BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2165
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Date of Hearing: April 19, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
Wesley Chesbro, Chair
AB 2165 (Knight) - As Amended: April 12, 2010
SUBJECT : California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA):
exemption: High Desert Health System Multi-Service Ambulatory
Care Center
SUMMARY : Establishes a new CEQA exemption for construction of a
proposed health care facility in Lancaster, California.
EXISTING LAW, CEQA, requires lead agencies with the principal
responsibility for carrying out or approving a proposed project
to prepare a negative declaration, mitigated negative
declaration, or environmental impact report for this action,
unless the project is exempt from CEQA.
THIS BILL :
1)Exempts from review under CEQA construction of the "High
Desert Health System Multi-Service Ambulatory Care Center" (a
proposed health care facility in Lancaster, California).
2)Sunsets January 1, 2015.
3)Contains an urgency clause.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS :
Background. CEQA provides a process for evaluating the
environmental effects of applicable projects undertaken or
approved by public agencies. If a project is not exempt from
CEQA, an initial study is prepared to determine whether the
project may have a significant effect on the environment. If
the initial study shows that there would not be a significant
effect on the environment, the lead agency must prepare a
negative declaration. If the initial study shows that the
project may have a significant effect on the environment, the
lead agency must prepare an EIR.
Generally, an EIR must accurately describe the proposed project,
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identify and analyze each significant environmental impact
expected to result from the proposed project, identify
mitigation measures to reduce those impacts to the extent
feasible, and evaluate a range of reasonable alternatives to the
proposed project. Prior to approving any project that has
received environmental review, an agency must make certain
findings. If mitigation measures are required or incorporated
into a project, the agency must adopt a reporting or monitoring
program to ensure compliance with those measures.
If a mitigation measure would cause one or more significant
effects in addition to those that would be caused by the
proposed project, the effects of the mitigation measure must be
discussed but in less detail than the significant effects of the
proposed project.
What is the exemption for? This bill provides that CEQA does
not apply to activities or approvals related to construction of
the "High Desert Health System Multi-Service Ambulatory Care
Center" (MACC) project. According to the author, the proposed
MACC will be located in the City of Lancaster and will entail
the construction of a new 124,000 square foot facility complex
comprised of several buildings. The county (Los Angeles) is
planning to construct the MACC through a design-build process,
with completion anticipated in late 2010. The complex is
estimated to cost $98.8 million. Without detailed information
about the nature of the project, the site, and the surrounding
environment, it is impossible to assess its environmental
effects, but the project may produce significant environmental
effects, such as traffic impacts and issues regarding safe
handling of hazardous materials, that are worthy of review by
the affected community prior to the project's approval.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Associated Builders and Contractors of California
Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich
Opposition
California Coastal Protection Network
California League of Conservation Voters
California Native Plant Society
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Center for Biological Diversity
Defenders of Wildlife
Friends of the Earth
Forest Forever
Pacific Forest Trust
Planning and Conservation League
Sierra Club California
Sacramento Audubon Society
Analysis Prepared by : Lawrence Lingbloom / NAT. RES. / (916)
319-2092