reduction Target
Emission estimates for future years are scenarios based on assumptions about the future. The 2020 Business As Usual 2020 BAU) scenario assumed that no new policies, plans, programs, or regulations designed to reduce GHG emissions will be adopted”. The 2020 and 2035 Adjusted Business As Usual (ABAU) scenarios, in comparison, do take into account the expected reduction impacts resulting from Federal and State mandated laws such as higher vehicle fuel efficiency standards and increases in the percentage of renewable energy production.

In 2015, the City set GHG emission reduction goals consistent with the State’s AB 32 GHG emission reduction targets. The City’s target was calculated as a 15 percent decrease from 2005 levels by 2020 as recommended in the State AB 32 Scoping Plan. A longer-term goal was established for 2035 to reduce emissions by 49 percent below 2005 levels. These goals put the City on a path towards helping the State meet its long-term 2050 goal to reduce emissions by 80 percent below 1990 levels.

GHG Reduction Measures
The City of Lawndale CAP includes a large array of strategies to reduce GHG emissions. These strategies include:

Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-23 Greenhouse Gas Emissions • Land Use and Transportation: Facilitate pedestrian and neighborhood development and identify ways to reduce automobile emissions including supporting zero emission vehicle infrastructure, improving pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, enhancing public transit service, and supporting reductions in single-occupancy vehicle use.
• Energy Efficiency: Emphasize energy efficiency retrofits for existing buildings, energy performance requirements for new construction, water efficient landscaping, financing programs that will allow home and business owners to obtain low-interest loans for implementing energy efficiency in their buildings.
• Solid Waste: Focus on increasing waste diversion and encouraging participation in recycling and composting throughout the community.
• Urban Greening: Contain measures that create “carbon sinks” as they store GHG emissions that are otherwise emitted into the atmosphere as well as support health of the community. • Energy Generation and Storage: Demonstrate the City’s commitment to support the implementation of clean, renewable energy while decreasing dependence on traditional, GHG emitting power sources.

Implementation and Monitoring
The City’s CAP is a policy-level document that guides the implementation of the climate action plan’s GHG reduction measures. On-going monitoring and reporting of GHG reduction impacts and their cost effectiveness will enable City staff to make regular adjustments to the CAP. The monitoring and implementation process should anticipate the possible need to adjust to unforeseen circumstances, incorporated innovative new technologies, and evolve with the advancing science of climate change.

Measure-Tracking tools are ways for the City to monitor the reductions that result from the implementation of GHG reduction actions. The Climate Action Implementation Coordinator or the City Climate Action Team could be tasked to maintain records of reduction measure implementation; additionally, as funding is available, they could ensure that periodic updates to the emissions inventory are completed as a way to quantify GHG reductions. Conducting future inventories also allows the City to better assess their GHG emissions as better data and new methods for calculating reductions become available. Additionally, the City can continue to receive assistance from the SBCCOG for their implementation and monitoring efforts.

Project Consistency with City of Lawndale CAP
Proposed General Plan Update Resources Management Element Action RM-4a would require the City to implement the local GHG reduction measures identified in the City of Lawndale Climate Action Plan (CAP), participate in future updates of the SBCCOG Climate Action Plan, and perform on-going monitoring and reporting of GHG reduction impacts, as well as to develop a Climate Action Team to support and guide the City’s efforts to conserve energy and reduce emissions, and work with the SBCCOG and/or other local, regional, State, and Federal agencies or utility to obtain funding necessary to implement, monitor, and report the CAP measures.

Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-24 Greenhouse Gas Emissions While the reduction of GHG emissions puts the City on the path to achieve its long-term emissions targets, since the CAP was developed in 2017, prior to AB 1279, the City would need additional actions to keep the City on a path that aligns with the State of California’s longer-term goal for 2045. 2022 Scoping Plan Consistency
The goal to reduce GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 (Executive Order S-3-05) was codified by the California Legislature as AB 32. In 2008, CARB approved a Scoping Plan as required by AB 32. The Scoping Plan has a range of GHG reduction actions which include direct regulations, alternative compliance mechanisms, monetary and non-monetary incentives, voluntary actions, market-based mechanisms such as a cap-and-trade system, and an AB 32 implementation fee to fund the program. The 2022 Scoping Plan identifies additional GHG reduction measures necessary to achieve the 2030 target, as well as to achieve the State’s target of carbon neutrality by year 2045, as encapsulated by AB 1279. These measures build upon those identified in the previous Scoping Plan updates. Although a number of these measures are currently established as policies and measures, some measures have not yet been formally proposed or adopted. It is expected that these measures or similar actions to reduce GHG emissions will be adopted subsequently as required to achieve Statewide GHG emissions targets.

Table 5.8-4, Project Consistency with the 2022 Scoping Plan, summarizes the Project’s consistency with applicable policies and measures of the 2022 Scoping Plan. As indicated in Table 5.8-4, the Project would not conflict with any of the provisions of the 2022 Scoping Plan and would support four of the action categories through energy efficiency, water conservation, recycling, and landscaping.

Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-25 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Table 5.8-4
Project Consistency with the 2022 Scoping Plan
Sector/Source Category/Description Consistency Analysis Area
SCAQMD Rule 445
(Wood Burning
Devices)
Restricts the installation of wood-burning
devices in new development.

Mandatory Compliance. Approximately 15
percent of California’s major anthropogenic
sources of black carbon include fireplaces
and woodstoves.1 The Project would not
include hearths (woodstove and fireplaces)
as mandated by this rule.

Energy
California
Renewables
Portfolio Standard,
Senate Bill 350 (SB
350) and Senate Bill
100 (SB 100)
Increases the proportion of electricity from
renewable sources to 33 percent
renewable power by 2020. SB 350 requires
50 percent by 2030. SB 100 requires 44
percent by 2024, 52 percent by 2027, and
60 percent by 2030. It also requires the
State Energy Resources Conservation and
Development Commission to double the
energy efficiency savings in electricity and
natural gas final end uses of retail
customers through energy efficiency and
conservation.

No Conflict. The Project would utilize
electricity provided by Southern California
Edison (SCE), which is required to meet the
2020, 2030, 2045, and 2050 performance
standards. In 2018, 31 percent of SCE’s
electricity came from renewable resources.2
By 2030 SCE plans to achieve 80 percent
carbon-free energy.3
All Electric
Appliances for New
Residential and
Commercial
Buildings (AB 197)
All electric appliances beginning 2026
(residential) and 2029 (commercial),
contributing to 6 million heat pumps
installed statewide by 2030.

Mandatory Compliance. Project-specific
plans would be required to demonstrate
that only all electric appliances would be
installed for residential land uses starting in
2026, and for commercial uses starting in
2029, consistent with this requirement.

California Code of
Regulations, Title
24, Building
Standards Code
Requires compliance with energy
efficiency standards for residential and
nonresidential buildings.

Mandatory Compliance. Future
development associated with Project
implementation would be required to meet
the applicable requirements of the adopted
Title 24 Building Energy Efficiency
Standards, including installation of rooftop
solar panels and additional CALGreen
requirements (see discussion under
CALGreen Code requirements below).

Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-26 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Table 5.8-4 (continued)
Project Consistency with the 2022 Scoping Plan
Sector/Source Category/Description Consistency Analysis California Green
Building Standards
(CALGreen) Code
Requirements
All bathroom exhaust fans are
required to be ENERGY STAR
compliant.

Mandatory Compliance. Project-specific
construction plans would be required to
demonstrate that energy efficiency
appliances, including bathroom exhaust fans,
and equipment are ENERGY STAR compliant.

HVAC system designs are required to
meet American Society of Heating,
Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning
Engineers (ASHRAE) standards.

Mandatory Compliance. Project-specific
construction plans would be required to
demonstrate that the HVAC system meets
the ASHRAE standards.

Air filtration systems are required to
meet a minimum efficiency reporting
value (MERV) 8 or higher.

Mandatory Compliance. Specific
development projects would be required to
install air filtration systems (MERV 8 or
higher) as part of its compliance with the
adopted Title 24 Building Energy Efficiency
Standards.

Refrigerants used in newly installed
HVAC systems shall not contain any
chlorofluorocarbons.

Mandatory Compliance. Specific
development projects would be required to
meet this requirement as part of its
compliance with the CALGreen Code.

Parking spaces shall be designed for
carpool or alternative fueled vehicles.

Up to eight percent of total parking
spaces is required for such vehicles.

Mandatory Compliance. Specific
development projects would be required to
meet this requirement as part of its
compliance the CALGreen Code.

Mobile Sources
Mobile Source Strategy
(Cleaner Technology
and Fuels)
Reduce GHGs and other pollutants
from the transportation sector
through transition to zero-emission
and low-emission vehicles, cleaner
transit systems, and reduction of
vehicle miles traveled.

Consistent. The Project would be consistent
with this strategy by supporting the use of
zero-emission and low-emission vehicles;
refer to CALGreen Code discussion above.

Senate Bill (SB) 375
SB 375 establishes mechanisms for the
development of regional targets for
reducing passenger vehicle GHG
emissions. Under SB 375, CARB is
required, in consultation with the
State’s Metropolitan Planning
Organizations, to set regional GHG
reduction targets for the passenger
vehicle and light-duty truck sector for
2020 and 2035.

Consistent. As demonstrated in Table 5.8-5,
the Project would comply with the Southern
California Association of Governments
(SCAG) 2020-2045 Regional Transportation
Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy
(2020-2045 RTP/SCS), and therefore, the
Project would be consistent with SB 375.

Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-27 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Table 5.8-4 (continued)
Project Consistency with the 2022 Scoping Plan
Sector/Source Category/Description Consistency Analysis Water
CCR, Title 24, Building
Standards Code
Title 24 includes water efficiency
requirements for new residential and
non- residential uses.

Mandatory Compliance. Refer to the
discussion under the adopted Title 24
Building Standards Code and CALGreen Code,
above.

Water Conservation
Act of 2009 (Senate Bill
X7-7)
The Water Conservation Act of 2009
sets an overall goal of reducing per
capita urban water use by 20 percent
by December 31, 2020. Each urban
retail water supplier shall develop
water use targets to meet this goal.

This is an implementing measure of
the Water Sector of the AB 32 Scoping
Plan. Reduction in water consumption
directly reduces the energy necessary
and the associated emissions to
convene, treat, and distribute the
water; it also reduces emissions from
wastewater treatment.

Consistent. Refer to the discussion under the
adopted Title 24 Building Standards Code and
CALGreen Code, above. Also, refer to Section

5.10, Hydrology and Water Quality.

Solid Waste
California Integrated
Waste Management
Act (IWMA) of 1989
and Assembly Bill (AB)
341
The IWMA mandates that State
agencies develop and implement an
integrated waste management plan
which outlines the steps to divert at
least 50 percent of solid waste from
disposal facilities. AB 341 directs the
California Department of Resources
Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) to
develop and adopt regulations for
mandatory commercial recycling and
sets a Statewide goal for 75 percent
disposal reduction by the year 2020.

Mandatory Compliance. The Project would
be required to comply with AB 341 which
requires multifamily residential dwelling of
five units or more to arrange for recycling
services. This would reduce the overall
amount of solid waste disposed of at landfills.

The decrease in solid waste would in return
decrease the amount of methane released
from decomposing solid waste.

Notes:

1. California Air Resources Board, California’s 2017 Climate Change Scoping Plan, Figure 4: California 2013 Anthropogenic Black Carbon Emission Sources, November 2017.

2. California Energy Commission, 2018 Power Content Label Southern California Edison, https://www.energy.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2020-01/2018_PCL_Southern_California_Edison.pdf, accessed June 24, 2020.

3. Southern California Edison, The Clean Power and Electrification Pathway, https://newsroom.edison.com/internal_redirect/cms.ipressroom.com.s3.amazonaws.com/166/files/20187/g17- pathway-to-2030-white-paper.pdf, accessed June 24, 2020.

4. California Energy Commission, 2013 California Energy Efficiency Potential and Goals Study, Appendix Volume I, August 15, 2013.

Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-28 Greenhouse Gas Emissions AB 1279 Consistency
Assembly Bill 1279, passed in 2022, declares the State’s objective to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible, but no later than 2045, and to achieve and maintain net negative greenhouse gas emissions thereafter. This is in addition to, and does not replace or supersede, Statewide greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. CARB’s 2022 Scoping Plan is designed to ensure the State would meet the State’s GHG emissions goals as encapsulated in AB 1279. As described above, the proposed Project would not conflict with any of the provisions of the 2022 Scoping Plan and would support four of the action categories through energy efficiency, water conservation, recycling, and landscaping However, although the Project would not conflict with the 2022 Scoping Plan, this is not sufficient to ensure that individual development projects associated with the proposed Project would be consistent with the net zero greenhouse gas emissions target encapsulated by AB 1279. Therefore, since full consistency between the proposed Project and AB 1279 cannot be ensured at this programmatic level of analysis, implementation of the proposed Project could result in a significant impact on the environment due to the release of GHGs.

SCAG RTP/SCS Consistency
On September 3, 2020, SCAG’s Regional Council adopted Connect SoCal (2020-2045 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy [2020 RTP/SCS]). The 2020 RTP/SCS is a long-range visioning plan that balances future mobility and housing needs with economic, environmental, and public health goals. The 2020 RTP/SCS embodies a collective vision for the region’s future and is developed with input from local governments, county transportation commissions, tribal governments, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and local stakeholders in the counties of Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura. SCAG’s 2020 RTP/SCS establishes GHG emissions goals for automobiles and light-duty trucks for 2020 and 2035 as well as an overall GHG target for the Project region consistent with both the target date of AB 32 and the post-2020 GHG reduction goals of Executive Orders 5-03-05 and B-30-15.

The 2020 RTP/SCS contains over 4,000 transportation projects, ranging from highway improvements, railroad grade separations, bicycle lanes, new transit hubs and replacement bridges. These future investments were included in county plans developed by the six county transportation commissions and seek to reduce traffic bottlenecks, improve the efficiency of the region’s network, and expand mobility choices for everyone. The RTP/SCS is an important planning document for the region, allowing project sponsors to qualify for Federal funding.

The plan accounts for operations and maintenance costs to ensure reliability, longevity, and cost effectiveness. The 2020 RTP/SCS is also supported by a combination of transportation and land use strategies that help the region achieve State GHG emissions reduction goals and Federal Clean Air Act (FCAA) requirements, preserve open space areas, improve public health and roadway safety, support our vital goods movement industry, and utilize resources more efficiently. GHG emissions resulting from development-related mobile sources are the most potent source of emissions, and therefore Project comparison to the 2020 RTP/SCS is an appropriate indicator of whether the Project would inhibit the post2020 GHG reduction goals promulgated by the State. The Project’s consistency with the 2020 RTP/SCS goals is analyzed in detail in Table 5.8-5, Project Consistency with the 2020-2045 RTP/SCS.

Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-29 Greenhouse Gas Emissions As depicted in Table 5.8-5, the Project would be consistent with the 2020 RTP/SCS through various polices.

The General Plan Update’s goals, policies, and actions would support development that is encouraged by the 2020 RTP/SCS to reduce VMT and expand multi-modal transportation options in order for the region to achieve GHG reductions from the land use and transportation sectors required by SB 375, which, in turn, advances the State’s long-term climate policies. By furthering implementation of SB 375, the General Plan Update supports regional land use and transportation GHG reductions consistent with State regulatory requirements. Therefore, the Project would be consistent with the GHG reduction-related actions and strategies contained in the 2020 RTP/SCS.

Table 5.8-5
Project Consistency with the 2020-2045 RTP/SCS
SCAG Goals Consistency Analysis
Goal 1: Encourage regional
economic prosperity and global
competitiveness.

Consistent. The proposed Project would provide for increased residential development at higher densities in proximity to areas served by transit, jobs and serves, which would promote economic prosperity and development of the Planning Area in an orderly and market-driven manner, consistent with local priorities.

Goal 2: Improve mobility,
accessibility, reliability, and travel
safety for people and goods.

Consistent. Although this Project is not a transportation improvement project, the Project would allow for infill development in locations near existing transit routes, goods and services. The availability of public transportation and the focus on increasing density relative to the existing public transportation, enables Project implementation to reduce VMT per service population, and associated transportation-related emissions, compared to existing conditions and the existing land use plan for the Planning Area.

Goal 3: Enhance the preservation,
security, and resilience of the
regional transportation system.

Not applicable. This is not a transportation improvement project and is therefore not applicable.

Goal 4: Increase person and
goods movement and travel
choices within the transportation
system.

Not applicable. This is not a transportation improvement project and is therefore not applicable. However, the Project would not reduce person and goods movement and travel choices within the transportation system.

Goal 5: Reduce greenhouse gas
emissions and improve air
quality.

Consistent. The Planning Area is located within an urban area. The location of the Planning Area within an urbanized area served by existing transit, and implementation of the proposed General Plan Update land uses and associated development potential, would reduce VMT per employee and VMT per capita compared to existing conditions, which would reduce GHG and air quality emissions.

Goal 6: Support healthy and
equitable communities
Consistent. The Project would provide for more residential and commercial development in proximity to each other, as well as in proximity to existing transit. Further, Project implementation would provide for a denser urban environment with improved amenities that support active (non-motorized) transportation opportunities, including walking and bicycling within the Planning Area. Additionally, the Project would reduce VMT per employee and VMT per capita compared to existing conditions, which would reduce GHG and air quality emissions. Therefore, overall, the Project would support the goal of supporting healthy and equitable communities.

Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-30 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Table 5.8-5 (continued)
Project Consistency with the 2020-2045 RTP/SCS
SCAG Goals Consistency Analysis
Goal 7: Adapt to a changing
climate and support an
integrated regional development
pattern and transportation
network.

Not applicable. This is not a project-specific policy and is therefore not applicable.

Goal 8: Leverage new
transportation technologies and
data-driven solutions that result
in more efficient travel.

Not applicable. This is not a project-specific policy and is therefore not applicable.

Goal 9: Encourage development
of diverse housing types in areas
that are supported by multiple
transportation options.

Consistent. Implementation of the General Plan Update would allow for a variety of housing types at varying densities, especially within the Hawthorne Boulevard Specific Plan area, which would be supported by a variety transportation options, including local bus routes.

Goal 10: Promote conservation of
natural and agricultural lands and
restoration of habitats.

Not applicable. The Planning Area is urbanized and fully developed. The Planning Area does not include any natural or agricultural lands.

Source: Southern California Association of Governments, Connect SoCal – The Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy, 2020.

Compliance with applicable State standards would ensure consistency with State and regional GHG reduction planning efforts. The goals stated in the 2020 RTP/SCS were used to determine consistency with the planning efforts previously stated. As shown in Table 5.8-5, the proposed Project would be consistent with the stated goals of the 2020 RTP/SCS. Therefore, the proposed Project would not result in any significant impacts or interfere with SCAG’s ability to achieve the region’s post-2020 mobile source GHG reduction targets.

Conclusion
In order to further reduce GHG emissions associated with buildout of the General Plan Update, the City has included numerous goals, policies and actions in the General Plan Update aimed at reducing GHG emissions and promoting sustainability in the Planning Area. The General Plan Update proposes goals, policies and actions that are specifically relevant to climate change and GHG emissions and energy consumption within the Planning Area. Specifically, the General Plan Update Resources Management Element includes Policy RM-4.1, which supports regional efforts, including those organized through the SCAQMD, SCAG, the SBCCOG, and CARB to implement the regional AQMP. Policy RM-4.3 aligns the City’s local GHG reduction targets with the statewide GHG reduction targets of AB 32, and aligns the City’s GHG reduction goal with the Statewide GHG reduction goal of Executive Order S-03-05. Policy RM-4.9 requires the City to consider and adopt new local policies and programs that would help to provide energy efficient alternatives to fossil fuel use and reduce consumption in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions consistent with the local measures identified in the City of Lawndale Climate Action Plan. Additionally, Action RM-4a requires the City to Implement the local GHG reduction measures identified in the City of Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-31 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Lawndale CAP, participate in future updates of the SBCCOG Climate Action Plan, and perform on-going monitoring and reporting of GHG reduction impacts, develop a Climate Action Team to support and guide the City’s efforts to conserve energy and reduce emissions, and work with the SBCCOG and/or other local, Regional, State, and Federal agencies or utility to obtain funding necessary to implement, monitor, and report the CAP measures.

Furthermore, numerous policies and programs in the General Plan Update address sustainable development, which influence operational mobile, energy, and area-source emissions in the Planning Area. For example, the proposed Resource Management Element Policy RM-4.6 encourages and incentivizes higher density and mixed-use development opportunities within designated areas of the City to lessen the impacts of traffic congestion on local air quality. Additional policies and actions throughout the Land Use and Mobility Elements promote reductions in VMT through the mix and density of land uses, walkable neighborhood design, bicycle facilities and infrastructure, the expansion of trail networks, and public transportation facilities and infrastructure. Specifically, the proposed Land Use Element includes Policy LU-1.1 which promotes an appropriate land use plan that promotes efficient development and multiple transportation options. The proposed Mobility Element contains Policy M-3.1, which requires the City to apply Complete Streets principles to all transportation improvements projects (e.g. safety, intelligent transportation systems, roads and intersections widening, transit facilities); Policy M-3.2, which requires the City to pursue multi-modal connectivity; Policy M-5.3, which requires new developments to construct, when appropriate, transit facilities, including bus turn-outs, lighted bus shelters, and route information signage; Policy M-6.1, which requires the City to implement the South Bay Bicycle Master Plan within City limits to provide active transportation facilities that can serve as an alternative to automobiles; Policy M-6.2, which requires the City to coordinate with the South Bay Cities Council of Governments to promote local micromobility modes by implementing the Local Travel Network plan and supporting efforts to integrate the network with adjacent cities; Policy M-6.3, which requires the City to allow for modified sidewalk standards and encourage enhanced pedestrian amenities along Hawthorne Boulevard to reflect the corridors unique character and land use vision. While these policies and actions would further assist the City in reducing GHG emissions, the associated reduction of GHG emissions are not quantifiable. Because of this, the City cannot state with certainty whether implementation of the General Plan Update would meet the 2030 and 2045 community emissions targets.

Overall, the proposed Project would be required to comply with regulations imposed by the State of California and the SCAQMD aimed at the reduction of air pollutant emissions, as described above. While compliance with relevant regulations and implementation of the proposed General Plan Updates’ goals, policies and actions would reduce GHG emissions, the associated reductions of GHG emissions are not quantifiable. Therefore, it cannot be guaranteed that the implementation of the General Plan Update, as well as the individual development projects associated with implementation of the proposed Project, would generate emissions consistent with the State’s long-term goals for reducing GHG emissions in the State of California, particularly the net-zero target as promulgated under AB 1279. As such, the City cannot state with certainty whether implementation of the General Plan Update would meet the State’s community emissions target. The proposed Project would have a cumulatively significant and unavoidable adverse impact in regards to greenhouse gas emissions.

Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-32 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Proposed General Plan Update Goals, Policies, and Actions:

LAND USE ELEMENT
Policy LU-1.1: Sustainable Land Use Pattern. Provide an appropriate land use plan that promotes efficient development; fosters and enhances community livability and public health; sustains economic vitality; promotes efficient development and multiple transportation options; reduces pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and the expenditure of energy and other resources; and ensures compatibility between uses consistent with the land use designations identified in this Element and Land Use Map (LU-1).

Policy LU-1.2 Balance Jobs and Housing. Balance levels of employment and housing within the community to provide more opportunities for Lawndale residents to work locally, reduce commute times, and improve air quality.

Policy LU-1.4: Commercial Corridors. Encourage development of well-maintained, functional, and appropriate commercial, retail, and employment opportunities in stand-alone and mixeduse formats, particularly along Hawthorne Boulevard, major arterials, and at major intersections where there is maximum visibility and access.

MOBILITY ELEMENT
Policy M-3.1: Complete Streets for Roadway Projects. Apply Complete Streets principles to all transportation improvements projects (e.g. safety, intelligent transportation systems, roads and intersections widening, transit facilities).

Policy M-3.2: Multimodal Connectivity. Link activity centers, employment centers, public facilities, and schools to transit and active transportation facilities, wherever feasible.

Policy M-5.1 Transit Use. Support programs encouraging public transit use by people living in, working in, or visiting Lawndale.

Policy M-5.2 Improve Local Public Transit Services. Work with Metro, Lawndale Beat Bus, and other local public transit providers to plan and improve local transit service and transit facilities, including bus stops, in the City.

Policy M-5.3: Transit Facilities. Require new developments to construct, when appropriate, transit facilities, including bus turn-outs, lighted bus shelters, and route information signage.

Action M-5a Continue on-going coordination with transit authorities toward the expansion of transit facilities.

Policy M-6.1: Bicycle Master Plan. Implement the South Bay Bicycle Master Plan within City limits to provide active transportation facilities that can serve as an alternative to automobiles, including the Plan’s facility recommendations as shown in Figure M-2.

Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-33 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Policy M-6.2: Local Travel Network. Coordinate with the South Bay Cities Council of Governments to promote local micromobility modes by implementing the Local Travel Network plan and supporting efforts to integrate the network with adjacent cities, as shown in Figure M-3.

Policy M-6.3: Hawthorne Boulevard Sidewalks. Allow for modified sidewalk standards and encourage enhanced pedestrian amenities along Hawthorne Boulevard to reflect the corridors unique character and land use vision.

Policy M-6.4: Sidewalk and Bikeway Gaps. Create a connected and complete active transportation network by identifying and eliminating gaps in sidewalks and bikeways.

Policy M-6.5: Bicycle/Pedestrian Facilities at New Developments. Require new residential and nonresidential developments in the City to provide safe and attractive bicycle and pedestrian facilities, such as secure bicycle parking, pedestrian-scale lighting, street furniture, landscaping, and other improvements.

Policy M-6.6: Effects of New Technologies on Active Transportation. Monitor the development of mobility new technologies and the potential effects on designing a transportation network that accommodates all modes and users.

Action M-6a As part of development review and specific plans, review any existing gaps in active transportation infrastructure that inhibit mobility.

Action M-6b Implement the South Bay Bicycle Master Plan when roadways are being rehabilitated or resurfaced, as funding allows.

Action M-6c Review and update the City’s Municipal Code, as necessary to consider bicycle and pedestrian access as part of the site plan review for new development projects.

Policy M-9.2: Transportation Demand Management. Require transportation demand management (TDM) strategies as mitigation measures for new projects that exceed the City's thresholds Vehicle Miles Traveled impact thresholds.

Policy M-9.3 Regional Coordination. Encourage regional agencies such as Metro, South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCQAMD), and the South Bay Cities Council of Governments to promote TDM programs that reduce single occupancy vehicle travel.

Policy M-9.4 New Development. Work with developers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and minimize congestion related to new development through improvements to the circulation system and on-site improvements that encourage public and active modes of travel.

Action M-9a Review and update the City’s Municipal Code and related implementation documents, as necessary, to reflect TDM best practices.

Action M-9b Require developments that are approved based on TDM plans to incorporate monitoring and enforcement of TDM targets as part of those plans.

Lawndale General Plan Update

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-34 Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Policy RM-4.3: GHG Emissions. Align the City’s local GHG reduction targets with the statewide GHG reduction targets of Assembly Bill 32, and align the City’s GHG reduction goal with the statewide GHG reduction goal of Executive Order S-03-05.

Policy RM-4.8: Mitigation. Require the implementation of relevant mitigation measures for all future development upon identification of potential air quality impacts.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
Public Review Draft | August 2023 5.8-35 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Action Team to support and guide the City’s efforts to conserve energy and reduce emissions. Work with the SBCCOG and/or other local, Regional, State, and Federal agencies or utility to obtain funding necessary to implement, monitor, and report the CAP measures.