salton sea species conservation habitat stakeholders meeting june 10, 2010
DESCRIPTION
3 Agenda Introductions Follow-up to last Stakeholders meeting Salton Sea Funding Assistance Program SCH Project updateTRANSCRIPT
Salton Sea Species Conservation Habitat
Stakeholders Meeting • June 10, 2010
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Provide updates on Salton Sea activitiesProvide opportunity to hear informally from StakeholdersProvide information on Species conservation Habitat (SCH) Project to interested Stakeholders
Meeting Purpose
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Agenda
IntroductionsFollow-up to last Stakeholders meetingSalton Sea Funding Assistance ProgramSCH Project update
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Introduction of Presentation Team
Rick Davis – Davis GroupKim Nicol – California Department of Fish and GameRob Thomson – ENTRIX, Inc. Ramona Swenson – ENTRIX, Inc.
March StakeholdersMeeting Follow-up
Response to Action Items
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Request for More Stakeholder Participation
Topic-specific workshops
Review of materials as they are available and appropriate under NEPA/CEQA
Need to balance Stakeholder participation with schedule management
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Period 1 Activity Status
Natural Resources Agency working with Department of Finance for clarification on whether SCH is a Period 1 activityPotential legislation to clarify spending authority under Section 2930 et seq.
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Restoration Fund Update
Salton Sea Restoration Fund Prop 84
FY 07/08 FY 08/09 FY 09/10 FY 07/08 FY 08/09 FY 0910 Total
Appropriation 2,741,298.00 2,829,770.00 2,739,992.00 13,300,000.00 10,750,000.00 5,296,000.00 37,657,060.00
Expenditures 1,488,767.58 1,130,085.24 74,498.25 404,882.74 884,524.82 0.00 3,982,758.63
Encumbrances 7,097.68 47,667.04 0.00 11,995,704.38 29,068.82 0.00 12,079,537.92
Appropriation balance 1,245,432.74 1,652,017.72 2,665,493.75 899,412.88 9,836,406.36 5,296,000.00 21,594,763.45
Salton SeaFunding Assistance Program
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Funding Assistance Program
Two types of applicationsHabitat restorationStudy, monitoring, or pilot projects
Patterned after CalFED and Fisheries Grant ProgramsCurrently is not a grant program
Applications must be a nonprofit or public agencyApplications must be consistent with the Salton Sea Restoration Act
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Funding Assistance ProgramSelection process
Administrative reviewExternal science reviewTechnical reviewSelection panel
To assure objective evaluation of proposals, reviewers or their organization must not have advocated in the past for any projectApplicants must have completed their environmental compliance, including all permits, to receive fundsSince they are State funds, CEQA must be completed
Salton Sea SCH Project
Review and Update
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Overview of Major Activities
SCH alternatives development and refinementGoals and objectives/purpose and needCritical screening criteriaConceptual engineering
Public outreach (NOI/NOP, scoping)Impact assessment planning
Significance thresholdsKey issuesProcess and schedule
Special studies
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Alternatives Development and Refinement
Goals and objectives/purpose and needCritical screening criteriaConceptual engineering
Species habitat requirementsRange of potential components
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Notice of Intent/Notice of PreparationAnticipated scoping period — June/JulyAnticipated scoping meetings
July 7UCR Palm Desert (1:00 p.m.)Torres Martinez Administrative Building (6:30 p.m.)
July 8Calipatria Inn and Suites (1:00 p.m.)Brawley Elks Club (6:30 p.m.)
Public Outreach
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Significance thresholds based onInitial Study checklistSalton Sea Programmatic EIRReview of potential project impacts
Key environmental issuesBiological resources
Effects on common and special status fish and wildlife, habitat loss/degradation, potential for disease
Hydrology/water qualityConstruction-related impacts, changes in pond water quality, potential reduced freshwater inflow into the Sea, reduced downstream river flows
Complete list in NOI and NOP
Process and schedule
Impact Assessment Planning
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NEPA/CEQA scoping – June/July 2010Draft NEPA/CEQA document – late 2010, early 2011Draft permit applications – early 2011Final NEPA/CEQA document – mid 2011Final design – mid to late 2011Permits complete – mid to late 2011Begin construction – late 2011, early 2012
Anticipated Schedule
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UC RiversideHydrology, temperature, and water qualitySelenium ecoriskSoil and water contaminantsFish tolerance
UC BerkeleyAssessing selenium issues/pilot study
Special Studies
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ScrippsBathymetric surveys
EIS/EIR TeamFocused surveys for southwestern willow flycatcher and least Bell’s vireo to fill data gapsIf needed, other surveys will fill critical data gaps
Geotechnical studies
Special Studies
SCH Project Workshop Updates
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SCH Project goals and objectivesCritical screening criteriaConstruction challenges
Morning Workshop Highlights
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ProblemSelenium in the water and sediments poses a potential ecological risk for fish and wildlife at the SCH Project
Purpose of expert workshopsTo obtain expert input on treatment technologies and management strategies to reduce potential effects of selenium on fish and wildlife
Selenium Expert Workshops
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Workshop 1:Selenium Treatment Technologies
PurposeReview potential selenium treatment technologies Identify promising treatment techniques to test in pilot studies
ParticipantsWorking group of scientists with selenium expertiseFamiliar with Salton Sea issuesProvided technical input on Salton Sea PEIR
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Workshop 1: Approach
Reviewed effectiveness, feasibility, cost and applicability of several treatment technologies
Physical – reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, ion filterChemical – zero valent ironBiological – constructed wetlands, algal, bacterial
Identified information gaps and research questions for the most promising technologies
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Workshop 1: Recommendations
Biological treatment of water most promising technique
Constructed wetlandsAlgal treatment (Controlled Eutrophication Process)Anaerobic bacterial reduction
Physical treatments extremely costlyChemical treatment complex, intensive, and costlyRecommendations to be summarized in technical memorandum
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PurposeDevelop comprehensive plan to reduce SCH selenium ecorisk Identify remediation measures to reduce selenium ecorisk
Approach Working group of scientists with selenium expertiseLate August/September workshopReview applicable treatment techniques/best management practicesRecommendations summarized in a technical memorandum
Workshop 2:Selenium Management Plan
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SCH Information Dissemination
Website (www.water.ca.gov/saltonsea)Stakeholders meetings/workshopsPeriodic newslettersPublic meetings
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Contact InformationDFG Contact:Kim Nicol, Environmental Program ManagerCalifornia Department of Fish and Game78078 Country Club Drive, Suite 109Bermuda Dunes, CA 92203(760) 200-9178 [email protected]
USACE Contact:Lanika Cervantes, Project ManagerSan Diego Section, Regulatory DivisionU.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Los Angeles District6010 Hidden Valley Road, Suite 105Carlsbad, CA 92011(760) [email protected]