SJ/C Reg'l Wastewater Facility - Issuance of PTO for Change in Conditions to exclude ethane from precursor organic compound limit: Souces 67,68,69,70 - AN699829
Summary
SCH Number
2025010200
Public Agency
Bay Area Air Quality Management District
(BAAQMD)
Document Title
SJ/C Reg'l Wastewater Facility - Issuance of PTO for Change in Conditions to exclude ethane from precursor organic compound limit: Souces 67,68,69,70 - AN699829
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
1/7/2025
Document Description
This project is a permit application to change the NMOC (non-methane organic compound) limit to a NMEOC (non-methane, non-ethane organic compound) limit for sources 67, 68, 69, 70, Biagas Engines, at San Jose/Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility, and to change the source test procedure so that ethane can be subtracted from the total organics that are measured.
Contact Information
Name
Brenda Cabral
Agency Name
Bay Area Air Quality Management District (Air District)
Job Title
Supervising Air Quality Engineer
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Name
Jason Nettleton
Agency Name
San Jose/Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility
Job Title
Senior Engineer
Contact Types
Project Applicant
Phone
Location
Cities
San Jose
Counties
Santa Clara
Regions
Citywide
Cross Streets
Spreckles Avenue and Grand Boulevard
Zip
95134
State Highways
California
Other Location Info
700 Los Esteros Road, San Jose, Santa Clara County, CA 95134
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
CEQA Guidelines§ 15301
Reasons for Exemption
Is exempt from CEQA because the project involves no expansion of use beyond that previously existing at the time of the Air District's CEQA determination.
The change in the conditioned limit and source test method does not authorize or result in any direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical or operational changes al the f dcilily, dir emissions, or impacts to the environment, so it is not a "project" pursuant to CEQA. Even if the change in conditions were a "project" pursuant to CEQA, the Air District's permit action is exempt because it only permits a condition
change with no physical changes at an existing facility and does not authorize any expansion of the existing use (See CEQA Guidelines § 15301). In addition, the Air District has concluded with certainty, based on materials in the applicant's permit application including a CEQA Appendix H, that the change has no potential to result in any additional or different environmental impacts beyond what is already permitted in the applicant's existing use of the sources.
Exempt Status
Other
Type, Section or Code
CEQA Guidelines§ 15061, subdivision (b)(3)
Reasons for Exemption
The Air District has also determined that the permit action would be exempt under the "common sense" exemption.
It can also be seen with certainty that the change will not have any environmental impacts because ethane is not classified as a precursor organic
compound by the Air District. The action would therefore be exempt under the "common sense" exemption. (See CEQA Guidelines§ 15061, subdivision (b)(3)).
Further, based on the review of the permit application materials, including Appendix H (environmental information form), the project will not result in any additional or different environmental impacts beyond what is already entailed in the applicant's existing use of the source. In making the determination that this application is categorically exempt, the Air District reviewed the permit application materials,
including a CEQA Appendix H, and concluded that: 1) there is no potential for any environmental impact from the project; 2) no formal health risk assessment was required by the Air District; and 3) that the project will not have a significant effect on the environment due to unusual circumstances or cumulative impacts from successive projects of the same type in the same place.
County Clerk
Santa Clara
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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