Central Basin Groundwater Storage Plan Environmental Impact Report – Commerce, CA

The Pacifica team prepared a Programmatic Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to assess the potential impacts of the Central Basin Municipal Water District’s (CBMWD) proposed groundwater storage plan. The plan includes the extensive analysis of imported water, recycled water, and stormwater capture. In particular, various means and methods of stormwater capture, such as use of cisterns, spreading basins, and low-impact-development were calculated and assessed in order to increase beyond the current capture and spreading of storm waters already performed annually by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works.

Pacifica guided CBMWD in defining a clear program description and objectives, and providing an analysis of all impact categories required under CEQA, including cutting edge categories such as greenhouse gas emissions and environmental justice. Pacifica’s team was deeply involved with community outreach activities, devising mitigation measures and best management practices, as well as responding to public and agency comments received in the Final PEIR.

Pacifica provided infrastructure analysis, review and documentation of regulatory framework guidelines and determination of potential impacts and mitigation measures. We also led the implementation of the public outreach plan which included arranging public hearings and completing required notification tasks. Pacifica defined the regulatory framework within which the proposed program must operate and drafted a mitigation monitoring and reporting plan.