Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Calaveras Dam Eir topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning Commission certifies Calaveras Dam final EIR, staff says SFPUC must adopt overriding considerations
Summary
The Planning Commission voted to certify the final environmental impact report for the Calaveras Dam replacement project after staff and stakeholders described fisheries and seismic improvements; staff noted certification acknowledges significant unavoidable impacts and that SFPUC will need to adopt a statement of overriding considerations to approve the project.
The San Francisco Planning Commission voted to certify the final environmental impact report (EIR) for the Calaveras Dam replacement project (department case number 2005.0161E). Planning department staff summarized the EIR process and changes made in response to public comments: the draft EIR was published on 10/06/2009, the public comment period closed on 12/21/2009, and the comments-and-responses document was published 01/05/2011.
Staff pointed to a project variant that included fisheries enhancements—modified in‑stream flow releases, a fish ladder at the Alameda Creek diversion dam, fish screens and a Central California coast steelhead adaptive management plan—and described other refinements such as expanded seismic instrumentation and erosion controls. "The project would result in significant unavoidable environmental impacts," staff said, and noted that if the commission certifies the EIR the SFPUC would be required to adopt a statement of overriding considerations in order to approve the project.
Environmental groups and labor representatives spoke in favor of certification after the final EIR incorporated changes they sought. Jeff Miller of the Alameda Creek Alliance and Jesse Raider of the Tuolumne River Trust said the revised project improved conditions for steelhead and other fisheries in Alameda Creek; the Northern California Carpenters Regional Council also registered support and highlighted added worker protections and construction‑phase improvements.
Commissioner Moore moved to certify the final EIR; after a second the commission recorded ayes and the motion carried. The vote certifies the adequacy of the EIR under CEQA and allows the SFPUC to proceed toward project approval, subject to the SFPUC adopting an overriding‑considerations statement for the project's unavoidable impacts.
Next steps: certification clears a planning milestone; separately, SFPUC will proceed with permitting and must address the statement of overriding considerations and implementation measures.
