East Orosi Well Project
Summary
SCH Number
2024101194
Public Agency
Tulare County
Document Title
East Orosi Well Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
10/28/2024
Document Description
The community of East Orosi has faced ongoing challenges in accessing potable water due to operational and maintenance deficiencies within the East Orosi Community Services District (EOCSD) water delivery system. Historically, EOCSD has struggled to maintain a full quorum of directors, hindering its ability to make decisions and execute contracts essential for maintaining the water system. On October 21, 2022, the State Water Resources Control Board issued Compliance Order No. 24-El-22R-00I, appointing Tulare County Resource Management Agency (Administrator) as the full-scope administrator for the East Orosi Public Water System, effective November I, 2022. Tulare County, as the Administrator and as the Lead Agency under CEQA, certified and adopted a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for the East Orosi Community Services District Water Supply and Infrastructure Project (SCH No. 2023 I 00252) and pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15075 filed a Notice of Determination (NOD) on February 7, 2024. The Water Supply and Infrastructure Project included five major components: (l) installation of a new well located southwest of the Orosi Public Utility District (OPUD); (2) installation of a new 300,000-gallon storage tank located in the EOCSD; (3) replacement of the old (existing) asbestos-containing concrete-covered distribution pipeline system located in the EOCSD; (4) connection of a new pipeline from the new well to existing pipelines in Orosi and then connecting a new pipeline to the new: storage tank in East Orosi; and (5) consolidate the EOCSD drinking water customers and the Family Education Center into OPUD. This project consists of the purchase of a 0.30-acre portion of Assessor's Parcel No. 025-150-045 located on Avenue 408 east of Road 128 in Cutler, CA necessary to facilitate the development of the Water Supply and Infrastructure Project. Specifically, the purchase of the property will allow Tulare County to develop a well site, including a physical connection to and for the EOCSD water system. The EOCSD water system will later be consolidated with the Orosi Public Utility District pursuant to State Water Resource Control Board Compliance Order No. 03_24_20R_002 and No. 24_El_22R_004.
Contact Information
Name
Gary Mills
Agency Name
Tulare County Resource Management Agency
Job Title
Chief Environmental Planner
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Name
Jacalyn A. Wells
Agency Name
Tulare County General Services Agency
Job Title
Property Manager
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Cities
Cutler
Counties
Tulare
Regions
Unincorporated
Parcel #
025-150-045
Township
16S
Range
25E
Section
17
Other Location Info
Avenue 408 east of Road 128
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
CEQA Guidelines Class 3 Section 15303(d) New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures
Reasons for Exemption
The proposed project is solely for the purchase of an undeveloped property by the County of Tulare. The project will facilitate the development of the East Orosi Community Services District Water Supply and Infrastructure Project as evaluated in the MND (SCH No. 2023100252) previously certified by Tulare County. Therefore, the purchase of the subject property is exempt from CEQA pursuant to the common sense exemption on the grounds that it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity may have a significant effect on the environment (14 Cal. Code Regs., §15061, subd. (b)(3)). Furthermore, the well site will be less than 13,262 square feet in ground area. Therefore, it can be concluded that the proposed project is exempt from California Environmental Quality Act per Sections 15061, subd. (b)(3) and 15303, subd. (d).
County Clerk
Tulare
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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