TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, City Manager
FROM:
Alexandria Latragna, Management Analyst
SUBJECT:Title
Receive Presentation by West Basin Municipal Water District on the Proposed Ocean Desalination Plant to be Located in El Segundo (City Manager Moe).
RECEIVE PRESENTATION
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council receive a presentation from West Basin Municipal Water District on the proposed Ocean Water Desalination Project.
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FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications associated with the recommended action.
BACKGROUND:
The proposed Project would consist of a desalination facility utilizing membrane filtration and reverse osmosis technologies to produce between 20 and 60 million gallons per day (mgd) of water from the ocean, depending on which configuration of the Project is constructed. The facility would have an ocean water intake system to deliver the ocean water to the facility and a brine discharge system to return concentrated seawater back to the ocean. The Project also includes a distribution system for the potable water that would be produced, with expanded facilities required to distribute the 60 million gallons per day if the full Project is developed. The proposed project site would be adjacent to Manhattan Beach at a 33-acre location within the El Segundo Generating Station (ESGS) at 301 Vista Del Mar in the City of El Segundo, California.
West Basin conducted an environmental review to evaluate the possible impacts, mitigation measures, and alternatives to the Project as required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). CEQA requires state and local agencies to identify adverse environmental impacts that projects may have, as well as identify ways to avoid or mitigate those impacts if possible. West Basin, the lead agency on the Project, determined that the Project may have impacts that could be potentially significant, and prepared the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). The final EIR is being finalized and expected to be released for comments in the near future. The City will have 10 days to respond to the Final EIR once it is released.
Previous City Council Action on this Topic
On October 6, 2015, City Council authorized staff to prepare written comments in response to the Notice of Preparation, as part of the CEQA review process. In addition, on October 6, 2015, and February 16, 2016, City Council directed staff to retain an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) consultant and authorized staff to seek EIR expertise as needed in the preparation of DEIR comments.
In an action separate from the EIR discussion, City Council directed staff to prepare a letter opposing the proposed desalination project, which was submitted following City Council direction on February 16, 2016.
On March 19, 2018, the City received correspondence from West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) announcing the release of a DEIR for the Project. The DEIR was made available for public review and comment on March 27, 2018. The comment period was initially open for 60 days with comments due by May 25, 2018; however, on May 3, 2018, West Basin’s Board granted the City’s request for a 30-day extension on DEIR comments, which were due on June 25, 2018.
Following Council discussion of the DEIR at the June 19, 2018, Council meeting, the City submitted the attached comment letter to West Basin on the DEIR on June 25, 2018.
DISCUSSION:
The Ocean Water Desalination Project proposed by West Basin Municipal Water District has significant community interest. As a result, this item has been scheduled for the City Council to receive a presentation on the project from the District.
Staff recommends that City Council accept a presentation by West Basin Municipal Water District followed by public comment.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
The public has been notified of each of Manhattan Beach’s council meetings on this topic.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The presentation on the Ocean Desalination Plant by West Basin Municipal Water District representatives is not a project within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act. West Basin Water District has prepared a draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on the Project, and it is anticipated that the final EIR will be released in the near future.
ATTACHMENT:
1. DEIR Comments Submitted on June 25, 2018