West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) announces that the draft environmental impact report (EIR) for the potential ocean water desalination facility in El Segundo, Calif. is available for public review and comment for a 60-day period through May 25, 2018. The report is available online at http://www.westbasin.org/desal and the general public is encouraged to attend two public meetings scheduled on April 25 and May 12, 2018.

ABOUT THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT (EIR)

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires local jurisdictions to prepare an environmental impact report prior to considering any project that might have significant adverse effects on the environment. An EIR is an informational document intended to advise decision-makers, the public and any stakeholder of the potentially significant environmental effects that could result from a proposed project. It includes technical analyses on several environmental topics and findings on the significance of potential effects, as well as ways to mitigate these impacts.

The draft EIR for West Basin was prepared by Environmental Science Associates (ESA), an environmental science and planning firm with expertise in project planning, environmental analysis and assessment, and regulatory compliance.

The report examines the proposed West Basin Ocean Water Desalination Project (Project) that would produce between 20 to 60 million gallons per day (MGD) of drinking water from the ocean. The proposed Project site would be at an existing 33-acre industrial-zoned location within the El Segundo Generating Station (ESGS) at 301 Vista Del Mar in the City of El Segundo, California. The Project consists of a desalination facility with membrane filtration and reverse osmosis technology; an ocean water intake system to deliver ocean water to the facility; a brine discharge system to return concentrated seawater back to the ocean; and a drinking water delivery system to distribute the drinking water produced to the local and regional water supply systems.

The draft EIR describes the potential direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental impacts of the Project. The report examines potential impacts on the following: aesthetics, lights and glare; air quality; terrestrial biological resources; cultural resources; energy; geology and soils; greenhouse gas emissions; hazards and hazardous materials; hydrology and water quality; land use and planning; marine biological resources; noise; public services; recreation; transportation and traffic; and utilities and service systems.

GET INVOLVED

West Basin encourages participation in the CEQA process, and the Board of Directors extended the public comment period from beyond the required 30 days to 60. Input during the public comment period is a critical component of the CEQA process, as it helps to inform and refine the proposed project. West Basin will provide the following resources to the community for public review and comment regarding the draft EIR:

• A digital, searchable version of the draft EIR will be available on the West Basin website at http://www.westbasin.org/desal

• Print copies of the draft EIR will be available starting March 27, 2018 at the West Basin Municipal Water District Office (17140 S. Avalon Blvd., Carson, CA 90746), as well as several other locations throughout the service area. A complete list is available on the Project website.

• Public meetings are scheduled at the Richmond Street Elementary School (615 Richmond St., El Segundo, CA 90245) for the following dates:

o Wednesday, April 25, 2018: 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.

o Saturday, May 12, 2018: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Comments on the adequacy of the draft EIR in disclosing environmental impacts may be submitted in writing or in person to West Basin Municipal Water District Office (17140 S. Avalon Blvd., Carson, CA 90746) or via e-mail at desaleir@westbasin.org by 5:00 p.m. on May 25, 2018.

NEXT STEPS FOLLOWING PUBLIC REVIEW

Following the close of the public review and comment period, West Basin will respond to all comments submitted in regards to the adequacy of the draft EIR. Once responses have been compiled, a final EIR will be released. The West Basin Board of Directors will then schedule a public hearing to consider certifying the EIR based upon the final report's completeness.

The final EIR is an informational document; it does not support or reject the proposed project, but provides important information that must be considered and has been prepared in compliance with CEQA. It informs the community and the Board of Directors of the potential environmental impacts that may be expected before any final decisions or any final actions are made on the proposed Ocean Water Desalination project.

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West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) is a wholesale water agency that provides imported drinking water to nearly one million people in 17 cities and unincorporated areas in Los Angeles County. West Basin is an industry leader in water conservation, recycling and education. The District is implementing a Water Reliability program to reduce the agency's dependence on imported water and develop local, drought-proof water supplies. This includes water conservation, recycling, groundwater desalting and the exploration of ocean water desalination. Visit http://www.westbasin.org to learn more.