California High Speed Rail Project

PROJECT EXPERIENCE

Construction Package 1, Merced to Fresno, Project and Construction Management Services

Rincon Consultants, as a subconsultant to the Wong-Harris Joint Venture, has been providing environmental compliance oversight support as a member of the Project and Construction Management (PCM) team for Construction Package 1 of the California High-Speed Rail (HSR) System. Construction Package 1 includes the southern portion of the Merced to Fresno Section (and about 5 miles of the Fresno to Bakersfield section) and is the first portion of the program to go to construction.  The purpose of the PCM role is to enhance the Authority’s ability to effectively manage multiple, multi-billion dollar contracts. Rincon, as part of the PCM team, provides the manpower and expertise to manage the Design-Build Contract under the direction of the Authority. In 2016, Rincon was further asked to support CP1 by preparing CEQA/NEPA re-examinations for project changes and providing field compliance inspections during construction activities.

Bakersfield to Palmdale Section

Rincon Consultants, under contract to TY Lin International, is providing environmental planning and permitting services for the Bakersfield to Palmdale Section of the California High-Speed Rail project. As part of this effort, Rincon is responsible for preparing technical reports, an alternatives analysis, and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation for several key issue areas, including greenhouse gas emissions, hazardous materials and waste, aesthetics and visual quality, paleontological resources, regional growth, project costs and operations, and cumulative impacts. Rincon conducted special status plant surveys and a jurisdictional delineation of the approximately 75-mile section in 2015. Rincon is also the lead for all biological and aquatic resources permitting and mitigation work on the project. This includes obtaining take authorization from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for impacts to listed species under Section 7 of the Federal Endangered Species Act, and from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Service for impacts to listed species under Section 2081 of the California Endangered Species Act. It also includes obtaining a Section 1602 Streambed Alteration Agreement from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Service and authorizations from State Water Resources Control Board under the Porter-Cologne–State Clean Water Act. Rincon is also preparing a mitigation plan focusing on species and aquatic resources mitigation needs to support U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Section 7, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Section 2081, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Section 1602, and State Water Resources Control Board Porter-Cologne Act permitting. This work includes the development of an innovative and robust model designed to identify and prioritize mitigation areas based on a range of species and regional mitigation goals.

Palmdale to Burbank Section

Rincon Consultants, under contract to Circlepoint, is leading efforts to obtain take authorization from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for impacts to species listed under Section 7 of the Federal Endangered Species Act for the Palmdale to Burbank Section of the California High-Speed Rail System. As part of this work, Rincon is preparing the Biological Assessment and supporting strategic and permitting negotiations with California High-Speed Rail to respond to USFWS sufficiency determination. In addition, Rincon is preparing a Species Habitat Mitigation Plan and model to identify and prioritize mitigation areas. The plan is focusing on species mitigation needs to support U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Section 7 and California Department of Fish and Wildlife Section 2081 permitting. This work includes the development of an innovative and robust model designed to identify and prioritize mitigation areas based on a range of species and regional mitigation goals.

Bakersfield F Street Station Supplemental EIR/EIS

Rincon, under contract to TY Lin International, is preparing supplemental CEQA/NEPA documentation analyzing an alternative HSR station within the City of Bakersfield. The supplemental EIR/EIS includes the southern portion of the Fresno to Bakersfield section from just north of the City of Shafter to the proposed alternative Bakersfield station on F Street. Rincon is preparing multiple technical reports and EIR/EIS sections.

Downtown Bakersfield HSR Station Area Plan    

Beginning in 2016, Rincon began working on the Bakersfield High-Speed Rail Station Area Plan as part of a team lead by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP. Rincon is preparing the EIR and technical reports to accompany the Area Plan. The EIR focuses primarily on proposed physical changes to the HSR station area, as identified in the HSR Station Area Plan, and the potential environmental impacts resulting from potential physical improvements in Downtown Bakersfield that may result from the project, with attention paid to programmatic, qualitative analysis of the potential for increased density and intensity of uses in accordance with land use allowable by the City’s General Plan. The EIR is being prepared to streamline transit oriented development and other development projects in the study area.

Central Valley Right-of-Way Services (Construction Packages 1-4)

Rincon is performing Environmental Due Diligence (Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments) for Construction Package 4. Currently we have contracts with Overland Pacific & Cutler, California Property Specialist, Inc., and The Beacon Group.