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

env ironment.

 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).

Di scussion 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) Guideline s 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 envi ronment. 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 adopti on of the amendments to Rule

810 is necessary to implement the United States Environmental Protection Agency Prevention of Significant Deterioration provisions (40 Code of F ederal 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 incorporate s 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 ve ry 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 s taff have concluded with certainty that there is no possibility the project will have a signific ant 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).