Santa Barbara County APCD - CEQA Findings - 1-1 June 20, 2013

Proposed Amended Rule 810 Project

ATTACHMENT 1

CEQA FINDINGS

Pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines, Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District 

(District), as Lead Agency, reviewed the adoption of proposed Rule 810, Federal Prevention of 

Significant Deterioration (PSD). The District found that there is no potential for significant 

environmental impacts from the adoption of the amended rule.

The Board finds that:

 The adoption of amended Rule 810 will not have significant adverse impacts on the 

environment.

 No relaxation in meeting ambient air quality standards will result. No cross-media 

impacts were identified.

 Pursuant to § 153061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines, the project is exempt from CEQA 

as it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity may have a 

significant effect on the environment.

The District will prepare and file a Notice of Exemption for the project with the County Clerk of 

the Board in compliance with State Public Resources Code § 21152(b).

Discussion of CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) finding of no significant effect

District staff has evaluated the environmental impacts related to the adoption of amended Rule 

810 in the context of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 

15061, Review for Exemption. Subsection (a) of this section states that, “once a lead agency has 

determined that an activity is a project subject to CEQA, a lead agency shall determine whether 

the project is exempt from CEQA.” A CEQA exemption can be in the form of a statutory 

exemption, a categorical exemption, or it can be covered by the general rule, as expressed in 

Section 15061(b)(3), that, “...CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for 

causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is 

no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the 

activity is not subject to CEQA.”

The project consists of adopting amended Rule 810. The adoption of the amendments to Rule 

810 is necessary to implement the United States Environmental Protection Agency Prevention of 

Significant Deterioration provisions (40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFRs), Part 52). Specifics 

about the amended rule are provided below.
Santa Barbara County APCD - CEQA Findings - 1-2 June 20, 2013

Proposed Amended Rule 810 Project

The existing adopted Rule 810 incorporates by reference the federal “Prevention of Significant 

Deterioration of Air Quality” rule requirements, and the District determined the current rule to be 

exempt from CEQA. The amendments to Rule 810 are very narrow, administrative-type changes 

and will not cause any emission increase. Once adopted, the District will request EPA to 

incorporate Rule 810 into the State Implementation Plan (SIP) for national primary ambient air 

quality standards. 

District staff have concluded with certainty that there is no possibility the project will have a 

significant effect on the environment. As a result, the project is not subject to any additional 

CEQA review and the District will prepare and file a Notice of Exemption in compliance with 

State Public Resources Code § 21152(b).