Planning commission reviews draft EIR for SFO shoreline protection; air-quality impacts flagged as significant
October 06, 2022 | San Francisco City, San Francisco County, California
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Planning Department staff and SFO project managers presented the draft environmental impact report (EIR) for San Francisco International Airport's shoreline protection program at the commission's Oct. 6 hearing and opened the item for public comment.
Michael Lee of the Planning Department explained the program covers about 7.5 miles of airport shoreline divided into 15 reaches and that the project would replace existing protection features with a system of reinforced concrete and steel sheet pile walls. Heights in the draft range from roughly 4 feet to 14 feet depending on location; Reach 16 (adjacent to Highway 101) was analyzed only at a programmatic level because it depends on connections to neighboring cities' shoreline systems.
The draft EIR, published Aug. 31 with a comment period that began Sept. 1, concluded that construction-related air quality impacts would be significant and unavoidable even after feasible mitigation; other resource topics were found to be less than significant with mitigation. Michael Lee said staff would accept written comments until 5 p.m. on Oct. 17, 2022 (cpc.sfosppeir@sfgov.org) and would prepare a responses-to-comments document that, together with revisions, will become the final EIR to be presented at a later hearing.
Commissioner Diamond asked whether the commission's role was limited to EIR certification and whether a joint NEPA/EIS was being prepared; staff and the deputy city attorney confirmed that the planning commission's role is to review and certify the CEQA document and that a separate NEPA document would be prepared for the federal process. Commissioners also asked about sequencing of approvals among federal, state and regional agencies; staff said many approvals will be pursued concurrently and that the response-to-comments document will provide additional sequencing information.
Vice President Moore raised a technical question about corrosion protection for steel sheet piles; project staff responded that corrosion-resistant coatings would be used and that steel sheet piles are commonly used for shoreline infrastructure.
No vote was taken on the draft EIR at this hearing. The comment period remains open through Oct. 17, 2022, after which the Planning Department will publish responses to comments and any appropriate revisions to the draft EIR before returning to the commission for certification.
Michael Lee of the Planning Department explained the program covers about 7.5 miles of airport shoreline divided into 15 reaches and that the project would replace existing protection features with a system of reinforced concrete and steel sheet pile walls. Heights in the draft range from roughly 4 feet to 14 feet depending on location; Reach 16 (adjacent to Highway 101) was analyzed only at a programmatic level because it depends on connections to neighboring cities' shoreline systems.
The draft EIR, published Aug. 31 with a comment period that began Sept. 1, concluded that construction-related air quality impacts would be significant and unavoidable even after feasible mitigation; other resource topics were found to be less than significant with mitigation. Michael Lee said staff would accept written comments until 5 p.m. on Oct. 17, 2022 (cpc.sfosppeir@sfgov.org) and would prepare a responses-to-comments document that, together with revisions, will become the final EIR to be presented at a later hearing.
Commissioner Diamond asked whether the commission's role was limited to EIR certification and whether a joint NEPA/EIS was being prepared; staff and the deputy city attorney confirmed that the planning commission's role is to review and certify the CEQA document and that a separate NEPA document would be prepared for the federal process. Commissioners also asked about sequencing of approvals among federal, state and regional agencies; staff said many approvals will be pursued concurrently and that the response-to-comments document will provide additional sequencing information.
Vice President Moore raised a technical question about corrosion protection for steel sheet piles; project staff responded that corrosion-resistant coatings would be used and that steel sheet piles are commonly used for shoreline infrastructure.
No vote was taken on the draft EIR at this hearing. The comment period remains open through Oct. 17, 2022, after which the Planning Department will publish responses to comments and any appropriate revisions to the draft EIR before returning to the commission for certification.
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