NOTICE OF PREPARATION

LEAD AGENCY: Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA)
SUBJECT: Notice of Preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact Report
PROJECT TITLE: Los Angeles International Airport Central Utility Plant (CUP) Replacement Project
PROJECT LOCATION: Los Angeles International Airport in the City of Los Angeles, County of Los Angeles

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The proposed project provides for the replacement of the existing Central Utility Plant (CUP) and associated infrastructure and facilities. The existing CUP provides heating and air conditioning to the LAX Central Terminal Area (CTA), and also includes a cogeneration facility that uses steam from the boiler system to drive an electricity generator, with the resultant power transmitted into the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) grid. The CUP, which was constructed in 1961, and the cogeneration facility, brought into service in 1985, are considered to be obsolete and inefficient relative to current technology, require substantial maintenance, and do not meet the current needs of LAX. Included as part of the LAX CUP Replacement Project are the following components: (1) construction of a new central utility plant and maintenance shop building, including potentially a new co-generation system, adjacent to the site of the existing CUP; (2) replacement of existing cooling towers; (3) site electrical upgrades to include a new electrical substation and existing LADWP substation retrofit; (4) potential construction of a thermal energy storage (TES) tank at the site of the existing CUP; (5) replacement of the approximately 18 miles of existing direct-buried chilled water and high temperature hot water service lines in the CTA; (6) demolition of the existing CUP, and an existing electrical substation located within the footprint of the new CUP, (7) potential installation of pipelines connecting an associated existing LADWP recycled/reclaimed water pipeline to the CUP and a recycled/reclaimed water treatment system, and (8) possible use of an existing natural gas pipeline for biogas. Potential significant environmental effects that may result from the proposed project include traffic/parking during project construction, air quality (including consideration of green house gases), human health risk, and cumulative construction impacts.
With the exception of the recycled/reclaimed water pipelines and treatment system that may be constructed to the north of the airport on LAX property and replacement of pipeline throughout the CTA, the proposed improvements that comprise the LAX CUP Replacement Project would occur in the CTA between the Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) and parking structures P-2, P-2A, P-5 and P-6.

The NOP is available online at www.ourlax.org under the tab “Projects-Publications” by selecting “Central Utility Plant (CUP) Replacement Project”. It is also available at the Los Angeles City Clerk’s office. For more information, or to request a copy, please call LAWA at (424) 646-7690. Responses to the NOP should be sent at the earliest possible date and must be received by LAWA no later than Monday May 11, 2009. Responses should be sent to Mr. Dennis Quilliam, City Planner, at the address below or via email to LAXCentralUtilitiesPlant@lawa.org

City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles World Airports
7301 World Way West, 3rd Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90045

Si desea esta información en español, visite www.ourlax.org o llame at (424) 646-7690