Section 4.11: Public Services

4.11 PUBLIC SERVICES

SETTING

Regional Setting

Edison owns and operates power plants in various jurisdictions throughout southern California. Public services, such as fire and police protection, are provided to Edison's power plants by local cities and communities within these jurisdictions.

Edison provides its own security services to the power plants through its corporate security office. Edison provides employee security training, and general security consulting services to power plant staff.

Edison relies on local fire departments to respond to emergencies such as fires, hazardous materials incidents, and medical emergencies at its power plants. For incidents that cannot be handled by Edison's security personnel, Edison requests assistance from local law enforcement agencies.

The operation and construction of Edison facilities requires permits from a number of regulatory and permitting agencies. New construction, modifications, or installation of buildings and facilities are subject to local city and county ordinances and permit requirements.

CHECKLIST ISSUES

a) Fire Protection

Ellwood

The town of Goleta is served by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. The Santa Barbara County Fire Department currently has 15 fire stations, 61 fire captains, 63 engineers, and 60 fire fighters. In addition to the fire personnel, there are 64 non-fire personnel (Entrix, 1996).

Mandalay

The City of Oxnard Fire Department provides fire service to the Mandalay generating station. The Oxnard Fire Department has six stations with approximately 70 firefighters (Entrix, 1996).

Ormond Beach

The City of Oxnard Fire Department provides fire service to the Ormond Beach power plant. The Oxnard Fire Department has six stations with approximately 70 firefighters (Entrix, 1996).

El Segundo

Fire protection is provided by the El Segundo Fire Department. The department has two stations and staffs 18 firefighters per shift. The department has a total of 64 employees. The fire department does not anticipate the need for growth in the near future (Entrix, 1996).

Long Beach

Fire protection is provided by the Long Beach Fire Department. The department has 23 stations, 480 firefighters, and 525 total personnel (Entrix, 1996).

Redondo

Fire protection for the Redondo power plant is provided by the Redondo Beach Fire Department. The department has two stations with 65 firefighters and two additional personnel (Entrix, 1996).

Cool Water

Fire protection is provided by the Daggett Fire Department. The Daggett Fire Department has three stations and 18 firefighters (Entrix, 1996).

Etiwanda

Fire protection is provided by the Rancho Cucamonga Fire Department. The department has five stations and staffs 21 firefighters. The department has a total of 60 employees, including 21 engineers and 18 captains. The fire department does not anticipate the need for growth in the near future (Entrix, 1996).

Highgrove

Fire protection for the Highgrove power plant is provided by the Rancho Cucamonga Fire Department. The department has one station and staffs three firefighters contracted from the California Department of Forestry. The fire department does not anticipate the need for growth in the near future (Entrix, 1996).

San Bernardino

Fire protection for the San Bernardino power plant is provided by the San Bernardino City Fire Department. The Department currently has 11 fire stations and employs 145 firefighters and 11 additional personnel (Entrix, 1996).

Alamitos

Fire protection is provided by the Long Beach Fire Department. The department has 23 stations, 480 firefighters, and 525 total personnel (Entrix, 1996).

Huntington Beach

The Huntington Beach Fire Department provides fire services to the Huntington Beach Generating Station. The Huntington Beach Fire Department currently has seven fire stations and a total of 142 safety personnel (including firefighters and fire chiefs) (Entrix, 1996).

Conclusion

The project would not result in new or altered demand for fire protection services if the plant were to be operated at current levels. However, if the new owners operated the various plants at higher levels, employment could increase to a small degree, requiring additional fire protection and medical emergency services from the fire department. Any such added demand would not be substantial. The project’s effect on fire protection services would be less than significant. See also discussion under checklist items 4.11 (d) and 4.9 (e).

b) Police Protection

Ellwood

The Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department provides law enforcement to the Goleta area. The Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department has a total of 608 employees, of which 252 are protection officers and 170 are correction officers. The department currently has 59 patrol vehicles, 14 administrative vehicles, and 42 utility vehicles (Entrix, 1996).

Mandalay

Police service is provided by the Oxnard Police Department which has 173 officers and 102 full time personnel, with an additional 48 temporary employees. The department currently has 100 police vehicles (Entrix, 1996).

Ormond Beach

El Segundo

Police protection is provided by the El Segundo Police Department. The El Segundo Police Department currently has 67 sworn officers, with two officer positions open and 95 total personnel. A total of 13 patrol vehicles are available to the department (Entrix, 1996).

Long Beach

Police protection is provided by the Long Beach Police Department. The Long Beach Police Department currently has budgeted 839 sworn officers and 1,318 budgeted total personnel. A total of 165 patrol vehicles are available to the department, not including undercover vehicles (Entrix, 1996).

Redondo

Police protection is provided by the Redondo Beach Police Department. The department currently has 103 officers and 48 personnel. A total of 27 vehicles are available to the department (Entrix, 1996).

Cool Water

The San Bernardino Sheriff's department provides basic law enforcement and emergency response for the Cool Water power plant. The San Bernardino Sheriff's department currently has approximately 1,400 sworn officers, 800 additional personnel, and 400 patrol vehicles (Entrix, 1996).

Etiwanda

Police protection is provided by the Rancho Cucamonga Police Department. The Rancho Cucamonga Police Department currently has 81 sworn officers and 26 additional personnel. A total of 59 patrol vehicles are available to the department, including 27 marked patrol vehicles, 10 unmarked vehicles, and five motorcycles (Entrix, 1996).

Highgrove

Police protection is contracted through the County of San Bernardino. The Grand Terrace Police Department currently contracts four sworn officers during the day, three officers during the swing shift and two during the night. A total of two patrol vehicles are available to Grand Terrace and more can be obtained from the county upon request (Entrix, 1996).

San Bernardino

Police protection is provided by the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department. The sheriff's department currently has approximately 1,400 sworn officers, 800 additional personnel, and 400 patrol vehicles (Entrix, 1996).

Alamitos

Huntington Beach

Law enforcement for the project area is provided by the Huntington Beach Police Department. The department currently has a total of 356 personnel, 223 of which are sworn officers. The Department has approximately 50 patrol vehicles (Entrix, 1996).

Conclusion

Divestiture of the Edison power plants would not alter or increase demand for police protection. Crime incidents such as vandalism and theft are unlikely to occur at the sites due to (1) restricted access; (2) the types of activities occurring on the site (power generation and transmission); and (3) low employee density. Edison currently provides private security at its generating plants. However, a new owner may or may not elect to continue to provide private security services. It is possible that this could increase the number of calls to the local police, but it is not anticipated that the increase would be to a degree that would result in a physical impact. In any event, any increase in demand for police protection services for the plants is likely to be low, and to be accommodated by existing police resources. The impact would not be significant.

c) Schools

Ellwood

Elementary education within the project area is provided by the Goleta Unified School District, which currently has nine elementary schools with approximately 4,300 students. The Goleta Unified School District is operating at capacity but will be opening an additional school in the near future. Middle school and high school education is provided by the Santa Barbara School District. The Santa Barbara School District has three high schools and four middle schools. For grades 6 through 8, the 1995-96 school year enrollment was 3,400 students. For high school, enrollment was 5,517 for the 1995-96 school year (Entrix, 1996).

Mandalay

The City of Oxnard has five school districts. The Oxnard School District has 13 elementary schools, two intermediate schools (grades 7 and 8), and no high schools. Enrollment for 1995 was 14,100 students, which is 100% of capacity. Hueneme School District has nine elementary schools and two middle schools. The estimated enrollment for the 1995-96 school year was 8,000, which is 100% of capacity. The Rio School District has four elementary schools and one middle school. Enrollment for the 1995-96 school year was 2,995. This exceeded the estimated capacity of 2,800. The school district is currently investigating the possible purchase of portable classrooms to meet the enrollment demand. The Ocean View School District has three elementary schools and one middle school. Enrollment for the 1995-96 school year was 2,300 students. The Ocean View School District is currently operating at capacity. The Oxnard High School District has five high schools, one continuation school, and one adult education school. Enrollment for the 1995-96 school year was 12,300 students, which is 100% of the estimated capacity (Entrix, 1996).

Ormond Beach

El Segundo

The City of El Segundo is within the El Segundo School District. The district has one elementary school, one junior high school, and one high school. The school district is currently operating at 95-100% of their estimated capacity, depending on the school (Entrix, 1996).

Long Beach

The Long Beach Unified School District serves the education needs of the City of Long Beach. The district has 58 elementary schools, 14 middle schools, and five comprehensive high schools. In addition, the school district operates one outdoor science school, one adult school, one continuous education school, one school at the homeless shelter, the Savannah Academy (a 9th and 10th grade special school), and the California School for Math and Sciences. The total enrollment in the district is approximately 81,000 students in 83 schools. The school district is currently operating at about 100% of their estimated capacity and is exploring expansion alternatives (Entrix, 1996).

Redondo

The City of Redondo Beach is within the Redondo Beach Unified School District. The district has eight elementary schools, two junior high schools, and one high school. The school district is currently operating at 100% of their estimated capacity. The estimated enrollment for the 1996-97 school year is 7,000 (Entrix, 1996).

Cool Water

The project area is within the Silver Valley Unified School District. The district currently has three elementary schools, two middle schools, and one continuation school. The school district operated at full capacity for the 1995-96 school year with enrollment at 2,700 students (Entrix, 1996).

Etiwanda

The City of Rancho Cucamonga is served by five school districts. The Central School District has two middle schools and five elementary schools. The Central School District's current enrollment is 4,500-5,000 student, and they are operating at 100% of their estimated capacity. The Etiwanda School District has six elementary schools and two middle schools. Enrollment for the 1995-96 school year was 4,977, which is 100% of their capacity. The Cucamonga School District has three elementary schools and one middle school. Enrollment for the 1995-96 school year was 2,580 students. The Cucamonga School District is currently operating at 95% of their facility capacity; however, the district does have two additional schools they lease out that could be used if necessary. The Alta Loma School District has six elementary schools and two junior high schools. School enrollment for the 1995-96 school year was approximately 1,000 students and they are operating at 100% of their capacity. The Chaffey Joint Union School District has six high schools and one continuation education school. Enrollment for the 1995-96 school year was 16,045, which exceeded its designed capacity of 15,425 students (Entrix, 1996).

Highgrove

The City of Grand Terrace is within the Colton School District. The city has two elementary schools and one junior high school. The three schools are currently operating at an average of 90% of their estimated capacity, depending on the school (Entrix, 1996).

San Bernardino

The City of San Bernardino is within the San Bernardino Unified School District. The school district has 41 elementary schools, eight middle schools, four high schools, one alternative high school, and one continuation high school. Enrollment for the 1995-96 school year was 45,898 students. The San Bernardino Unified School District is currently operating at capacity (Entrix, 1996).

Alamitos

The Long Beach Unified School District serves the education needs of the City of Long Beach. The district has 58 elementary schools, 14 middle schools, and five comprehensive high schools. In addition, the school district operates one outdoor science school, one adult school, one continuous education school, one school at the homeless shelter, the Savannah Academy (a 9th and 10th grade special school), and the California School for Math and Sciences. The total enrollment in the district is approximately 81,000 students in 83 schools. The school district is currently operating at about 100% of estimated capacity and is exploring expansion alternatives (Entrix, 1996).

Huntington Beach

Five school districts serve the City of Huntington Beach. Huntington Beach City School District has six elementary schools and two middle schools. Enrollment for the 1995-96 school year was 6,000 students, which is 100% of estimated capacity. The Ocean View School District has 11 elementary schools and four middle schools. Enrollment for the school year is estimated at 9,422. The Ocean View School District is currently operating at 100% of estimated capacity. The Westminster School District has 13 elementary schools, two intermediate schools, and one middle school. The Westminster School District has an estimated 9,100 students enrolled, which is 100% of estimated capacity. Fountain Valley School District has seven elementary schools, one kindergarten through 8th grade school, and three middle schools. Last school year's enrollment was 6,013 students. The school district is currently operating at 100% of estimated capacity. The Huntington Beach Union High School District has eight high schools. Enrollment for the 1995-96 school year was 13,500 students. The Huntington Beach Union High School District is currently operating near capacity, and it is anticipated that by the school year 1997-98 the school district will exceed capacity (Entrix, 1996).

Conclusion

A slight increase in plant employment could potentially occur if a new owner increased operations at a facility However, effects on schools are expected to be minimal due to the low number of potential new employees. The project would have a less-than-significant impact on demand for school facilities and services.

d) Maintenance of Public Facilities

Maintenance of public facilities in the cities and counties of the divestiture sites could be affected if the project were to result in reductions in the amounts of property taxes distributed to the affected public service entities. In the short term, a reduction in property tax revenues could occur if the market value established during the auction process were lower than a plant's book value. The amount of annual property tax revenues allocated to service entities within each county would be determined annually by that county's Board of Supervisors. Therefore, any changes in apportionment of property tax revenues within affected counties cannot be precisely determined. However, it is not reasonably foreseeable that divestiture of the plants will cause property tax decreases. There is indeed no reason to believe that the plants will be sold for amounts less than the current assessed values upon which property taxes are based. A sale of similar power facilities at an auction in New England earlier this year brought a sale price of 1.4 times book value. If this were to occur for Edison's properties, property taxes would increase instead of decrease. At the current time, given the fact that the identities and nature of the new owners is known, any increases or loss of tax revenues cannot be precisely estimated and would be at best highly speculative. Furthermore, even if divestiture did lead to a decrease in property tax revenue, such decrease could only be considered significant if it were so substantial that the maintenance of public facilities and provision of public services would be diminished or curtailed and if such changes would lead to adverse physical effects. This chain of events is not foreseeable. For all of these reasons, the maintenance of public facilities is not expected to be effected by the divestiture of the plants.

Conclusion

There are no foreseeable significant changes in property tax revenues as a consequence of the divestiture with respect to any of the plants. Therefore, the effect of the project on the maintenance of public services will be less than significant.

e) Other Government Services

A new "Oversight Board" proposed by the state to oversee the ISO and PX may be considered a new governmental agency that would be providing government services. The Oversight Board would report to the State Governor. Alternatively, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has issued an order mandating the ISO and PX to be under FERC control. If FERC ultimately gains control, there would be no need for the Oversight Board, and thus no new government agency. The new ISO and the PX would be non-profit organizations, not government agencies, with operations/management activities similar to a public utility.

This new regulatory structure would shift regulatory authority over divested sites and facilities to local jurisdictions. A local agency would become the "Lead Agency" under the California Environmental Quality Act for future site improvements. Likewise, permitting activities related to site planning, site improvements, building construction, and hazardous materials handling would be processed by the local permitting authorities (i.e., various city or county departments).

This, however, would be a consequence of restructuring, and not divestiture. There are no reasonably forseeable impacts on these local government services as a result of divestiture.

Conclusion

There are no foreseeable significant changes in other government services as a consequence of the divestiture with respect to any of the plants. Therefore, the effect of the project is less than significant.

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