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City of Pleasanton <br /> CEQA GHG Emissions Thresholds and Guidance <br /> Table 7 Pleasanton Locally Applicable Plan/Project CEQA GHG Emissions Thresholds <br /> Development2030 New <br /> Non-Residential Residential Mixed-Use <br /> GHG Emissions Forecast <br /> (MT of CO2e per year)' <br /> 10,769 5,566 16,335 <br /> Demographic Metria 1,898 new employees 6,266 new residents N/A <br /> GHG Efficiency Threshold <br /> (MT of CO2e per year) 2.93 per employee 1.72 per resident 2.26 per service person <br /> MT=metric tons;CO2e=carbon dioxide equivalents <br /> 1 Emissions from new mixed-use development would count against the total remaining GHG budget for both new residential and new <br /> non-residential development rather than as a function of the number of new service people expected in 2030.This avoids double <br /> counting. <br /> 2 Demographic estimates were calculated using the forecasts in Table 5. <br /> Source:Appendix 3,CEQA GHG Thresholds Calculations <br /> 5.3 Justification for Thresholds <br /> Per CEQA Guidelines Section 15064(b)(1), "the determination of whether a project may have a <br /> significant effect on the environment calls for careful judgment on the part of the public agency <br /> involved, based to the extent possible on scientific and factual data." In addition,CEQA Guidelines <br /> Section 15064(b)(2)states, "When using a threshold,the lead agency should briefly explain how <br /> compliance with the threshold means that the project's impacts are less than significant." <br /> Furthermore, CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.7(b) states "Thresholds of significance to be adopted <br /> for general use as part of the lead agency's environmental review process must be adopted by <br /> ordinance, resolution, rule, or regulation, and developed through a public review process and be <br /> supported by substantial evidence."Therefore,the key considerations when developing thresholds <br /> of significance are 1)the thresholds' basis on scientific and factual data;2) demonstration of how <br /> compliance with the thresholds reduces project impacts to a less-than-significant level; 3) support of <br /> the thresholds by substantial evidence;and 4) adoption of the thresholds by ordinance, resolution, <br /> rule, or regulation, and developed through a public review process.The following subsections <br /> address these four key considerations. <br /> Basis of Scientific and Factual Data <br /> As discussed in Section 5.1, Threshold Calculation Methodology,the quantitative thresholds were <br /> developed using data from the City's 2005 and 2017 communitywide GHG inventories and the GHG <br /> emissions forecasts for year 2030.These inventories and forecasts were developed by the City in <br /> compliance with all relevant protocols and guidance documents, including the U.S. Community <br /> Protocol for Accounting and Reporting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Local Government Operations <br /> Protocol,the Global Protocol for Community Scale GHG Emissions,and the Intergovernmental Panel <br /> on Climate Change (IPCC) Guidelines for National GHG Inventories. Furthermore,the inventories <br /> and forecasts are based on locally appropriate data for Pleasanton provided by East Bay Clean <br /> Energy(EBCE), Pacific Gas& Electric(PG&E), Bay Area Air Quality Management District(BAAQMD), <br /> CARB, California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery(CalRecycle), and Pleasanton City <br /> 28 <br />