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SFPUC presents draft EIRs for Bay Division and San Joaquin pipeline upgrades
Summary
The SFPUC presented draft environmental impact reports for the Bay Division reliability tunnel and the San Joaquin pipeline upgrades. Presenters described large-diameter transmission pipe segments, a 5-mile bay tunnel, and localized construction impacts; the Commission opened hearings to receive comments and directed written comments to staff by stated deadlines.
SFPUC project managers presented draft environmental impact reports for two major water‑system projects at the January 22 Planning Commission meeting.
For the Bay Division Reliability Upgrade Project, Johanna Wong (SFPUC) and Planning Department staff summarized a proposal that includes new pipelines in the East Bay and Peninsula, and a roughly 5‑mile tunnel beneath the bay. The East Bay pipeline portion is about seven miles of 6‑foot diameter pipe from Fremont to Newark, and the Peninsula pipeline about nine miles of 5‑foot diameter. The bay tunnel would run roughly 5 miles with vertical shafts at each end and temporary construction staging, including a Menlo Park substation and PG&E fiber‑optic attachments required for tunnel-boring-machine power, which could require helicopter support in some locations. Pipeline installation timelines were described as roughly two years for trenching and pipeline work and 4.5–5 years for the tunnel construction.
Jamie Dean and Chris Nelson then presented the San Joaquin Pipeline System Project draft EIR. The consultants noted the existing San Joaquin Division is a long transmission route across the Central Valley; the proposed project would add capacity and redundancy, including 11 miles of 8‑foot diameter pipe in the western extent and upstream valving to isolate shorter pipeline segments for maintenance. The presentation emphasized the need to address aging prestressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP) that can fail catastrophically and the importance of ensuring redundancy while performing periodic maintenance.
Commissioners opened both items for public comment; staff said three local draft EIR hearings had already been held for the Bay Division project (Fremont, Menlo Park, Redwood City) and public comments on both draft EIRs will be accepted through posted deadlines and will be addressed in forthcoming comment-and-response documents. The hearings were expressly informational; certification and project approvals will occur later by the SFPUC after completion of the EIR process.
No decisions were made at the Planning Commission; staff recorded verbal comments to be included in the administrative record and encouraged written submissions to the Planning Department by the deadlines stated for each draft EIR.
