Building Trades News

Environmental Groups Circumventing CEQA Process Says Slawson

click to enlarge

The construction of the Foothill South toll Road that has been in the planning process for 26 years and had undergone extensive environmental impact studies, may be delayed until 2011 or beyond if environmental activists have their way according to the Transportation Corridor Agencies. Construction was originally scheduled to begin next year and with an estimated completion date of 2011.

As a result, the cost of the estimated $875 million road project is expected to rise, although officials did not have any precise figures. Previously, TCA has said each month the project is delayed adds about $3 million to the price tag because of rising construction costs.

The toll road would run 16 miles from Oso Parkway in Rancho Santa Margarita and slice through the northern half of San Onofre State Beach before connecting with Interstate 5 at Basilone Road in north San Diego County. The tollway would pass over a marine estuary in the park.

The proposed road would provide much needed relief to the congested 1-5 corridor in south Orange County. Traffic on I-5 is expected to increase by 60 percent at the Orange County/San Diego line by 2025. Extending the 241 Toll Road and creating an alternative route to I-5, travel time on I-5 will be significantly reduced.

The project has undergone two decades of environmental review under the guidelines of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) say proponents. The Draft EIS/SEIR was released for public review in May of 2004 and received overwhelming community support. Environmental groups have taken the issue directly to the Democratic Party and are pressuring lawmakers to pass resolutions, and sign letters and petitions opposing the project.

“The State of California under the California Environmental Quality Act has already established a process to ensure that the project provides adequate environmental protections,” said Richard Slawson, head of the LA/OC Building Trades Council. “Legal action has already been taken to challenge Environmental Impact Report by the project’s opponents which is a legitimate part of the CEQA process. However, by taking the issue to elected officials, these groups are trying to circumvent the CEQA process.” Slawson said that elected officials should respect the CEQA process and let the matter be handled by the Courts. “It is the Court’s job to determine with or not the EIR is adequate or not.”

The project has been carefully designed to minimize the environmental impact, say supporters. The cite the fact that the path of the toll road was shifted to avoid six acres of wetlands and the habitats endangered animals such as the Pacific pocket mouse and the arroyo toad. They also note that bridges and tunnels will be built to allow animals to safely cross under to road and the alignment will be fenced to lead animals under the crossing. Proponents also say that the reduced traffic congestion means cars are spending less time burning fuel while idling in bumper to bumper traffic.

A bill in the state legislature sponsored by Assemblyman Jared Huffman, (D-San Rafael) that would have banned the toll road from San Onofre was derailed at the end of April after running into opposition from construction, labor and business.

The bill was scheduled for a hearing before the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee last week. Huffman canceled the hearing and put his bill on a two-year track, as he tries to gain support to get it through the Legislature.

Supporters of a toll road through San Onofre, including such groups as the Orange County Business Council, the Los Angeles-Orange County Building and Construction Trades Council and local elected officials wrote to oppose Huffman’s bill.

San Juan Capistrano Mayor Sam Allevato expressed indignation at the thought of Huffman’s bill passing. Without the proposed Foothill South toll road, hundreds more vehicles will jam city streets during slowdowns on the nearby Interstate 5, he said.

“It’s bumper to bumper on the 5 on weekends during the summer and that means cars squeezing through our city next to [Mission San Juan Capistrano] and through town as they try to skirt the congested freeway,” Allevato said.

FOOTHILL SOUTH PROJECT OVERVIEW

Length: 16 miles
Cost: More than $875 million (but expected to rise)
Construction time: 3 years (starts early 2011)
Cars handled per day: Up to 58,000 by 2025
Span: Rancho Santa Margarita to San Clemente
Number of lanes: 4 (two in each direction)
Before construction can begin, the toll road agency must obtain permits from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the state Department of Fish and Game. The agency also must obtain approval from the California Coastal Commission. Here are some key dates.
Late March: Submission of required permitting documents to the state Coastal Commission
Late 2007: Preliminary design to finish; a coastal development permit from the Coastal Commission to be requested; appearance before the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board for state certification for water quality compliance.
2010: Financing
2011: Construction could begin.
2014: Construction could end.