AgdaPkt 2013-03-25 Joint SA and PFA

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6.5.A. - Page 3 The County prepared and certified a Program Environmental Impact Report for the proposed ordinance. The Final Program EIR examined the potential environmental impacts associated with the adoption of the proposed ordinance in the Program EIR Study Area, which consists of the County, the 18 cities within the County, and the six neighboring cities listed previously. Prior to the preparation of the Draft Program EIR, scoping meetings were held throughout the County, including in Redwood City on May 3, 2012. The Draft Program EIR was issued with a 45-day public review period, from June 22, 2012 to August 6, 2012. The Final Program EIR, which incorporates the Draft Program EIR by reference, as well as responses to comments received on the Draft Program EIR, was issued with a 10-day public review period from August 31, 2012 to September 10, 2012. Due to the size of these documents, they are not included as attachments to this staff report but are available on the San Mateo County Environmental Health website at the following link: http://smchealth.orq/BaqBan. A Program EIR is appropriate where, as here, there is a series of actions that can be characterized as one large project and are related in connection with the issuance of rules or regulations that govern the conduct of a continuing program (CEQA Guidelines 15168(a)). For the City of Redwood City to be able to use the Program EIR as the CEQA analysis of any impacts from the adoption of the proposed ordinance for the City, the City Council must find that (1) the proposed ordinance is within the scope of the program examined in the program EIR, and (2) no new effects not examined in the program EIR will occur and no new mitigation measures are required (CEQA Guideline §15168(c)(1)-(2)). Findinqs in the Proqram EIR The Final Program EIR estimated the volume of current plastic bag usage within the Study Area at 552 million bags per year. With the proposed ordinance's regulations in effect, it is estimated that 95 percent of that volume would be replaced by a combination of 165,879,409 paper bags and 6,911,642 reusable bags, leaving 27 million plastic bags still used each year within the Study Area. In certifying the Final Program EIR, the County Board of Supervisors found the following impacts from adopting the proposed ordinance: • Air Quality: (1) A beneficial impact associated with the reduction in emissions due to a reduction in the total number plastic bags manufactured; and (2) A less than significant impact associated with an increase in emissions resulting from increased truck trips to deliver recycled paper and reusable carryout bags to local retailers. • Biological Resources: A beneficial impact associated with the reduction in the amount of single-use plastic bags entering the coastal and bay habitat as litter.