The Times Herald Vallejo, Public Notice Notice of Availability of Revised Draft Environmental Impact Report and Notice of Public Hearing Valero Crude by Rail Project The City of Benicia announces the Revised Draft Environmental Impact Report (RDEIR) for the Valero Crude by Rail Project is available for review. The proposed project would allow the Benicia Valero Refinery located at 3400 East Second Street (Refinery) to receive a portion of its crude by rail. The Refinery currently receives crudes by ship and pipeline. The project involves the installation of a new railcar unloading rack, rail track spurs, pumps, pipeline, and associated infrastructure at the Refinery. The crudes would originate at sites in North America. Union Pacific Railroad would transport the crudes in railcars using existing rail lines to Roseville, California, and from there to the Refinery. The Project would allow Valero to receive up to 70,000 barrels per day of the crude oil by rail and reduce its shipments of crude by marine vessel by the same amount. The project site is listed as an inactive tiered permit by the Department of Toxic Substances Control under Government Code §65962.5 including, but not limited to, hazardous waste facilities, hazardous waste property, or hazardous waste disposal sites. A Draft EIR (DEIR) was issued for the project on June 17, 2014. In response to requests made in comments on the DEIR, the City is issuing this RDEIR to consider potential impacts that could occur uprail of Roseville, California (i.e., between a crude oil train's point of origin and the California State border, and from the border to Roseville) and to supplement the DEIR's evaluation of the potential consequences of upsets or accidents involving crude oil trains based on new information that has become available since the DEIR was published. In order to allow the public and interested agencies the opportunity to review this information, the City has elected to recirculate certain portions of the DEIR. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT: Together, the DEIR and RDEIR discuss the Project's potential to result in significant impacts to the environment in the following subject areas: air quality and greenhouse gases, traffic and transportation, hazards and hazardous materials, biological resources, energy conservation, geology and soils, hydrology and water quality, cultural resources, land use and planning, and noise. The environmental analysis conducted to date indicates that there would be a significant and unavoidable impact associated with air quality and greenhouse gas emissions, hazards and hazardous materials, and biological resources. The impacts associated with all other environmental issues either would be less than significant or would be reduced to a less-than-significant level with the incorporation of mitigation measures. AVAILABILITY AND PUBLIC REVIEW PERIOD: The RDEIR has been released for a 45-day review period beginning on Monday, August 31, 2015 and ending at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 15, 2015. The RDEIR and reference materials cited in the RDEIR are available for review at the locations listed below during normal business hours. The RDEIR may also be reviewed and downloaded at the City of Benicia website: www.ci.benicia.ca.us. Benicia City Hall Community Development Department 250 East L Street Benicia, CA 94510 Benicia Public Library Reference Desk 150 East L Street Benicia, CA 94510 Because the proposed revisions to the DEIR affect only portions of the analysis, the City is recirculating only those affected portions for public review. Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15088.5(f)(2), anyone wishing to submit comments on the RDEIR should limit those comments to the revised portions shown in Chapter 2 of the RDEIR (Revisions to the Draft Environmental Impact Report). PUBLIC HEARING: The City of Benicia Planning Commission will hold a formal public hearing to receive comments on the RDEIR on September 29, 2015. In anticipation of the number of speakers, additional Planning Commission meetings to receive comments on the RDEIR are scheduled for September 30, October 1, and October 8, 2015. These additional meetings will only be held as necessary to hear public comment. All meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, Benicia City Hall, located at 250 East L Street, Benicia, CA 94510. Comments on the RDEIR may be provided at the public hearing, or may be submitted in writing, no later than 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 15, 2015. The final EIR for the project will include written responses to all substantive comments received on the DEIR and RDEIR. Any comments submitted after the close of the public comment period until the City's final action on the project (approval or denial of the Use Permit and the Environmental Documents) will become part of the administrative record. All written comments should be provided to: Amy Million, Principal Planner Community Development Department 250 East L Street Benicia, CA 94510 amillion@ci.benicia.ca.us (707) 747-1637 (fax) NOTE: The comment period on the DEIR ended on September 15, 2014 and the City is in receipt of comments previously submitted so there is no need to resubmit comments previous provided.
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