REPORT:

Mobile Source Committee

SYNOPSIS:

The Mobile Source Committee met on Friday, August 15, 1997.
Presentations were made on the following items: RTAC Activities Related to SB 836; REACH Task Force; Regional Transportation Plan; Rule 1610 SIP Issues; EPA Consultative Process; and Technology Advancement Office Projects Quarterly Update. The next meeting is September 26, 1997, at 9:30 a.m., in Conference Room CC-8.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Receive and file this report.

Nell Soto, Chair
Mobile Source Committee

ATTENDANCE:

Present were Committee Chair Nell Soto, Committee Vice Chair Dr. S. Roy Wilson, and Committee Members Norma Glover and Jon Mikels. Absent were Committee Members Mee Hae Lee and Ron Loveridge. Attachment 1 is an attendance roster.

MOBILE SOURCE COMMITTEE DISCUSSION ITEMS

1. Update on RTAC Activities Related to SB 836

The final report on the methodology to evaluate voluntary ridesharing developed by a consultant for the Regional Transportation Agencies’ Coalition (RTAC) was released on August 1, 1997. An informational seminar on the final report has been scheduled for August 27, 1997 at AQMD headquarters. Notices were sent to exempted and regulated employers, the Consultants Roundtable, transportation management associations/organizations (TMAs/TMOs), Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT) membership, and local governments. The agenda will include a discussion of the methodology to evaluate voluntary ridesharing and the allocation of the $1.5 million provided by AQMD to RTAC to promote ridesharing.

On July 25, 1997, AQMD released two RFPs to conduct a survey of employer activities and a survey of employees’ travel behavior. The surveys are part of the data required to evaluate voluntary ridesharing. Staff’s recommendation of the contractors to be selected will be presented to the Board at its September 12, 1997 meeting. SCAG will conduct a State of the Commute Survey in October and November to provide additional data required by the methodology. An additional RFP for an independent contractor to analyze the survey data will be released by the RTAC on August 22, 1997.

Staff also reported that SCAG has yet to submit its quarterly status report on the $1.5 million provided to the RTAC by AQMD. These funds have been earning interest since they were transferred to SCAG. Although the county transportation commissions have not yet invoiced SCAG for program expenses due to administrative delays, work on the various projects has been in progress.

2. Status Report on REACH Task Force

The REACH Partners met on July 31, 1997 to launch Phase II. As an outcome, a REACH working group met on August 14, 1997 to begin developing criteria to select a HOT (High Occupancy Toll) lane to demonstrate its feasibility as a pricing mechanism to reduce congestion and emissions. Under this concept, a driver of a single occupancy vehicle will have the option to pay for the use of the HOT lane. The working group will meet again on September 18, 1997 to establish the potential location of the HOT lane and to plan a public information campaign to promote the concept. The next REACH Task Force meeting will be on September 24, 1997 at AQMD headquarters.

3. Report on the Regional Transportation Plan (Attachment 2)

Staff provided a report on the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and highlighted issues (e.g., timing of the RTP and AQMP, appropriate emission budgets, analysis methodologies, appropriate modeling, and so forth) currently being addressed by a working group of transportation and air quality planning agencies. Staff has been meeting, as part of an Ad Hoc group, to develop a protocol for making the conformity finding. Staff informed the Committee of the upcoming Stakeholders meetings scheduled in September, and requested direction regarding the organization of a potential Stakeholders conference.

The Committee unanimously approved the scheduling of a Stakeholders conference to discuss the RTP, tentatively scheduled for late October. The Committee emphasized that, although the conference should be hosted by the AQMD, it must be conducted by SCAG.

Committee Member Mikels commented that keeping the Regional Transportation Implementation Plan (RTIP) as Transportation Control Measure 1 in the State Implementation Plan may not be justified because many construction projects included in the RTIP generate emissions. Since the RTIP is part of the RTP, what are the net emission benefits of the RTP? Staff responded that the overall impact may be positive since all construction projects in the RTIP are subject to environmental impact analysis and negative impacts must be mitigated. The RTP also helps reduce hydrocarbon emissions in the long run. Committee Member Mikels suggested that staff look into this matter. He also asked whether all measures listed under section 108 (f) of the Clean Air Act are incorporated into SCAG’s regional transportation model. Staff responded that some of these measures cannot be quantified and are not incorporated.

Since the AQMP is adopted every three years and the RTP is adopted every two years, Committee Member Mikels asked at which point during the AQMP cycle are changes to the RTP incorporated into the AQMP? Staff responded that RTP changes are included in the next full AQMP unless there is a problem with conformity.

The final draft of the RTP will be released in September, prior to the Stakeholders meetings. SCAG plans to approve the RTP by February 1998. The Conformity Determination must be completed by the Federal Highway Administration prior to March 1998.

4. SIP Issues Regarding Rule 1610 - Old-Vehicle Scrapping (Attachment 3)

Staff provided a brief report on the complaint brought against AQMD and ARB and the citizen suit against four oil companies by Communities for Better Environment (CBE) on the negative environmental effects of Rule 1610. Staff stated that AQMD has attempted to address this issue in the recently amended Rule 1610 which has yet to be approved by the EPA. Staff also informs users of mobile source emission reduction credits (MSERCs) of the risk of citizen suits involved in using Rule 1610 credits in place of other measures approved in the SIP.

Staff is currently working with the Western States Petroleum Association and CBE to reach a resolution on the issue of using MSERCs in lieu of Rule 1142 - Marine Tank Vessel Operations.

5. Update on EPA Consultative Process

A public hearing has been tentatively scheduled for September 23, 1997 to discuss all control measures assigned to the federal government, emission reductions associated with them, and the possibility of emission shortfalls.

6. Technology Advancement Office Projects - Quarterly Update (Attachment 4)

Staff provided an overview of the update of the Technology Advancement Plan for the Clean Fuels Program. Committee Member Glover asked how staff determines allocation of future expenditures among the different technological alternatives. Staff responded that a panel of outside experts assists in identifying the most promising project areas, with specific projects selected based on technical merit. Staff was directed to prepare an annual report, in conjunction with Technology Advancement Plan updates, that summarizes the future direction of project area allocations and technology priorities to meet AQMP needs.

7. Legislative Update

Written report submitted, no comments. (This report is included in the September Board package as attachment 2 to agenda item number 28 "Legislative Committee.")

8. Rule 2202 Activity Report/Upcoming Events (Attachment 5)

Written report submitted, no comments.

9. Update on the Mobile Source Measures in the SIP (Attachment 6)

Written report submitted, no comments.

10. EIR Review and Preparation

Written report submitted, no comments. (This report is included in the September Board package as attachments A-C to agenda item number 23 "Lead Agency Projects and Environmental Documents Received by the AQMD.")

11. Other Business

There was no other business.

12. Public Comment

In regards to agenda item number 4, Brian Mayer of ECO-Scrap asked if the complaint would only impact Rule 1610. Staff responded that the complaint could potentially impact the entire credit program. The meeting was adjourned at 11:03 a.m.

Attachments

1. Attendance Roster

2. Regional Transportation Plan Presentation

3. Rule 1610 SIP Issues

4. Technology Advancement Office Quarterly Report

5. Rule 2202 Activity Report

6. Update on Mobile Source Measures in SIP

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