EIR Process

Project History
In June 2007, Excelaron filed an application for a Conditional Use Permit to drill, test and produce four oil wells on an existing oilfield on Mankins’ Ranch. After preparation of the Initial Study, the County issued a Mitigated Negative Declaration in February 2009. In response to concerns expressed by the public, Excelaron agreed to prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The EIR process is now underway and will analyze potential project impacts and propose mitigation measures where necessary.

The Environmental Impact Report
The main purposes of the EIR include:

• Evaluating the environmental impacts associated with the proposed project;
• Exploring feasible alternatives that meet most of the basic objectives of the project and can potentially eliminate significant impacts caused by the proposed project; and
• Developing mitigation measures that can reduce the level of significance of impacts associated with the project and the alternatives.

The County has selected Marine Research Specialists (MRS) and their consultants to conduct the environmental review, which will examine the following issue areas in detail:

• Aesthetics;
• Agricultural resources;
• Air quality;
• Biological resources;
• Cultural resources;
• Geology/soils;
• Hazards and hazardous materials;
• Land use;
• Mineral resources;
• Noise;
• Public services;
• Recreation;
• Traffic;
• Utilities;
• Water quality/hydrology.

MRS will follow the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines issued by the State Office of Planning and Research, and the County’s EIR standards, practices, and guidelines to complete the EIR. CEQA is considered the most stringent environmental review process in the country. 

MRS will complete numerous technical reports and studies, as well as provide a peer review of the informational material prepared by Excelaron’s consultant team.  A list of those studies can be reviewed at www.excelaron.net

Opportunities for Public Review and Input
There have been numerous opportunities for public input on the project since it was first proposed in 2007, and there will be several additional opportunities for input throughout 2010 as the EIR is completed.  Currently, a public scoping meeting on the issues to be analyzed in the EIR is scheduled for March 29th in Arroyo Grande. This will be the sixth public comment meeting for this project to date. Prior public outreach efforts were conducted by Excelaron, County Supervisor Katcho Achadjian, the County Planning Department and the City of Arroyo Grande.  There will be at least one additional scoping meeting, a 45-day public review period of the draft EIR, two public workshops, and ultimately a public hearing before the County Planning Commission.

Timeline for Completion
The draft EIR is tentatively scheduled to be completed by August 6, 2010. The chart below highlights the projected timing of key milestones and deliverables during the EIR process.

Milestone	Date
Draft EIR Style Guide to County	March 1, 2010
Draft Project Description to County	March 11, 2010
Draft Cumulative Project Descriptions to County	April 7, 2010
Draft Environmental Setting Sections to County	April 22, 2010
Administrative Draft EIR to County	June 14, 2010
Release of Public Draft EIR (45-day public comment period)	August 6, 2010
Public Workshop on EIR	TBD
Public Comment Meeting on EIR	TBD
Administrative Final EIR and Response to Comments to County	October 25, 2010
Final EIR to County	December 10, 2010

 

Source: Marine Research Specialists