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Ridgecrest council adopts addendum to EIR for new wastewater plant, clears path to proceed
Summary
The Ridgecrest City Council approved a resolution adopting an addendum to the environmental impact report for a new wastewater treatment plant sited on Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake property and amended the mitigation monitoring and reporting program.
The Ridgecrest City Council on Sept. 3 adopted a resolution approving an addendum to the environmental impact report (EIR) for a new wastewater treatment plant and amended the mitigation monitoring and reporting program, clearing a step needed to advance final design and permitting.
The council voted 5-0 to adopt the resolution after staff described changes reflecting the city’s selection of a base-site alternative and updates from 100% design work. “If council approved this this evening, we'll then have to publish our new notice of determination on the state website,” City staff said during the presentation.
The addendum documents that the city selected a project that would be built entirely on Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake property rather than on city-owned land outside the base, a choice made earlier when the council approved an easement agreement with the Navy. The updated project footprint includes approximately 6.7 additional acres west of the current facility and design capacity to process up to 4,400,000 gallons per day; the transcript also references "3.6" for disposal but does not specify units.
Amy Wilson, an engineer with Provost & Pritchard, was on the phone and was identified as responsible for updating the EIR documents. Staff said the addendum did not materially change the project’s environmental conclusions but added the selected alternative and updated mitigation-monitoring language. The city also plans on-site biological studies next spring to confirm presence or absence of species such as the LeConte’s thrasher and to identify mitigation measures if necessary.
A caller urged the council to include low-cost recycled water treatment as part of the project; the caller identified potential additional supplies of more than 2,000 acre-feet per year and asked staff and the city manager to pursue options. Council members did not change the resolution based on that comment; the vote proceeded after public comment and passed 5-0.
The council action authorizes publication of a notice of determination on the state website, which staff said would complete the local checklist requirement and allow the city to move forward with permitting and construction steps tied to the base-site selection.
What happens next: with the addendum adopted, staff will post the notice of determination, continue biological studies in spring, and proceed with permitting and final construction planning. The city said the full updated report (about 1,000 pages) is available on the city website.
