TITLE
Recommendation to request that the City Council: (1) Receive the supporting documentation into the record and conduct a public hearing on one appeal of the Board of Harbor Commissioners’ certification of the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Deep Draft Navigation Feasibility Study and Channel Deepening Project (Project) filed pursuant to Long Beach Municipal Code Section 21.21.507 by Earthjustice, Center for Biological Diversity, East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice, Natural Resources Defense Council, Pacific Environment, Sierra Club, and West Long Beach Association (collectively, “Appellants”); and (2) Adopt resolution denying the appeal upholding the Board of Harbor Commissioners’ certification of the Final EIR for the Project.
DISCUSSION
Pursuant to Long Beach Municipal Code Section 21.21.507, the scope of the appeal hearing before the City Council is limited to whether the environmental analysis for the Deep Draft Navigation Feasibility Study and Channel Deepening Project (Project) was conducted in full compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). As set forth below and in the attached documents, the Harbor Department believes that the Board of Harbor Commissioners fully complied with CEQA when it certified the Final EIR for the Project, a component of the Final Integrated Feasibility Report (IFR) with Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)/Environmental Impact Report (IFR-EIS/EIR), a joint document between the Port of Long Beach (Port) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District (USACE). However, it will be up to the City Council to consider the appeal and determine whether the certification of the Final EIR was proper and in accordance with CEQA.
If the City Council determines that the Board of Harbor Commissioner’s certification of the Final EIR complies with CEQA, it must reject the appeal and affirm the Board of Harbor Commissioners' certification of the Final EIR for the Project (see Atta...
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