PFAS Removal Project No. 251 BWTP

2025041215

Lake Arrowhead Community Services District

NOE - Notice of Exemption

4/24/2025

4/24/2025

Catherine Cerri

General Manager

General Manager

Lead/Public Agency

PO Box 700
Lake Arrowhead, CA 92352

(909) 336-7100

ccerri@lakearrowheadcsd.com

34°15'46.4"N 117°12'38.8"W

Rhine Road and Bernina Drive

92352

1.69

Highway 179

Mary Putnam Henck Intermediate

Categorical Exemption

15303

This project will install ion exchange canisters and related piping and appurtenances at the existing Bemina Water Treatment Plant (BWTP). The new equipment will remove PF AS from drinking water. A new 2,000 square foot cinder block building will be constructed on the existing campus of the BWTP to house the new equipment. This is a standalone project with independent utility because the BWTP operates independently and its water is sampled independently and not blended, pursuant to the terms of the District's drinking water pennit. The project is exempt from CEQA under the Class 3 exemption for 1new construction of small structures. (CEQA Guidelines section f l5303(c).) The building is less than 2,500 square feet in floor area ! and it will not house any significant amount of hazardous materials. j The project is also exempt under the "common sense" exemption j (CEQA Guidelines § 1506l(b)(3)) because it can be seen with j certainty that there is no possibility that the project may have a I significant effect on the environment. The equipment is designed to l improve the environment by removing PF AS from drinking water. ! Constructing a 2,000 square foot cinder block building at the ! existing BWTP campus will not have any significant adverse impacts given the small size of the building, the existing disturbed nature of the BWTP campus, and the absence of any biologically sensitive plants or wildlife species or critical habitat, as well as the ) absence of any cultural or historic resources. Once the building is j constructed, the equipment will operate within the new small j structure and will not expand the use of the existing BWTP. None of the exceptions listed in CEQA Guidelines section 15300.2 apply. The location exception in section l5300.2(a) does not apply because the project site is already disturbed and is not located in a sensitive environment, as demonstrated by the biological resources report. The cumulative impacts exception in section l 5300.2(b) does not apply because (1) this project will have a positive impact on the environment in that it will remove PFAS from drinking !water; and (2) the District is contemplating only one other, separate I PFAS removal project, at the Cedar Glen Water Treatment Plant, l which will also have positive impacts on the environment by j removing PFAS. As such, the cumulative impact of these two j separate projects will not have a significant adverse effect on the j environment. The significant impacts exception in CEQA \ Guidelines section 15300.2(c) does not apply because there are no !unusual circumstances related to the project or the site and there is ' no possibility of any significant impacts due to unusual circumstances, because of the limited nature of the project. Specifically, the project would construct a small new building to house equipment at the existing BWTP campus. The scenic highway exception in CEQA Guidelines section 15300.2(d) does . not apply because there are no scenic resources on the project site J and because of the limited scope of the project. The hazardous waste exception in CEQA Guidelines section l 5300.2(e) does not apply because the site is not listed on the Cortese-Knox list. Finally, the historical resources exception in CEQA Guidelines section 15300.2(t) does not apply because there are no historical resources on site

Other

15061(b)(3)

This project will install ion exchange canisters and related piping and appurtenances at the existing Bemina Water Treatment Plant (BWTP). The new equipment will remove PF AS from drinking water. A new 2,000 square foot cinder block building will be constructed on the existing campus of the BWTP to house the new equipment. This is a standalone project with independent utility because the BWTP operates independently and its water is sampled independently and not blended, pursuant to the terms of the District's drinking water pennit. The project is exempt from CEQA under the Class 3 exemption for 1new construction of small structures. (CEQA Guidelines section f l5303(c).) The building is less than 2,500 square feet in floor area ! and it will not house any significant amount of hazardous materials. j The project is also exempt under the "common sense" exemption j (CEQA Guidelines § 1506l(b)(3)) because it can be seen with j certainty that there is no possibility that the project may have a I significant effect on the environment. The equipment is designed to l improve the environment by removing PF AS from drinking water. ! Constructing a 2,000 square foot cinder block building at the ! existing BWTP campus will not have any significant adverse impacts given the small size of the building, the existing disturbed nature of the BWTP campus, and the absence of any biologically sensitive plants or wildlife species or critical habitat, as well as the ) absence of any cultural or historic resources. Once the building is j constructed, the equipment will operate within the new small j structure and will not expand the use of the existing BWTP. None of the exceptions listed in CEQA Guidelines section 15300.2 apply. The location exception in section l5300.2(a) does not apply because the project site is already disturbed and is not located in a sensitive environment, as demonstrated by the biological resources report. The cumulative impacts exception in section l 5300.2(b) does not apply because (1) this project will have a positive impact on the environment in that it will remove PFAS from drinking !water; and (2) the District is contemplating only one other, separate I PFAS removal project, at the Cedar Glen Water Treatment Plant, l which will also have positive impacts on the environment by j removing PFAS. As such, the cumulative impact of these two j separate projects will not have a significant adverse effect on the j environment. The significant impacts exception in CEQA \ Guidelines section 15300.2(c) does not apply because there are no !unusual circumstances related to the project or the site and there is ' no possibility of any significant impacts due to unusual circumstances, because of the limited nature of the project. Specifically, the project would construct a small new building to house equipment at the existing BWTP campus. The scenic highway exception in CEQA Guidelines section 15300.2(d) does . not apply because there are no scenic resources on the project site J and because of the limited scope of the project. The hazardous waste exception in CEQA Guidelines section l 5300.2(e) does not apply because the site is not listed on the Cortese-Knox list. Finally, the historical resources exception in CEQA Guidelines section 15300.2(t) does not apply because there are no historical resources on site