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City of Redwood City, Public Works Division Initial Study & Mitigated Negative Declaration <br />Document Date: October 15, 2015 <br />Revision Date: January 25, 2016 Page 37 Blankinship & Associates, Inc. <br /> <br />h) Expose people or structures to a <br />significant risk of loss, injury or death <br />involving wildland fires, including where <br />wildlands are adjacent to urbanized <br />areas or where residences are <br />intermixed with wildlands? <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Discussion <br /> <br />Items a & b): Less Than Significant Impact. The Project would involve handling aquatic <br />herbicides which are regulated hazardous materials. Acute exposure to humans of the <br />undiluted, formulated product can cause eye, skin, and respiratory irritation, and can be <br />harmful if swallowed. Refer to the representative MSDS presented in Appendix D. Use of <br />this material would create a potential for spills that could affect worker safety and the <br />environment. The spills could occur potentially at City or contractor facilities, at the point of <br />application, or during transport. <br /> <br />The City or its contractors handle, store, and transport aquatic herbicides and dispose of <br />containers in accordance with federal, state, and county requirements and manufacturer’s <br />recommendations. This approach is supplemented by the following components of the City’s <br />aquatic vegetation management program, which would be applied to the use of herbicides <br />that include copper: <br /> <br />1. City personnel or contractors that make aquatic herbicide applications are themselves, or <br />under the direct supervision of, a DPR-licensed Qualified Applicator Certificate or <br />License holder (QAC/QAL). Expertise and training used by these personnel mitigate <br />potentially significant impacts. <br /> <br />2. A written recommendation is prepared by a DPR-licensed Pest Control Advisor (PCA). A <br />PCA undergoes 40 hours of training every 2 years on issues including health and safety <br />and prevention of exposure to sensitive receptors. The written recommendation <br />prepared by the PCA must evaluate proximity of occupied buildings and people, and <br />health and environmental hazards and restrictions, and include a certification that <br />alternatives and mitigation measures that substantially lessen any significant adverse <br />impact on the environment have been considered and if feasible, adopted. Refer to <br />Appendix C. <br /> <br />3. All City personnel or contractors applying algaecides and/or aquatic herbicides review <br />and strictly adhere to the aquatic herbicide product label that has clear and specific <br />warnings that alert users to hazards that may exist. Examples of specific product labels <br />are included in Appendix D. <br /> <br />4. All City personnel or contractors applying herbicides review and consult the aquatic <br />herbicide Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) (an example is provided in Appendix D), <br />and the DPR Worker Health and Safety Branch Pesticide Safety Information Series <br />(PSIS). The PSIS and the MSDS have specific information that describes precautions to <br />be taken during the use of the aquatic herbicides. <br /> <br />5. City or contractor personnel are familiar with and implement the DPR PSIS series that <br />mitigates potentially significant impacts. For example, the PSIS series describes the <br />6.3.A. - Page 45