PG&E Richmond-to-Pittsburg Pipeline
Section 2-XVII Mandatory Findings of Significance
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DISCUSSION OF MANDATORY FINDINGS OF SIGNIFICANCE

The proposed project involves the sale of the Richmond to Pittsburg Pipeline and related assets to a new owner (SPBPC). SPBPC would be a CPUC-regulated utility and would need to construct a 4,000-foot replacement section of the pipeline in the City of Martinez in order to be able to fully operate the Pipeline. Outside of the construction of the replacement section of the pipeline, the proposed project involves no other physical changes except recommencing operations at the existing facilities.

1. As discussed in the Aesthetics, Air Quality, Biological Resources, Cultural Resources, Geology and Soils, Hazards and Hazardous Materials, Hydrology and Water Quality, Land Use and Planning, Noise, Public Services, and Transportation/Traffic sections of this document, the proposed project has a number of potentially significant temporary impacts associated with the construction of the 4,000-foot replacement section that have some potential to degrade the quality of the environment. Mitigation measures described in these sections (I.1, III.1, IV.1, IV.2, V.1a, V.1b, V.1c, V.2, V.3, VI.1, VI.2, VII.1, VII.1a, VII.1b, VIII.1, IX.2, XI.1, XV.1, XV.2, XV.3, XV.4, XV.5, and XV.6) are considered adequate to reduce these individual impacts to a less than significant level.
   
   

   As discussed in Biological Resources Section, the project does not have the potential to substantially reduce the habitat of a fish or wildlife species, cause a fish or wildlife population to drop below self-sustaining levels, nor does it threaten to eliminate a plant or animal community, or reduce the number or restrict the range of a rare or endangered plant or animal. The Cultural Resources Section concluded that the project does have some potential to eliminate important examples of the major periods of California history or prehistory; but the mitigation measures imposed in that section (V.1a, V.1b, V.1c, V.2, and V.3) would reduce that potential to a less than significant level.

2. Although the Pipeline is not presently in routine use and requires that a 4,000-foot section in Martinez be replaced to be fully operational, no substantial change in the Pipeline’s operable status will occur as a result of the proposed project; i.e., the Pipeline is operable today and will continue to be operable after the change in ownership. During construction of the 4,000-foot replacement section in Martinez, air emissions from construction equipment could cause a temporary cumulatively significant impact to the local air quality. However, the mitigation measure (III.1) described in the Air Quality section of this document are considered adequate to reduce this impact to a less than significant level. Near the Hercules pump station, a recently proposed residential development and school (See Section IX) have some potential to be impacted by the operation of the Pipeline, but only if these projects are not designed according to existing state and local guidelines. A review of environmental documents for this proposed development indicate that the there is sufficient clearance between the Pump Station easement and the proposed development and school project sites such that setbacks and mitigation measures included in the development and school approvals would reduce any resulting cumulative impacts to a less than significant level (found in the environmental document for that project). There are no other known existing or pending pipeline or other projects in the Richmond to Pittsburg Fuel Oil Pipeline and Hercules Pump Station project vicinity that when considered together with the proposed project would result in cumulatively considerable impacts.
   
   
3. With the mitigation measures imposed in this document, the proposed sale of the Pipeline and its operation by SPBPC would not have environmental effects that could cause substantial adverse effects on human beings, either directly or indirectly. Though oil products are considered as hazardous materials, oil is not explosive and is relatively inflammable compared to other petroleum products, and is toxic only if ingested in large amounts. Therefore, the project’s potential to cause adverse effects on humans is related largely to the oil spills that could result if the pipeline or storage tanks at the pump station are ruptured. If the project is approved, SPBPC intends to construct the missing 4,000-foot section in Martinez and operate the pipeline and pump station in accordance with established laws, ordinances, regulations, and standards applicable to the construction and operation of oil pipelines. Prior to installing the 4,000-foot replacement, SPBP will conduct extensive geotechnical studies and design the project to applicable standards in order to prevent ruptures during earthquakes. SPBPC will conduct periodic safety inspections of the pipeline under the supervision of the State Office of the Fire Marshall.
   
   

   The project could include some potential to affect human health because of temporary air quality effects during construction of the replacement section in Martinez; but mitigation measures imposed in the air quality section would reduce this potential to a less than significant level.

4. The proposed project has no potential to achieve short-term environment goals to the disadvantage of long-term environmental goals. As discussed in the Air Quality section, the project has some potential to have a short-term effect on the continued nonattainment of air quality goals in the Bay Area Air Basin, but mitigation measures imposed in the air quality section would reduce this potential to a less than significant level, and would have no effect on achieving long-term air quality goals. As noted in the Biological Resources section, there is some potential for the project to conflict with a local habitat conservation plan that has a long-term goal of protecting wildlife near the route of the 4,000-foot replacement section in Martinez. This potential consists primarily of a possible conflict between construction activities for the replacement section and planned nearby marsh restoration work, but mitigation measures imposed in the Biological Resources section would reduce this potential to a less than significant level, and would have no effect on achieving long-term habitat conservation plan goals.