24580 Silver Cloud Court
Monterey, CA 93940
PHONE: (831) 647-9411 • FAX: (831) 647-8501
Richard A. Stedman, Air Pollution Control Officer
August 11, 2020
Community Development Department
ATTN: Jill Miller, Senior Planner
65 West Alisal Street
Salinas, CA 93901
Email: [email protected]
Re: City of Salinas Central Area Specific Plan DEIR
Dear Ms. Miller:
Thank you for providing the Monterey Bay Air Resources District (Air District) with the opportunity to comment on the above-referenced document. The Air District has reviewed the document and has the following comments:
3.1. AIR QUALITY
• Mitigation Measure 3.1-1: While traffic calming measures in neighborhoods can improve public safety, the Air District encourages the City to implement Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) reduction measures to maximize emission reductions and for congestion management.
The Air District highly supports the inclusion of roundabouts and making the project plan area a bike- and ped-friendly community. If signalizing intersections is selected, then the use of currently available Adaptive Traffic Control Systems (ATCS) in the intersection design should be employed. Local annual funding opportunities from the Air District are available for ATCS and roundabout design and construction projects.
Please contact Alan Romero, [email protected], for more information. • Mitigation Measure 3.1-2: The Air District supports incorporating electric vehicle infrastructure in the project plan area designs. To achieve further emission reduction of criteria pollutants and greenhouse gases, the Air District suggests including publically available dual port Level 2 & DC fast-charge charging stations throughout the project plan area. Local annual funding opportunities from the Air District are available for EV charging infrastructure. Please contact Alan Romero, [email protected], for more information. • The Air District prefers that operational emissions be mitigated at the project level; however, since mitigation measures cannot reduce emissions below significance thresholds, the Air District requests that the City of Salinas cooperate with the Air District to develop off-site mitigation measures. Please contact David Frisbey at the Air District office at (831) 647-9411 or [email protected].
3.5. HAZARDS AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
• Mitigation Measure 3.5-1-3.5.3: Any construction activity that involves the disturbance or removal of building materials or structures must be thoroughly inspected for asbestos by a California Certified Asbestos Consultant (CAC) prior to the construction activity, as regulated by the Federal EPA Asbestos NESHAP (National Emission Standards of Hazardous Air Pollutants) and Air District Rule 424. Work to remove any regulated quantities of asbestos must be notified to the Air District at least 10 working days prior to the beginning of work.
Richard A. Stedman, Air Pollution Control Officer
Any load-bearing removal in the structures is defined as a demolition activity by the Federal EPA Asbestos NESHAP regulation and District Rule 424. This activity must also be notified to the Air District at least 10 working days prior to the beginning of work.
Please contact Shawn Boyle or Cindy Searson in the Compliance Division at (831) 647-9411 for more information regarding these rules. https://www.arb.ca.gov/drdb/mbu/cur.htm
Please let me know if you have any questions. I can be reached at (831) 718-8021 or [email protected].
Best Regards,
Hanna Muegge
Air Quality Planner
cc: Richard A. Stedman
David Frisbey