PUBLIC NOTICE
NOTICE OF PREPARATION OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT AND PUBLIC SCOPING MEETING NOTICE
The Town of Paradise (Town) as the Lead Agency for the Paradise Sewer Project (Proposed Project) has issued this Notice of Preparation (NOP) pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to notify responsible and trustee agencies and other interested parties that an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) will be prepared to evaluate potential environmental impacts of the Proposed Project. The Town is soliciting public input regarding the scope and content of environmental information to be included in the EIR. The NOP provides information about the public review and comment period, project location, project description, and the probable environmental effects of the Proposed Project, and is posted on the Town’s website at paradisesewer.com.
PUBLIC REVIEW & COMMENT PERIOD: May 3 to June 3, 2021
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Since its incorporation in 1979, the Town has sought a formal wastewater treatment solution for the community, with service for commercial and densely populated residential areas being a priority. Failed and failing septic systems create the potential for public health and environmental concerns and have limited economic growth. Prior to the Camp Fire, which almost completely destroyed the town in 2018, Paradise was the largest unsewered community in California. The Town has supported numerous studies to address its need for a centralized wastewater treatment solution, and in its most recent study, the Town identified a proposed sewer service area. The proposed sewer service area includes the Town’s commercial corridors, and as described in the 2017 study, it represented the area that had the most septic systems that had failed or were projected to fail by 2022. The Proposed Project consists of three constructed components—a wastewater collection system in Paradise, an 18-mile export pipeline to convey wastewater to the Chico WPCP, and connection to the WPCP—and operation of the new sewer system. The export pipeline would begin at the southwest edge of Paradise and run for approximately 8 miles along Skyway until reaching south Chico, at which point the pipeline would leave Skyway and continue west, crossing Butte Creek, Highway 99, and the Union Pacific Railroad, and terminating at the Chico WPCP in Chico. The Proposed Project would not change the service area of the Chico WPCP other than the addition of the Paradise connection and treatment. Moreover, there would be no additional fees for Chico residents and rate payers as a result of the Proposed Project.
POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
The EIR process will assess the potential environmental impacts of the proposed Project on the physical, human, and natural environment. A wide variety of resource areas will be studied during the environmental review to identify potential impacts, including aesthetics, agriculture and forestry resources, air quality and greenhouse gas emissions, biological resources, cultural resources, energy, geology and soils, hazards and hazardous materials, hydrology and water quality, land use and planning, noise, population and housing, public services, recreation, transportation, tribal cultural resources, utilities and service systems, wildfire, and additional topics as required by the CEQA Guidelines including significant irreversible environmental changes, growth inducement, cumulative impacts, and alternatives. Measures to avoid, minimize, and mitigate any potential adverse impacts will be identified and evaluated in the EIR.
VIRTUAL PUBLIC SCOPING MEETINGS
A 30-day public scoping process is being initiated with this notice. Responsible and Trustee Agencies, involved federal agencies, interest groups, and members of the public are invited to participate and provide valuable input into the scope of the EIR. For your convenience, and to allow participation in a safe environment while social distancing, two virtual public scoping meetings will be held during the project’s 30-day scoping period. Please join us at one of the following meetings to learn about the project, interact with project team members, ask questions, and submit formal comments.
THURSDAY, MAY 13, 2021 | 6 P.M. Webex: bit.ly/Paradise_Sewer_Mtg1
Webex Password: Paradise
Dial-in #: 408-418-9388 | Code: 123 202 6837
TUESDAY, MAY 25, 2021 | 12 P.M. Webex: bit.ly/Paradise_Sewer_Mtg2
Webex Password: Paradise
Dial-in #: 408-418-9388 | Code: 123 877 2748
SUBMITTING COMMENTS
Submission of comments on the environmental scope of the Project are invited from all interested parties from May 3, 2021 until 5 p.m. PST on June 3, 2021. Comments can be submitted via the website at paradisesewer.com/contact (from subject dropdown menu, select “Submit a comment on Environmental Impact Report”) or via the following options:
Telephone: 530-872-6291, ext. 112
Mail: Colette Curtis, Public Information Officer Town of Paradise
5555 Skyway, Paradise, CA 95969
SPECIAL MEETING ACCOMMODATIONS
For additional accessibility preferences, please submit a message on the project website at
paradisesewer.com/contact (from subject dropdown menu, select “Submit a comment on Environmental Impact Report”). Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired (TDD) may contact the California Relay Service TTY and/or Voice Line at 1-800-735-2929, or 711.