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UC DAVIS: Office of Resource Management and Planning June 7, 2006 DEANS, DIRECTORS, DEPARTMENT CHAIRS, AND ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS RE: Building J-1 Renovation and Upgrade Tiered Initial Study and Proposed Negative Declaration The proposed UC Davis Building J-1 Renovation and Upgrade would renovate and expand an existing building to provide increased laboratory and office space. The existing Building J-1 consists of approximately 23,000 square feet that was designed, constructed, and operated for infectious organism containment research. However, the north wing is currently being used as storage space due to deficiencies in meeting current standards for containment of infectious organisms. The proposed project would renovate approximately 1,550 square feet within the north wing of Building J-1 to provide improved animal holding, laboratory containment rooms, and upgraded air handling capabilities. The project would expand the building approximately 400 square feet by constructing an exterior corridor along the north and east sides of the north wing of Building J-1. The new exterior corridors would facilitate the renovation project for research with infectious organisms requiring Biosafety Level 3 (BSL 3) containment. Biosafety ratings range from Level 1 to Level 4 and indicate the varying degrees of building containment and laboratory precautions that must be followed while conducting research with particular organisms. Section 3.5.1 of the Draft Tiered Initial Study contains additional biosafety background information. In total, the proposed project would provide a total of approximately 1,900 square feet of BSL 3 space. Building J-1 is located on the South Campus at UC Davis at the Center for Laboratory Animal Science and is approximately 150 feet east of Old Davis Road and approximately 300 feet south of Interstate 80. Research studies at the renovated building would involve cultured experimentation using pathogenic organisms as well as the holding of infected birds, mammals (potentially rodents and cats), and insects (such as mosquitoes). The long range plans for laboratory operations are to transition various on-going research projects on bird and mosquito hosts for western equine encephalomyelitis (requiring BSL 2 laboratory design and operation measures) and St Louis and West Nile viruses (requiring BSL 3 laboratory design and operation measures) from marginally adequate facilities outside of the Davis area to the renovated containment area within Building J-1. Pathogen transmission studies with mosquitoes will require adult mosquito holding facilities as well as limited rearing insectaries. In addition, studies with additional pathogenic organisms could occur within the renovated Building J-1. I am writing to inform you that a Draft Tiered Initial Study has been prepared analyzing the potential environmental effects of the proposed project. You are invited to comment on the Draft Tiered Initial Study and proposed Negative Declaration through July 7, 2006. Copies of the Draft Tiered Initial Study and proposed Negative Declaration are available during normal operating hours at the UC Davis Office of Resource Management and Planning in 376 Mrak Hall on campus; at Reserves in the UC Davis Shields Library; at the Yolo County Public Library, 315 E. 14th Street, Davis; at the Vacaville Public Library, 1020 Ulatis Drive, Vacaville; and online at http://www.ormp.ucdavis.edu/environreview/. The public notice for this project is also available online at http://www.ormp.ucdavis.edu/environreview/. The notice includes a brief project description, a statement of project objectives, and a summary of potential impacts. Comments on this Draft Tiered Initial Study must be received by 5:00 p.m. on July 7, 2006. They may be e-mailed to environreview@ucdavis.edu or mailed to: John A. Meyer Vice Chancellor - Resource Management and Planning University of California One Shields Avenue Davis, CA 95616 If you have any questions, please contact Sid England, Director of Environmental Planning, at (530) 752-2432 or Rick Keller, Assistant Vice Chancellor - Capital Resource Management, at (530) 752-2433. Sincerely, John A. Meyer Vice Chancellor - Resource Management and Planning 06-067
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