DATE: DECEMBER 13, 2022
DEPARTMENT: PUBLIC WORKS
FROM: DAVID JACOBS, DIRECTOR
BY: BRIAN FRUS, SENIOR ENGINEER
TITLE: ADOPTION OF THE MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION AND MITIGATION MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM FOR THE INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT RECOMMENDED MOTION:
A motion to approve a Resolution to adopt the proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program for the proposed Salinas Industrial Wastewater Treatment Facility (IWTF) Improvements Project.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The City of Salinas is proposing to implement improvements to its industrial wastewater treatment system (Proposed Project), which treats wastewater from local agriculture-based industries. The Proposed Project is comprised of the following four Capital Improvement Projects (CIPs): (1) the Aeration Lagoon Improvements Project; (2) the Pond Automation/Distribution and Pond 3 Pump Station Project; (3) the Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) and Backup Power Project; and (4) the Airport Lift Station Project. The Proposed Project would address existing operational, treatment efficiency and disposal capacity issues to provide sufficient treatment and disposal capacity to accommodate existing and planned agricultural industrial dischargers within the City. The Proposed Project is subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and a proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program dated November 29, 2022 have been prepared and found as attachments. With the proposed mitigation measures, impacts to the environment will be mitigated to a level less than significant.
BACKGROUND:
The City of Salinas owns and operates an Industrial Wastewater Collection and Conveyance System (IWCCS) which accepts wastewater flow from 23 industrial, primarily food processing, facilities. These food processing activities include vegetable packaging, ice manufacturing, produce refrigeration, and manufacturing corrugated boxes. The City’s IWCCS, which is separate from the City’s sanitary and storm sewer systems and comprised of the Industrial Wastewater Treatment Facility (IWTF), the Airport Lift Station, and the Salinas Treatment Plant No.1 site (TP-1), along with approximately 7.7 miles of gravity and force main industrial sewer pipelines. The wastewater is conveyed to the IWTF site for disposal or recycling.
Recent interest to develop additional processing facilities both at an existing industry location and potentially in the Salinas-Ag Industrial Center has created additional need for capacity at the IWTF. Calculations show that an additional 1 million gallons per day (mgd) of average flow capacity is needed over the existing permitted flow of 4 mgd to meet the new demands. Currently, wastewater is treated by aeration and then disposed of by percolation and evaporation at the IWTF. The infrastructure also exists to export water from the IWTF via a pump station which can discharge directly to the Monterey One Water (M1W) interceptor which flows to the Regional Treatment Plant (RTP) in Marina.
The IWCCS and IWTF facilities are approximately 80 years old and in need of improvements. Proposed improvements at the IWTF site and Airport LS site would provide operational and efficiency improvements as well as capacity reliability and redundancy enhancements for the industrial users.
Proposed Project:
The Proposed Project includes improvements to its industrial wastewater treatment system, which treats wastewater from local agriculture-based industries. The Proposed Project is comprised of the implementation of improvements at two locations: The City’s existing Industrial Wastewater Treatment Facility (IWTF) site just south of the City of Salinas in unincorporated Monterey County and the Airport Lift Station (Airport LS) site, at the south end of Airport Boulevard near Hansen Street in the City of Salinas. The Proposed Project is comprised of the following four CIPs identified in the Capacity and Financial Analysis Report:
Aeration Lagoon Improvements. The existing Aeration Lagoon has twelve 50-horsepower (hp) surface aerators installed. The Aeration Lagoon Improvements Project involves replacing three of these aerators with new units of the same capacity as the existing aerators, as the existing units have exceeded their useful design life. An additional four 50 hp aerators would be installed in the existing lagoon to provide additional treatment capacity. Proposed improvements would also include upgrades to existing electrical and communications systems, including running new electrical wiring, new motor control centers, new electrical building(s), and new transformers.
Pond Automation/Distribution and Pond 3 Pump Station. Proposed improvements would include upgrades to provide additional control and automation to enhance flow monitoring and operation, including new concrete structures, piping/valves, water level controls, slide gates, and electrical and instrumentation upgrades. The Pond 3 Pump Station upgrades would include the addition of a new second pump with the same capacity as the existing pump to enhance pumping reliability.
Variable Frequency Drives (VFD) and Backup Power. This project improvement would add new VFDs on the existing and proposed aerators to provide better control and operational cost savings by reducing energy usage at appropriate times of day or seasons. The Backup Power project element would include the addition of three fixed standby emergency generators capable of generating up to a total of 1.5 megawatts (MW) to increase facility reliability/resiliency and to ensure uninterrupted wastewater conveyance and treatment in the event of power outages.
Airport Lift Station (LS). The Airport LS project would increase the firm capacity of the pump station from 4 mgd to 6 mgd monthly average flow to adequately serve the existing industrial users that discharge to this location. Proposed improvements would include either replacing the existing pumps, expanding the lift station to incorporate new pumps to provide the increased capacity, or replacing with a new lift station.
CEQA CONSIDERATION:
The environmental impacts of the Proposed Project have been analyzed in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). An Initial Study was prepared to evaluate the potential impacts associated with the Proposed Project. Based upon review of the Initial Study, the Proposed Project will not have a significant effect on the environment because the mitigation measures outlined in the proposed Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program have been included in the project (see attached Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration). The Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration were routed to responsible agencies, posted on the City’s website, and made available for review at the Community Development Department, the Public Works Department and the Steinbeck Library. The Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration were received by the State Clearinghouse (SCH# 2022100457) and the deadline for public review was from October 20, 2022, to November 21, 2022. Action on the environmental document should precede any action on the requested land use entitlements.
Staff received no comments on the Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration during the public review period.
STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVE:
The Proposed Project meets the City Council’s Strategic Plan Initiative of Economic Development. If completed, the Proposed Project will encourage development that benefits Salinas residents and businesses and that contributes to the community’s economic health.
DEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION:
This project has and will continue to rely on coordination between the Water, Waste and Energy (WWE) division in Public Works, Community Development, Legal and the City Manager’s office. WWE will oversee the overall execution of the project, while coordinating with the City Manager on overall strategy and with Legal and Community Development for review of the CEQA documents for consistency with established procedures and policy.
FISCAL AND SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT:
Overall, the Proposed Project implementation is estimated to cost $40M. Staff believes that a State Revolving Fund grant and loan opportunities are strong possibilities. Staff will continue to research multiple funding possibilities as full funding for the Proposed Project may likely require utilization of a number of different sources.
FINDINGS:
Council may adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program if all of the findings set forth in the attached Resolution are established.
AVAILABLE ALTERNATIVES
Council has the following alternatives:
1. Affirm the findings set forth in the attached Resolution, and adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program; or
2. Reject the findings set forth in the attached Resolution and deny the Proposed Project.
ATTACHMENTS:
Resolution
Draft Initial Study/ Mitigated Negative Declaration - Salinas Industrial Wastewater Treatment Facility Improvements Project, November 29, 2022
Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program - Salinas Industrial Wastewater Treatment Facility Improvements Project, November 29, 2022
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