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Monterey Peninsula Water Management District Provide Policy Direction

on Scope of ASR EIR

Item 16

March 21, 2005 Regular Meeting

Staff Contact: Henrietta SternU/hs/ppt/2005/Brd_EIRscope032105.ppt

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Monterey Peninsula Water Management District

Background on EIR Scope

• Scoping Report provided on 2/24/05.

• Met 2/25/05 with U.S. Army, FORA, Seaside, Del Rey Oaks and Cal-Am regarding infrastructure coordination and NEPA compliance.

• Continued coordination with agencies and Cal-Am since then (3/2/05 to present).

• We are about 2 months behind schedule.

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Monterey Peninsula Water Management District

Issues Raised in Scoping

• U.S. Army permits/NEPA compliance;• Coordinate with FORA and others re: General

Jim Moore Blvd. activities;• Coordinate with Cal-Am Coastal Water Project;

amend project description;• Expand purpose to water augmentation;• Expand alternatives analysis;• Perform detailed technical studies in EIR for

future permits.

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Monterey Peninsula Water Management District

Pertinent Information• Cal-Am/MPWMD continue to work with Army

and Seaside to construct above-ground pipeline to enable Cal-Am access to emergency supply from MPWMD test well in 2005.

• Endangered Species Act (ESA) issues play an important role in all federal permits.

• Gen. Jim Moore Blvd (GJM) re-alignment calls for paving over existing MPWMD ASR well. A Draft EIS in progress; final alignment unknown.

• MPWMD/Cal-Am communicating with Seaside and FORA to resolve GJM issue.

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Monterey Peninsula Water Management District

Pertinent Information (cont.)

• Current Seaside Use Permit for ASR test well has no expiration date, but has restrictions. ASR EIR is envisioned as means to allow amended Permit to enable full use of Phase 1 ASR well.

• MPWMD and Cal-Am/RBF are learning from respective technical studies, leading to project design changes and more similar ASR concepts.

• Army strongly encourages initiating NEPA now; current assumption is Environmental Assessment rather than EIS (pending ESA issues).

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Monterey Peninsula Water Management District

Recommended Action (Issue #)

• EIR should only focus on Phase 1. SWRCB water rights would be issued just for Phase 1. (1)

• Phase 1 ASR should rely on above-ground pipeline to be constructed in 2005 until GJM realignment issues are resolved. EIR should evaluate alternative pipeline and well sites. (6)

• Consultant contracts should be amended on 3/21/05 to incorporate NEPA with CEQA; work with Army as lead. Adds about $10,000. (2)

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Monterey Peninsula Water Management District

Recommended Action (Issue #)

• ASR project purpose should not be water augmentation. Alternatives should be limited to Phase 1 purpose. (3)

• The ASR project should be compatible with potential Coastal Water Project, but not driven by it. (4)

• Certain detailed technical studies requested by commenting agencies should be done after the EIR. (5)

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Monterey Peninsula Water Management District

Other Recommendations

• MPWMD should use environmental info from completed or underway studies performed by Cal-Am and others (tradeoff of time vs. money, duplication of effort). Studies should be available by June 2005.

• Make decisions consistent with forward progress on Phase 1 ASR Project.

• Staff can also plan for Phases 2 and 3, outside of current EIR.

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Monterey Peninsula Water Management District

Next Steps

• Board provides direction tonight.

• Continue coordination with Seaside, Army, FORA, and Cal/RBF re: 2005 above-ground pipeline, ESA issues, GJM realignment, engineering/design.

• Consider amended consultant contracts at March 21, 2005 meeting.