Source: https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ca-court-of-appeal/1684793.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-19 19:24:11+00:00

Document:
The People, Intervenor and Appellant. Creed–21 et al., Plaintiffs and Appellants, v. San Diego Association of Governments et al., Defendants and Appellants; The People, Intervenor and Appellant.
The Sohagi Law Group, Margaret M. Sohagi, Philip A. Seymour; and Julie D. Wiley for Defendants and Appellants San Diego Association of Governments et al. Kamala D. Harris, Attorney General, Timothy R. Patterson and Janill L. Richards, Deputy Attorneys General, for Intervenor and Appellant. Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger, Rachel B. Hooper, Amy J. Bricker, Erin B. Chalmers; Daniel P. Selmi; Coast Law Group, Marco Gonzalez; Kevin P. Bundy; and Cory J. Briggs for Plaintiffs and Appellants Cleveland National Forest et al.
After the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) certified an environmental impact report (EIR) for its 2050 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (transportation plan), CREED–21 and Affordable Housing Coalition of San Diego filed a petition for writ of mandate challenging the EIR's adequacy under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (Pub. Resources Code, § 21000 et seq.).1 Cleveland National Forest Foundation and the Center for Biological Diversity filed a similar petition, in which Sierra Club and the People later joined.
Although this Guideline specifies three means of determining whether a project's greenhouse gas emissions impacts are significant, the “among others” qualifying language indicates these means are not exclusive.8 Moreover, “the fact that a particular environmental effect meets a particular threshold cannot be used as an automatic determinant that the effect is or is not significant ․ a threshold of significance cannot be applied in a way that would foreclose the consideration of other substantial evidence tending to show the environmental effect to which the threshold relates might be significant.” (Protect The Historic Amador Waterways v. Amador Water Agency (2004) 116 Cal.App.4th 1099, 1109 (Amador ).) Consequently, the use of the Guideline's thresholds does not necessarily equate to compliance with CEQA, particularly where, as here, the failure to consider the transportation plan's consistency with the state climate policy of ongoing emissions reductions reflected in the Executive Order frustrates the state climate policy and renders the EIR fundamentally misleading.
To mitigate the significant greenhouse gas emissions impacts found under the first threshold, the EIR identified three mitigation measures it deemed feasible.12 The first mitigation measure required SANDAG to update its future regional comprehensive plans, regional transportation plans, and sustainable communities plans to incorporate policies and measures leading to reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The second mitigation measure encouraged the San Diego region cities and the County of San Diego (County) to adopt and implement climate action plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to a level the particular city or the County determined would not be cumulatively considerable. The second mitigation measure also identified various provisions the plans should include and stated SANDAG would assist in the preparation of the plans and other climate strategies through the continued implementation of its own Climate Action Strategy and Energy Roadmap Program.13 The third mitigation measure stated SANDAG would and other agencies should require the use of best available control technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions during the construction and operation of projects.
According to the EIR, these mitigation measures encourage reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, but they do not provide a mechanism guaranteeing such reductions. Consequently, the EIR concluded the significant impacts found under the first threshold would remain significant and unavoidable.
The EIR also considered and rejected three other mitigation measures deemed infeasible. These mitigation measures were: (1) requiring all vehicles driven within the region to be zero-emission vehicles or to be powered by renewable energy; (2) requiring all future construction to be net-zero energy use; and (3) requiring all future construction activity to include only equipment retrofitted to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
At one extreme, the EIR in this case considered and deemed feasible three measures requiring little to no effort to implement and assuring little to no concrete steps toward emissions reduction. In addition, according to the EIR, many of the suggestions contained in these measures have already been incorporated into the transportation plan and, by implication, the transportation plan's emissions estimates. “A ‘mitigation measure’ is a suggestion or change that would reduce or minimize significant adverse impacts on the environment caused by the project as proposed.” (Lincoln Place Tenants Association v. City of Los Angeles (2007) 155 Cal.App.4th 425, 445.) A mitigation measure is not part of the project. (Lotus v. Department of Transportation, supra, 223 Cal.App.4th at p. 656 & fn. 8.) Thus, it is questionable whether these measures even qualify as mitigation measures.
At the other extreme, the EIR considered and deemed infeasible three particularly onerous measures. Each of the measures would be difficult, if not impossible, to enforce and each requires implementation resources not readily available. Unrealistic mitigation measures, similar to unrealistic project alternatives, do not contribute to a useful CEQA analysis. (See Watsonville Pilots Assn. v. City of Watsonville, supra, 183 Cal.App.4th at p. 1089; 1 Kostka & Zischke, Practice Under the Cal. Environmental Quality Act (Cont.Ed.Bar 2014) § 15.10, pp. 15–16.) As none of these measures had any probability of implementation, their inclusion in the EIR was illusory.
The People's and Cleveland's pleadings and briefs below challenged many aspects of the EIR in addition to the EIR's analysis and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions impacts. In its tentative ruling, the superior court acknowledged the other challenges, but determined it could resolve the case solely on the greenhouse gas emissions impacts analysis and mitigation issues and, consequently, it did not need to address the other challenges. The People and Cleveland through their cross-appeals now seek rulings from this court on many of the other challenges. SANDAG contends they forfeited these challenges by failing to attempt to obtain rulings on them below.
7. A slow growth alternative, which assumed the application of regulations and/or economic disincentives to slow population and employment and delayed the complete implementation of the transportation plan by five years (Alternative 5).
In this case, the EIR's discussion of project alternatives is deficient because it does not discuss an alternative which could significantly reduce total vehicle miles traveled. Although Alternatives 3a and 3b are labeled “transit emphasis” alternatives, the labeling is a misnomer. These alternatives mainly advance certain rapid bus projects, but leave the planned rail and trolley projects largely unchanged. In addition, these alternatives do not provide any new transit projects or significant service increases. In fact, the “transit emphasis” alternatives include fewer transit projects than some of the other non-“transit-emphasis” alternatives.
The omission of an alternative which could significantly reduce total vehicle miles traveled is inexplicable given SANDAG's acknowledgment in its Climate Action Strategy that the state's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from on-road transportation will not succeed if the amount of driving, or vehicle miles traveled, is not significantly reduced. The Climate Action Strategy explained, “Lowering vehicle miles traveled means providing high-quality opportunities to make trips by alternative means to driving alone such as walking, bicycling, ridesharing, and public transit, and by shortening vehicle trips that are made. This can be accomplished through improved land use and transportation planning and related measures, policies and investments that increase the options people have when they travel.” Accordingly, the Climate Action Strategy recommended policy measures to increase and prioritize funding and system investments for public transit and transit operations, increase the level of service on existing routes and provide new public transit service through expanded investments, and improve the performance of public transit with infrastructure upgrades. Given these recommendations, their purpose, and their source, it is reasonable to expect at least one project alternative to have been focused primarily on significantly reducing vehicle trips.
Eleven air quality monitoring stations throughout the region measure ambient air pollutant concentrations to determine whether the region's air quality meets federal and state standards. The region does not meet the state standards for emissions of respirable particulate matter with an aerodynamic resistance diameter of 10 micrometers or less (PM10) and fine particulate matter with an aerodynamic resistance diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less (PM2.5).15 The EIR forecasted the daily tonnage of on-road mobile emissions of PM10 and PM2.5 from the transportation plan's transportation network improvements would steadily and substantially increase from 2010 to 2050. The EIR did not forecast whether there would be any increase in these emissions from regional growth or land use changes associated with the transportation plan. Instead, the EIR indicated such forecasting would be done during the next tier of environmental review.
Five of the region's air quality monitoring stations also sample toxic air contaminants (TACs), which are contaminants known or suspected to cause cancer or serious health problems, but for which there are no federal or state ambient air quality standards. State law also requires facilities to report any emissions of TACs in order to quantify the amount released, the location of the release, the concentrations to which the public is exposed, and the resulting potential health risk. (Health & Saf.Code, § 44300 et seq.) In 2009, annual emissions of TACs in the region were estimated to be more than 64.9 million pounds.
One of the thresholds the EIR used to determine the significance of the transportation plan's air quality impacts was whether sensitive receptors would be exposed to substantial pollutant concentrations. For purposes of this threshold, “sensitive receptors” included children, the elderly, and communities already experiencing high levels of air pollution and related diseases.
Although the EIR recognized regional growth and land use changes associated with the transportation plan had the potential to expose sensitive receptors to substantial localized pollutant concentrations, the EIR stated the level of exposure could not and would not be determined until the next tier of environmental review when facility designs of individual projects became available. The EIR made identical statements regarding proposed transportation improvements associated with the transportation plan.
The EIR summarized several studies linking proximity to heavily traveled roads and freeways to harmful health effects to children. The EIR also noted CARB had estimated the region's health risk from diesel particulate matter in 2000 was 720 excess cancer cases per million and had recommended sensitive land uses not be sited within 500 feet of a freeway, urban roads with 100,000 vehicles per day, and rural roads with 50,000 vehicles per day.
In this case, for TACs exposures, the record shows there was available data from monitoring stations and mandatory reports with which SANDAG could have developed a reasoned estimate of the region's existing TACs exposures. Likewise, for sensitive receptors, the record shows SANDAG has data showing current population and land use patterns and current transportation infrastructure from which it could have developed a reasoned estimate of the number and location of sensitive receptors adjacent to highways and heavily traveled roadways.
1. Local jurisdictions should incorporate into their land use decisions certain measures recommended by the California Attorney General for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
2. At the next tier of environmental review, SANDAG will and other implementing agencies should incorporate certain dust control measures into project specifications for transportation network improvements.
3. At the next tier of environmental review, SANDAG will and other implementing agencies should require any heavy duty off-road vehicles used to construct transportation network improvements to utilize all feasible measures to reduce specified emissions to a less than significant level.
4. At the next tier of environmental review, SANDAG will and other implementing agencies should evaluate potential impacts from carbon monoxide, PM10 and PM2.5 emissions and their health risks and, if required, add one or more recommended mitigation measures to reduce the emissions.
The EIR further concluded these were the only mitigation measures available at the program-level of environmental review.
Both the People and Cleveland contend these measures, except for the second, violate CEQA because they improperly defer mitigation of the transportation plan's significant air quality impacts. SANDAG once more counters these measures are adequate for the program level of environmental review.
The EIR evaluated the transportation plan's agricultural impacts under two significance thresholds. Under the first threshold, the EIR evaluated the impacts to land designated prime farmland, unique farmland or farmland of statewide significance under the California Resources Agency's Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program.18 The EIR concluded implementation of the transportation plan would result in the conversion of 3,485.09 acres of such farmland by 2050.
Under the second threshold, the EIR evaluated impacts to all land with existing agricultural uses regardless of classification, lands subject to Williamson Act contracts, and lands designated under the California Farmland Conservancy Program Act.19 The EIR concluded implementation of the transportation plan would result in the conversion of 7,023.07 acres of such land by 2050. The conclusion was based on data from the Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program augmented with data from SANDAG's own geographic information system.
While SANDAG correctly points out CEQA permits the use of data from the Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program to analyze a project's agricultural impacts (Guidelines, Exhibit G), CEQA does not mandate the use of such data nor does it insulate an EIR from further scrutiny if the EIR relies on the data. Moreover, because the transportation plan included the sustainable communities strategy, SANDAG was required by statute to “gather and consider the best practically available scientific information regarding resource areas and farmland in the region․” (Gov.Code, § 65080, subd. (b)(2)(B)(v).) By choosing a methodology with known data gaps, SANDAG produced unreliable estimates of the amount of existing farmland and, consequently, unreliable estimates of the transportation plan's impacts to existing farmland. Accordingly, SANDAG failed to comply with its statutory obligation as well as CEQA's information disclosure requirements.
Finally, in addition to Cleveland's general contention that the EIR understated the transportation plan's agricultural impacts, Cleveland raises two specific contentions: (1) the EIR failed to disclose and analyze the transportation plan's impacts to small farms; and (2) the EIR's discussion of impacts to agricultural land from growth inaccurately assumed land converted to a rural residential designation would remain farmland. SANDAG counters Cleveland is precluded under section 21177, subdivision (a), from raising these two specific contentions because Cleveland never exhausted its administrative remedies as to them.20 Except to the extent the specific contentions are subsumed within the general contention, we agree.
Cleveland has not met its burden in this case. Before SANDAG approved the EIR, Cleveland submitted a letter commenting on the EIR's analysis of agricultural impacts from growth as follows: “[T]he [EIR] states that approximately 10,500 [21 ] acres of agricultural land will be impacted due to regional growth and land use change by the year 2050. [Citations.] The [EIR] also acknowledges that its regional growth projections are based on current planning assumptions for San Diego County and the jurisdictions therein. [Citation.] However, the EIR for the County's current General Plan update, which by definition reflects current planning assumptions (as of 2011), shows that the General Plan expects 55,963 acres of agricultural land to convert to non-agricultural uses by the year 2030. [Citation.] Even though they account for conditions expected to exist 20 years sooner, these impacts are more than five times greater than the impacts identified in the [transportation plan's EIR].
Even read liberally, Cleveland's comment letter did not fairly apprise SANDAG that Cleveland had specific concerns about the EIR's handling of impacts to small farms and lands redesignated rural residential. Instead, Cleveland's comment letter focused on the discrepancy between SANDAG's estimate of overall growth-induced impacts and the County's estimate of overall growth-induced impacts. Cleveland cites to no other place in the record where any other person or organization raised specific concerns about the EIR's handling of impacts to small farms and lands designated rural residential. Consequently, Cleveland has not demonstrated exhaustion of administrative remedies as to these concerns.
The matter is remanded to the superior court with directions to modify the judgment and writ of mandate to incorporate our decision on the cross-appeals. The judgment is affirmed as so modified. The People and Cleveland are awarded their appeal and cross-appeal costs.
My colleagues and I have vastly different views on the extent to which this court can and should control environmental review of the planning decisions of a regional transportation agency such as the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). Where the majority, as a result of the alleged inadequacy of the environmental impact report's (EIR) analysis of greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts, would strike down the EIR implementing SANDAG's regional transportation plan (RTP) calling for investment of about $214 billion over the next several decades in the San Diego region, I would not. Where the majority purports to enforce the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and its Guidelines,1 I believe my colleagues weaken and confuse the law. Thus, although I conclude that substantial evidence supports the finding SANDAG's GHG impacts analysis is CEQA-compliant, I preface that substantial evidence analysis with the following observations and concerns.
Similarly, the Executive Order at issue in this case, which includes statewide GHG reduction targets for 2020, 2035 and 2050, was at its inception merely a broad policy statement of goals issued by the Governor. Like the order at issue in Professional Engineers, it too does not have an identifiable foundation in the constitutional power of the Governor or in statutory law.
The majority cites no judicial decision or other supporting authority holding or even suggesting that the power to establish thresholds of significance, qualitative or quantitative, resides in the Governor rather than in the Legislature. Nor is there any authority supporting the view that the Legislature has delegated to the Governor any power to enact or establish thresholds of significance, including with respect to GHG at issue in this case.
The majority is either unable or unwilling to expressly declare its position on whether the Executive Order is a threshold of significance as that term is employed in CEQA analysis. I sympathize with their apparent uneasiness. If the majority declares the Executive Order is a threshold of significance, it is faced with the reality that the Executive Order simply does not meet the requirements necessary to have attained that status. If it expressly acknowledges that the Executive Order is not a threshold of significance, then it must also acknowledge that SANDAG is quite correct that it was not required to employ it as a CEQA measuring stick in assessing compliance.
My colleagues attempt to avoid the dilemma altogether. They offer that the policy underlying the Executive Order is of such overarching importance that it must be included within the significance factors listed in Guidelines section 15064.4, subdivision (b), and, therefore, SANDAG was required to consider that policy in what they euphemistically refer to as a “consistency analysis” involving the GHG impacts of its project and the Executive Order. Because SANDAG failed to provide such a policy analysis in its EIR, my colleagues conclude SANDAG abused its discretion. By this exercise in linguistics, the majority in contravention of Professional Engineers has elevated the Executive Order to the status of a threshold of significance without ever having to expressly declare they are doing so. Its action is judicial fiat, pure and simple.
The majority seeks support for its new formulation of the law by noting that important legislation has sprung from the Executive Order, and they offer that the Executive Order will continue to be the springboard for legislative action. Relying on Professional Engineers, the majority also concludes the policy underlying the Executive Order has been “ratified” by subsequent legislation. (Maj. opn. ante, at p. 14.) If, by this reasoning, the majority implies that subsequent environmental legislation somehow bestowed on the Executive Order a power it did not have, I believe it is mistaken. As Profession Engineers recognizes, our Legislature acts independently. As I discuss, the fact that the Legislature has enacted environmental legislation in recognition of the Executive Order's goals does not bestow on the Executive Order any more power than it had before the Legislature acted.
Moreover, although the Legislature has exercised its own independent prerogative by tasking CARB with adopting regional GHG reduction targets for 2020 and 2035, it has not done so for 2050. As I also discuss, the Legislature is currently considering a comprehensive and complex plan for 2050 that tasks the CARB to establish regional targets. It is possible the Legislature may alter the Executive Order's 2050 goals or reject them altogether. Using the majority's own logic, the Legislature has not ratified the Executive Order's qualitative or quantitative goals for 2050.
It is true, of course, that qualitative thresholds of significance are acceptable in assessing significance. (See Guidelines, § 15064.7, subd. (a).) However, qualitatively addressing the policy and sciences underlying the Executive Order—if this in fact is what the majority means by a “consistency analysis”—adds little if any meaning to the discussion of the significance of GHG impacts. SANDAG considered in its EIR the important public policy of GHG emissions reduction in implementing its project. It acknowledged the Executive Order and its goals. It concluded the 2050 goal in that order was not at this time applicable. The purpose of remand is therefore unclear to me if the majority merely requires additional, undefined consideration of the qualitative aspects of the Executive Order.
Nonetheless, whether qualitative or quantitative, it is not clear to me how, in assessing the significance of GHG impacts of the project—including for 2050—a lead agency is supposed to adopt from the Executive Order regional GHG emissions reduction targets. The majority appears to answer this question by stating SANDAG can determine its “share” of GHG emissions reduction responsibility from theoretical targets. With respect to SANDAG's share of responsibility, it is important to emphasize what the majority has not acknowledged: SANDAG is responsible only for its “fair share” when assessing significance. Establishing an agency's “fair share” is a complex and science-based process. It begins by recognizing that the level of GHG emissions is a statewide problem encompassing a diverse array of emitters. Included in the array is not only transportation but also, for example, land use and development, agriculture, electricity generation, forestry, and industrial sectors. The analysis of GHG impacts thus involves emissions across sectors both within SANDAG's planning discretion (i.e., transportation and land use) and outside SANDAG's planning discretion (i.e., heavy industry). SANDAG is not empowered or equipped to offer and use analyses in statewide sectors over which it has no control.
The point is SANDAG, unlike the CARB, is a regional and not a state agency. Without a model addressing regional GHG emissions reduction targets between 2035 and 2050, it is impossible for SANDAG in its RTP to conduct a “consistency analysis” for these years of study.
As the lack of substance in the now-required “consistency analysis” attests, there is little to say except that, in the world of GHG emissions, “more of them are bad and less is good.” It is a reasonable conclusion here that the SANDAG Board of Directors, comprised of locally elected officials from San Diego County and the 18 cities in the region, are already well aware of this. The EIR in any event recognizes the important policy goal of reducing GHG emissions.
As I discuss, there is legislation currently pending tasking the CARB with setting state and regional targets for 2050. This pending legislation further demonstrates my point that the Legislature has not yet independently adopted the Executive Order's 2050 statewide GHG emissions reduction goals. Once the CARB sets these regional targets, which incidentally, may be different than the Executive Order's statewide goal, SANDAG and the other 18 metropolitan planning agencies (MPO's) throughout the state can then use them to determine their “fair share” of GHG emissions in analyzing the significance of GHG impacts of their projects. I fear the majority's demand that SANDAG “do more” now based on mere policy goals and/or theoretical targets, and without providing any guidance as to what more should be done, will in effect require SANDAG to set unilaterally 2050 regional GHG reduction targets in order to try to satisfy, somehow, the majority's “consistency analysis.” In doing so, it may take action that ultimately conflicts with requirements set by CARB.
Perhaps the most profound harm arising from the majority's finesse of CEQA is the lasting damage it does to Guidelines section 15064.4. This section gives a lead agency substantial discretion to determine both the amount of GHG emissions from a project and whether such emissions are significant. Subdivision (b) of Guidelines section 15064.4 in particular states that in assessing GHG impacts, the lead agency should consider three factors, among others. One such factor expressly gives a lead agency the discretion to determine the thresholds of significance that should apply to its project in determining significance. (Guidelines, § 15064.4, subd. (b)(2).) To the extent thresholds of significance other than the three expressly provided in subdivision (b) apply, that should be a determination made by an agency in the proper exercise of its discretion.
It is apparent to me that identifying and selecting thresholds of significance is not a judicial function. Despite the clear language of Guidelines section 15064.4, subdivision (b) and the obvious intent of that section, the majority asserts a right to determine that a gubernatorial policy statement, which does not qualify as a threshold of significance, is to be included among the “other factors” and then orders SANDAG on remand to develop an undefined “consistency analysis” between the lead agency's plan and the policy statement.
The mischief caused by the majority would not be confined to the SANDAG region. The majority would have each of our states' six appellate districts, and multiple divisions within many of them, instructing the 18 MPO's regarding whether a “consistency analysis” is required based on, for example, the Executive Order, and, if so, what it should contain. It does not take much energy to foresee the permutations possible as each MPO receives judicial instruction. Chaos in environmental planning comes to mind.
The Legislature, in its wisdom, has foreseen the kind of damage we do today, and it has taken steps to forbid such judicial interference. First, the Legislature vested one agency, CARB, with creating the targets and metrics in assessing, and ultimately reducing, GHG emissions regionally and statewide. (Health & Saf.Code, § 39003.) Second, it has, in CEQA itself, expressly prevented courts from selecting what “other factors” an agency should consider in assessing significance of GHG impacts.
Indeed, section 21083.1 provides the legislative intent underlying CEQA and the interpretation of its statutes and guidelines by our courts: “It is the intent of the Legislature that courts, consistent with generally accepted rules of statutory interpretation, shall not interpret this division or the state guidelines adopted pursuant to Section 21083 in a manner which imposes procedural or substantive requirements beyond those explicitly stated in this division or in the state guidelines.” Judicial imposition of significance thresholds does precisely what the statute prohibits.
As I discuss in more detail post, I conclude substantial evidence in the record shows SANDAG made a good faith and reasonable effort to analyze in its EIR the GHG impacts of its project. In its 39–page GHG impacts analysis, SANDAG, as noted, analyzed the targets set by the CARB for 2020 and 2035 under three thresholds of significance, in compliance with Guidelines section 15064.4. I thus would reverse the trial court's order finding SANDAG's GHG impacts analysis of the project was inadequate, including because SANDAG did not address the 2050 GHG statewide reduction goals set forth in the Executive Order.
As to the cross-appeal, because the trial court declined to reach those issues and because the majority in any event is remanding the matter with respect to the EIR's treatment of GHG impacts and mitigation measures of the project, I would defer the issues raised in the cross-appeal to the trial court for consideration in the first instance. I do, however, note that our instructions on remand include what appears to be a directive that SANDAG consider further analysis of mass transportation. This directive, coupled with the vague requirement of a “consistency analysis,” leaves me with an uncomfortable feeling that some might believe that, in sending this case back, we are sub rosa directing SANDAG to shift the emphasis in its plan to mass transportation. If that is a direction in which we inadvertently venture, I would only comment that it is not a journey we are empowered or equipped to undertake.
Thus, our Legislature has recognized the strong public policy of GHG emissions reductions in our state and has fully occupied this enormously complex field by delegating the “target-setting responsibility” of such reductions to the CARB through a series of comprehensive legislative enactments, including in AB 32, SB 97 and SB 375.8 The CARB in response has then set reduction targets for each of the 18 MPO's in our state.
Against this backdrop, I disagree with the majority's conclusion that SANDAG acted unreasonably in refusing to engage in a “consistency analysis” using the Executive Order as a CEQA measuring stick when accessing the GHG impacts of its regional project. (See Professional Engineers, supra, 50 Cal.4th at p. 1000.) Instead, in my view, the record contains more than sufficient evidence showing SANDAG acted in good faith and properly exercised its broad discretion under Guidelines section 15064.4 in assessing the significance of GHG impacts of the project.
Section 21083, subdivision (a) directs the OPR to “prepare and develop proposed guidelines” for implementation by a public agency. Subdivision (b) of that statute states the “guidelines shall specifically include criteria for public agencies to follow in determining whether or not a proposed project may have a ‘significant effect on the environment.’ ” As noted ante, section 21083.5 was added by SB 97 to require the OPR to prepare specific guidelines dealing with CEQA review of GHG.
I therefore disagree with the majority's interpretation of Guidelines section 15064.4: although subdivision (b) of this section clearly states the factors listed in subdivisions (1), (2) and (3) are not exhaustive, that does not ipso facto mean the courts may require an agency to consider additional “factors” (i.e., the Executive Order) in evaluating the GHG impacts of a project, as the majority has done here. In my view, the majority's reading of Guidelines section 15064.4 usurps the broad discretion afforded an agency in analyzing significance and improperly puts courts in charge of determining whether benchmarks other than those expressly provided in subdivisions (1), (2) and (3) must be considered by an agency when undertaking such an analysis.
Here, as I have noted, the EIR used three separate GHG analyses utilizing two of the specific significance criteria authorized by Guidelines section 15064.4. GHG–1, the first analysis, is an “existing conditions” baseline analysis authorized by subdivision (b)(1) of Guidelines section 15064.4.10 Under this analysis, any increase of GHG emissions over existing conditions (i.e., 2010) was deemed to be a significant impact. The GHG–1 analysis concluded that, although regional GHG emissions would decrease under the project from existing levels until after 2020, they would increase above existing levels by 2035 and increase still further by 2050, largely as a result of population increase and development. The EIR therefore determined the GHG impacts in 2020 would be a less than significant impact but would be significant in 2035 and 2050.
The second analysis, GHG–2, used the GHG reduction targets set forth in SB 375 as a significance criteria. GHG–2 used a narrower range of GHG emissions than GHG–1. GHG–2's approach, in my view, was also fully consistent with Guidelines section 15064.4.
Using this significance criteria, the EIR concluded the project would have less than a significant impact because the project met SB 375's goals, as set by the CARB, for lowered per capital vehicle-related GHG emissions in 2020 and 2035.
Because the scoping plan time horizon was limited to 2020, the EIR's analysis of whether or not the project under GHG–3 would have a significant impact with respect to GHG was limited to 2020, and no analysis was presented for 2035 and 2050. Although recognizing 2035 and 2050 emission reduction targets for GHG's were established in the Executive Order, the EIR in my view properly concluded the order was not a “ ‘plan’ ” adopted through a public review process as required in subdivision (b)(3) of Guidelines section 15064.4. The EIR, however, analyzed transportation and land use/growth in 2035 and 2050 expected as a result of implementation of the project, with respect to the CAS.
The EIR analysis concluded that with respect to transportation, the estimated emissions from transportation in 2020 would be less than required by AB 32 and would constitute a less than significant impact under this threshold. The EIR also concluded that the project would not impede the CAS and its policy of promoting the reduction of vehicle miles traveled and minimization of GHG in transportation, inasmuch as the project also sought to reduce GHG emissions in transportation through a series of projects. Therefore, for transportation, the EIR found the implementation of the project would constitute a less than significant impact under the CAS threshold for 2020, 2035 and 2050.
With respect to land use/growth, the EIR analysis concluded in GHG–3 that emissions of GHG in 2020 were expected to exceed the scoping plan reduction goals. However, it noted several other measures included in the scoping plan were not yet adopted or implemented, including “cap-and-trade,” and, therefore, were not included in the GHG reduction calculations. Because the RTP was itself consistent with its role in the overall scoping plan strategy, SANDAG concluded for land use/growth that for 2020 the impact would be less than significant under this threshold. The EIR further provided for 2020, 2035 and 2050, implementation of the project would not impede the CAS but in fact would promote it and the goals of increasing energy efficiency and reducing energy consumption and, therefore, would constitute a less than significant impact.
Moreover, the record also contains substantial evidence showing SANDAG properly exercised its discretion when it decided not to use the Executive Order's 2050 statewide emission reduction target as a CEQA measuring stick for its regional plan. North Coast Rivers Alliance v. Marin Municipal Water Dist. Board of Directors (2013) 216 Cal.App.4th 614 (North Coast ) informs my view on this issue.
North Coast and City of Chula Vista, in my view, provide guidance in the instant case and support the conclusion that SANDAG properly exercised its discretion under Guidelines section 15064.4, subdivision (b)(1), (2) and (3), including when it used the regional target numbers established by the CARB (developed in response to AB 32 and SB 375) in analyzing the impacts of GHG of the project. (See Citizens for a Sustainable Treasure Island v. City and County of San Francisco (2014) 227 Cal.App.4th 1036, 1060–1061 [noting the “core principle” that an EIR is not required to engage in “speculative analysis,” and, thus, a lead agency is not required to “ ‘forsee[ ] the unforeseeable,’ ” “predict[ ] the unpredictable or quantify[ ] the unquantifiable”] (Treasure Island ).) North Coast and City of Chula Vista also support the conclusion that, subject to the requirements of Guidelines section 15064.4, lead agencies and not the courts have the discretion to determine the benchmarks to be used for determining the GHG impacts of a project.
Indeed, as I previously noted, there is legislation currently pending, Assembly Bill No.2050 (AB 2050), that among other purposes would delegate to the CARB the authority to set specific GHG emission reduction targets for the MPO's, including in the SANDAG region, but in this instance, the targets would be for 2050. Regardless of whether AB 2050 ultimately passes, the bill is significant because it shows our Legislature has not yet acted to set 2050 reduction targets (through the CARB). AB 2050 also demonstrates, yet again, the intent of the Legislature to fully occupy the field of regulating GHG emissions in our state. I believe the majority ignores this intent by requiring SANDAG, based on a strained interpretation of Guidelines section 15064.4, to do a “consistency analysis” using the Executive Order as a CEQA measuring stick. I also believe doing so has far-reaching, negative consequences.
Our high court in In re Bay–Delta etc. (2008) 43 Cal.4th 1143 rejected a challenge to a program EIR on the basis it lacked sufficient detail regarding water sources to implement a project to restore the ecological health and improve the management of the Bay–Delta region. In so doing, the court noted that the Bay–Delta project was a “broad, general, multiobjective, policy-setting, geographically dispersed” plan (id. at p 1171); that at the first-tier program level, the “environmental effects of obtaining water from potential sources may be analyzed in general terms, without the level of detail appropriate for second-tier, site-specific review” (id. at p. 1169); that the advantage of a program EIR is it allows a lead agency “ ‘to consider broad policy alternatives and program wide mitigation measures at an early time when the agency has greater flexibility to deal with basic problems or cumulative impacts' ” (ibid., citing Guidelines, § 15168, subd. (b)(4)); and that because the Bay–Delta project “is to be implemented over a 30–year period [,] ․ [i]t is therefore impracticable to foresee with certainty specific sources of water and their impacts” (id. at p. 1172).
According to SANDAG, implementation of the project will involve “literally hundreds of individual freeway, highway, local road, public transit, bikeway and other transportation projects, as well as ongoing development of various mitigation, planning and transportation management programs.” In addition, many of these projects will occur 10, 20 or 30 years into the future and will be carried out by others including local governments and/or agencies, where baseline conditions may have substantially changed and after the project itself will have gone through multiple mandatory updates on a four-year cycle as currently required under Government Code section 65080, subdivision (d).
In sum, I conclude there is substantial evidence in the record showing SANDAG acted reasonably and in good faith when it addressed the GHG impacts of its project and properly exercised its discretion under Guidelines section 15064.4. I thus would reverse the trial court order finding SANDAG's GHG impacts analysis insufficient under CEQA.
Initially, because I conclude the EIR adequately addressed the GHG impacts of the project, unlike the majority I do not deem moot (or partially moot) (Maj. opn. ante, at p. 23) SANDAG's contention that the EIR also adequately addressed mitigation measures for the project's significant GHG impacts. Also unlike the majority, I conclude the EIR adequately considered reasonable mitigation measures for GHG impacts.
As noted, the EIR under the “existing conditions” baseline, GHG–1, concluded that the GHG impacts in 2020 would be a less than significant impact but would be significant in 2035 and 2050. Based on this analysis, the EIR proposed three mitigation measures to reduce impacts related to GHG emissions to less than significant levels.
GHG–B also identified project-specific mitigation measures available on the website that, if appropriate, should be implemented at the plan level in a CAP's planning and land use measures, including adopting a “comprehensive parking policy” that encourages use of alternate transportation and discourages use of private vehicles; building or funding a “major transit stop within or near development”; providing public transit incentives, such as free or low-cost monthly transit passes to the public; incorporating bicycle lanes and routes into new development; and requiring facilities and amenities for non-motorized transportation, such as secure bicycle parking.
The third mitigation measure discussed in the EIR, GHG–C, provided SANDAG and local governments should require “Best Available Control Technology” (BACT) in constructing and operating projects.
SANDAG also considered additional mitigation measures that were found to be infeasible. One such measure was requiring all vehicles in the San Diego region to be either zero-emission vehicles or to be powered by renewable energy. SANDAG found this measure infeasible because of the “rate of turnover of vehicles on the roadway” and because of the limited number of such vehicles available. Another measure found to be infeasible was requiring all future construction to be net-zero energy use. Although renewable energy is available and is an option for a portion of a project's energy needs, SANDAG concluded it was infeasible for all projects to have net-zero emissions (i.e., hospitals).
Finally, SANDAG also found infeasible the requirement that all future construction activity include only “retrofitted equipment.” Because certain equipment does not have “retrofit components,” SANDAG concluded this mitigation measure was infeasible.
At the conclusion of the CEQA review process, the record shows SANDAG adopted both the mitigation measures within its power to implement and a mitigation monitoring program (MMRP) for compliance. (See §§ 21081 & 21081.6.) The mitigation measures and MMRP confirm SANDAG's commitment to implementing GHG mitigation measures described in the EIR.
1. Further statutory references are also to the Public Resources Code unless otherwise stated.
5. The transportation plan meets these limited scope targets (see part II.C.1, post ).
10. The Scoping Plan is CARB's roadmap for achieving greenhouse gas emissions reductions. The Climate Action Strategy is SANDAG's guide for addressing climate change. The Climate Action Strategy emphasizes the areas where the greatest impact can be made at the local level, including transportation infrastructure.
17. Given this conclusion and its bases, we need not decide the People's conditional motion for judicial notice of examples of correlative information contained in comparable EIRs from other jurisdictions.
21. This figure apparently represents the combined total of the impacts identified under both significance thresholds (see part III.D.1, ante ).
2. All further statutory citations refer to the Public Resources Code unless otherwise indicated.
6. Government Code section 65080 was amended effective January 1, 2010 (Stats.2009, ch. 354, § 1) and again effective January 1, 2011 (Stats.2010, ch. 328, § 95). The requirement of an SCS as part of an MPO's RTP remains in the current version of Government Code section 65080, subdivision (b).
8. This list is not exhaustive. For example, in 2010 legislation was enacted requiring the Department of Transportation to update the federally mandated California Transportation Plan (CTP) by December 31, 2015 and every five years thereafter. (Gov.Code, §§ 65070, subd. (a) & 65071.) The CTP requires identification of a “statewide integrated multimodal transportation system” that includes among other requirements the incorporation of all SCS and/or alternate planning strategies required by SB 375. (Gov.Code, § 65072.2) “In developing the [CTP] ․, the department shall address how the state will achieve maximum feasible emissions reductions in order to attain a statewide reduction of [GHG] emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 as required by [AB 32] and 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.” (Ibid.) The CTP must include: “(a) A policy element that describes the state's transportation policies and system performance objectives. These policies and objectives shall be consistent with legislative intent described in Sections 14000, 14000.5, 14000.6, and 65088.[¶] (b) A strategies element that shall incorporate the broad system concepts and strategies synthesized from the adopted regional transportation plans prepared pursuant to Section 65080. The California Transportation Plan shall not be project specific. [¶] (c) A recommendation element that includes economic forecasts and recommendations to the Legislature and the Governor to achieve the plan's broad system concepts, strategies, and performance objectives.” (Id., § 65072.) The Legislature in the CTP directly (id., § 14000.6, subd. (b)) and indirectly (id., § 65072.2) referenced the Executive Order and its goal of reducing GHG emissions to 80 percent of 1990 levels by 2050. However, as noted, the Legislature has not yet tasked the CARB to set 2050 GHG regional reduction targets for the MPO's.
13. Because the trial court never reached the issues raised in the cross-appeal and because the majority in any event is remanding the matter with respect to the EIR's treatment of GHG impacts and mitigation measures of the project, as I have noted, I would defer the issues raised in the cross-appeal to the trial court for consideration. Nonetheless, I feel compelled to state my objection to the majority's conclusion that SANDAG failed to consider a reasonable range of project alternatives.

References: v. 
 § 21000
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 § 15
 § 44300
 § 65080
 § 15064
 § 15064
 § 39003
 v. 
 v. 
 § 15168
 § 1
 § 95
 § 65072
 § 65072
 § 14000
 § 65072