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Jonathan Hayes - Greystar <br />Updated March 15, 2017 - Page 2 <br /> <br /> <br />with and without electrification. Changes to the scenario of the Caltrain analysis that does not <br />assume Caltrain electrification include the following: <br />1. A new scenario that assumes only diesel train use the rail line for the next 30 <br />years; <br />2. An increase in the number of passenger trains, although it is unlikely that Caltrain <br />would increase service with additional diesel trains due to peak-hour capacity <br />issues; and <br />3. Modification of train speeds in the area due to crossing information obtained from <br />the Federal Rail Administration. <br /> <br />Significance Thresholds <br /> <br />Mitigation Measure 12-1 requires projects that contain sensitive receptors (e.g., residents) <br />proposed within 500 feet of high volume roadways to include an analysis of the potential health <br />risks that comply with adopted standards of the BAAQMD. This measure also applies to land <br />uses proposed within 500 feet of El Camino Real, Caltrain (until electrification is completed). <br />The BAAQMD provides guidance in assessing impacts to lead agencies in the Bay Area. In <br />May 2011, BAAQMD adopted new California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Air Quality <br />Guidelines that included thresholds of significance to assist in the review of projects under <br />CEQA. These thresholds were designed to establish the level at which BAAQMD believed air <br />pollution emissions would cause significant environmental impacts under CEQA and were <br />posted on BAAQMD’s website and included in the Air District's updated CEQA Guidelines.1 <br />The BAAQMD CEQA Air Quality Guidelines consider exposure of sensitive receptors to air <br />pollutant levels that result in an unacceptable cancer risk or hazard, to be significant. For cancer <br />risk, which is a concern with diesel particulate matter (DPM) and other mobile-source TACs, the <br />BAAQMD considers an increased risk of contracting cancer that is 10 in one million chances or <br />greater, to be significant risk for a single source. The BAAQMD CEQA Guidelines also <br />consider single-source TAC exposure to be significant if annual PM2.5 concentrations exceed 0.3 <br />micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) or if the computed hazard index (HI) is greater than 1.0 for <br />non-cancer risk hazards. Cumulative exposure is assessed by combining the risks and annual <br />PM2.5 concentrations for all sources within 1,000 feet of a project. The thresholds for cumulative <br />exposure are an excess cancer risk of 100 in one million, annual PM2.5 concentrations of 0.8 <br />µg/m3, and a HI greater than 10.0. Attachment 1 includes a description of how community risk <br />impacts were computed. It is noted that in a direct challenge to the BAAQMD CEQA Air <br />Quality Guidelines, the California Supreme Court held that CEQA does not require the analysis <br />of the environment on future residents of a project. (California Building Industry Assn. v. Bay <br />Area Air Quality Management Dist. (2015) 62 Cal.4th 369.) While the analysis of the exposure <br />of sensitive receptors to air pollutant levels falls directly within the category of the <br />environment’s effect on future residents, the analysis of the exposure of sensitive receptors to air <br />pollutant levels has been conducted for informational purposes and in relation to Mitigation <br />Measure 12-1. <br /> <br />TAC Impacts <br /> <br /> <br />1 Bay Area Air Quality Management District. 2011. BAAQMD CEQA Air Quality Guidelines. May. <br />8.A. - Page 85