Public Hearing Notices

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Supervisors of the County of San Diego will hold a public hearing to consider withdrawing as a Groundwater Sustainability Agency for the Borrego Valley Groundwater Basin.  

HEARING INFORMATION:

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

Date:         October 16, 2019

Time:         9:00 A.M. (at or after)

Location:    COC Campus Center Chambers, 5520 Overland Avenue, San Diego, CA 92123

PROJECT: AUTHORIZATION FOR THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO TO WITHDRAW AS A GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY AGENCY FOR THE BORREGO VALLEY GROUNDWATER BASIN (DISTRICT: 5)

PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND LOCATION: This item is a request for the Board to consider terminating the Memorandum of Understanding: Development of a Groundwater Sustainability Plan for the Borrego Valley Groundwater Basin (MOU) with Borrego Water District and to consider withdrawal of the County from being a Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) for the Borrego Valley Groundwater Basin without adopting the Groundwater Sustainability Plan (Sustainability Plan).

On October 19, 2016 (1), the Board entered into a MOU with the Borrego Water District (BWD) to establish a GSA over the Borrego Valley Groundwater Basin (Basin) as required by the State of California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). The purpose of a GSA under SGMA is to develop a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (Sustainability Plan) to achieve long-term groundwater sustainability in a basin.

The MOU defined roles and responsibilities for the County and BWD during development of the Sustainability Plan for the Basin. After a 60-day public comment period, the draft Sustainability Plan was finalized on August 30, 2019. SGMA requires the GSA to adopt and implement the Sustainability Plan by January 31, 2020 unless an alternative is submitted to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR).

As an alternative to the adoption and implementation of a Sustainability Plan, SGMA allows water rights holders in the Basin, with or without GSA involvement, to voluntarily modify water rights priorities by agreeing to terms in a Water Rights Holders Stipulated Agreement (Stipulated Agreement). Representatives from agriculture, golf courses, and municipal groundwater pumpers in the Basin, including BWD, have been negotiating terms of a Stipulated Agreement. A Stipulated Agreement could provide benefits that a GSA-implemented Sustainability Plan does not, including surety of water rights and reduced costs while avoiding an adversarial groundwater adjudication.

The Stipulated Agreement requires approval from the Superior Court of California and would provide a comprehensive determination of groundwater rights and a court appointed Watermaster board to manage groundwater resources in the Basin. Any Stipulated Agreement must be consistent with state legislation and would include the Sustainability Plan as the foundational document since it provides the technical basis to guide groundwater management decisions. Since groundwater management would be undertaken by the Watermaster board with oversight from the court, it is unnecessary for the County to remain as a GSA. If the County withdraws from being a GSA, its role in the Basin would transition from implementing the Sustainability Plan to overseeing its integration with the County’s existing land use and well permitting responsibilities, as a non-GSA agency.

SUMMARY OF FUNDING:  Funds for implementing the Sustainability Plan within the Basin are included in the Fiscal Year 2019-20 Operational Plan in Planning & Development Services. Approximately $2.1 million of remaining funds budgeted for Sustainability Plan implementation activities will fund land use planning efforts in the Basin by the County including updating the Borrego Springs Community Plan. There will be no change in net General Fund cost and no additional staff years.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: The requested actions to terminate the MOU and withdraw from being a GSA over the Basin are not projects under CEQA since they are considered administrative activities that do not result in any direct or indirect physical change in the environment, in accordance with Sections 15060(c)(3) and 15378(b)(5) of the State CEQA Guidelines.

GENERAL INFORMATION: This public hearing is accessible to individuals with disabilities.  If interpreter services for the hearing impaired are needed, please call the Americans With Disabilities Coordinator at (619) 531-5205 or California Relay Service, if notifying by TDD, no later than seven days prior to the date of the hearing.

If you challenge the Board’s action in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at a public hearing, or in written correspondence delivered to the Hearing Body at or before the hearing.  Rules of the Hearing Body may limit or impose requirements on the submittal of such written correspondence. 

For additional information regarding this proposal, contact Jim Bennett, Water Resources Manager, at (858) 694-3820.

COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO

AIR POLLUTION CONTROL DISTRICT

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE, pursuant to State of California Health and Safety Code Section 44363, is hereby given of a public hearing on October 16, 2019, at 9:00 a.m., before the Air Pollution Control Board (Board) of the County of San Diego, in the Campus Center Chambers, County Operations Center, 5520 Overland Avenue, San Diego, California, 92123 for the purpose of discussing and receiving public comments on the 2018 Air Toxics "Hot Spots" Program Report for San Diego County.

The California Air Toxics "Hot Spots" Information and Assessment Act was enacted by the Legislature in 1987.  It requires facilities to quantify emissions of toxic air contaminants, conduct a public health risk assessment for emissions of concern, and notify the affected public if there is a significant health risk.  The Air Pollution Control District is the implementing agency for San Diego County and is required to publish an annual report summarizing program efforts and results.  The Air Pollution Control Board will hold a public hearing on the report to discuss its findings.  The report shows, based on estimates by the California Air Resources Board, that more than 62.8 million pounds of toxic air contaminants are emitted annually from mobile, area, and natural sources in San Diego County.  The report also shows that industrial sources emit more than 1.5 million pounds annually in San Diego County.

Written comments on the report are invited.  Comments should be addressed to:

Archi dela Cruz, Senior Engineer

San Diego County Air Pollution Control District

10124 Old Grove Road

San Diego, CA  92131

The report may be examined at the Air Pollution Control District Headquarters, 10124 Old Grove Road, San Diego, California, 92131, or by visiting the District's website at https://www.sdapcd.org/content/sdc/apcd/en/Rule_Development/Public_Hearings.html.  Specific information with respect to this matter may also be obtained by calling Archi dela Cruz at (858) 586-2732.

COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO

AIR POLLUTION CONTROL DISTRICT

SPECIAL MEETING OF THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO

AIR POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 16, 2019 AT 9:00 A.M.

COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE in accordance with Government Code section 54956, the Air Pollution Control Board of the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District will hold a special meeting on October 16, 2019 at 9:00 a.m., in the Campus Center Chambers of the County Operations Center located at 5520 Overland Avenue, San Diego, California, 92123 to consider the following matter: 

SUBJECT:     NOTICED PUBLIC HEARING – 2018 AIR TOXICS “HOT SPOTS” PROGRAM REPORT FOR SAN DIEGO COUNTY