BOARD MEETING DATE: January 9, 1998 AGENDA NO. 36
REPORT:
Mobile Source Committee
SYNOPSIS:
The Mobile Source Committee met on Thursday, December 11, 1997. Presentations were made on the following items: SB 836 Contract Activities; Transfer of $1.5 Million from AQMD to RTAC; Rule 2202 AQIP Proposal of Recommendations for Third Quarter/1997; Update on Regional Transportation Plan; Funding of the Technical Enhancement Program for the Year 2000; Reports on Environmental Justice Initiatives # 2, 4, and 7; Report on the Rule 403 Working Group; and Technology Advancement Office Projects Quarterly Update.
The next meeting is January 16, 1998, 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: Committee Chair Nell Soto (left at 11:30 a.m.), Committee Members Norma Glover, Jon Mikels (arrived at 11:05 a.m.), and Board Member Leonard Paulitz (arrived at 11:10 a.m.). Absent: Committee Vice Chair Dr. S. Roy Wilson, and Committee Members Mee Hae Lee and Ronald Loveridge. Attachment 1 is an attendance roster.
MOBILE SOURCE COMMITTEE DISCUSSION ITEMS
1. Progress Report on SB 836 Contract Matters
Staff informed the Committee that Godbe Research and SCAG have completed the Phase II data collection. 703 employers responded to the Employer Activity Survey and 2,307 employees from 27 work sites responded to the Employee Travel Behavior Survey. SCAG’s State of the Commute survey data is ready to be analyzed. Phase III data analysis by Haug International is underway. The results of the analysis are expected to be ready by late January or early February of 1998. The RTAC Oversight Committee continues to meet on a regular basis. The next RTAC meeting is scheduled for January 23, 1998.
2. Transfer of $1.5 Million from AQMD to RTAC Per SB 836 (Lewis)
Per SB 836 (Lewis), AQMD is required to release $1.5 million by January 15, 1998 to the Regional Transportation Agencies Coalition (RTAC) to promote voluntary ridesharing in the Basin. The Committee agreed to communicate to the Board its concurrence with the release of the $1.5 million.
Committee Member Glover asked how long AQMD was required to pay $1.5 million to RTAC. Staff replied that there was no end date specified in SB 836 so that this payment will continue unless the legislation is amended. Staff also informed Committee Member Glover that the January Board letter for this item reports on the current status of the projects funded with the $1.5 million in 1997.
Staff informed the Committee that at the next RTAC meeting, a discussion will take place on three voting scenarios for conducting RTAC meetings (see Attachment 2). In the first scenario, only the county transportation commission representatives would be able to vote. In the second scenario, Caltrans and SCAG would be able to vote along with the county transportation commissions, but the air districts would remain as ex-officio members with no vote. In the third scenario, the agenda is divided into two sections, with all members having a vote on non-SB 836 issues; SCAQMD and SCAG would be ex-officio non-voting members on SB 836-related issues. The Committee did not express a preference for any of the scenarios, and communicated the message that they would only support a scenario that would allow SCAQMD the chance to vote, even for matters affecting SB 836.
3. Rule 2202 AQIP Proposal of Recommendations for Third Quarter/1997
The Committee was informed that an amount of $526,739 was available for funding projects during the third quarter of 1997. Eight proposals were received and reviewed by staff (see Attachment 3). The Committee agreed to communicate to the Board its recommendation to execute contracts with Eco-Scrap (Option 3) in the amount of $292,500, and with the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power in the amount of $40,720.
Carol Gomez, corporate health and safety officer of Hughes Electronics Corporation, presented a report on a remote sensing and repair project funded by the Rule 2202 AQIP program. The contractors working on the project included Santa Barbara Research Center (SBRC), Hughes Environmental Systems Inc. (HESI), Remote Sensing Technology, Inc. (RSTI) and Watts Works. The project consisted of installing and operating remote sensing equipment at five university campuses in the basin. Owners of gross polluting vehicles were offered a $50 cash incentive and were invited to have their vehicle repaired free of charge. Out of an initial 706 letters that were sent to owners of gross polluting vehicles, only 112 responded and only 66 vehicles were repaired.
Although the project was not as successful as planned, and all parties agreed to terminate the effort, several important lessons were learned. Ms. Gomez emphasized that these lessons should prove invaluable in any subsequent project. Staff is recommending that RSTI be paid for work performed up to this point, for a total not to exceed $150,000 (including the $10,000 for the final report). The remaining contract funds would be returned to the Rule 2202 AQIP fund for the purpose of purchasing emission reductions not achieved through this remote sensing project.
Committee Chair Soto wanted to know how effective the vehicle scrapping program was in reducing real emissions. Staff agreed to provide an overview of the scrapping program to the Committee at its January 16, 1998 meeting.
4. Update on the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP)
The Draft 1997 Regional Transportation Plan seeks to balance community transportation needs and fiscal constraints while at the same time complying with air quality standards. The highlights of the RTP include $2.9 billion for operations and maintenance, $9 billion for expansion of bus, rail and shuttles, $5.9 billion for new roadways and $2.4 billion for expanding truck facilities. The plan meets ozone and NOx conformity, but PM10 issues still remain.
Staff pointed out that if the 1997 RTP is not federally approved by April 14, 1998, there would be a conformity lapse. In the event of a conformity lapse, only about 45% to 50% of the total projects in the 1997 plan would be implemented (see Attachment 4). It was also reported that the SCAG region stands to lose approximately $900 million.
SCAG released the 1997 Draft RTP and Draft Master EIR on November 6, 1997. The public review and commenting period ends on March 18, 1998. SCAG’s Regional Council is scheduled to adopt the plan at its meeting on April 2, 1998. Committee Member Glover asked if there will be extra funds from the state to finance some of the projects. Staff stated that that information was not available at this time.
5. Recommendation to Approve the Reallocation of Resources to Fund the Technical Enhancement Program for the Year 2000 (Attachment 5)
Staff informed the Committee that in order to provide an improved technical foundation for the year 2000 AQMP revision, AQMD is working on a comprehensive Technical Enhancement Program (TEP 2000). TEP 2000 will further refine analytical tools and state of knowledge for analysis of the new standards.
After consulting with experts from academia, industry, and the environmental community, staff has prepared a work plan that focuses on improvements in three major areas: ambient air monitoring; emission inventory; and air quality modeling capabilities. The work plan is organized in three modules: Module 1 - Enhanced Ambient Air Monitoring at a cost of between $514,000 and $591,000; Module 2 - Inventory Enhancements at a cost of $325,000; and Module 3 - Air Quality Modeling Enhancements at a cost of $500,000. The total cost would range from approximately $1,340,000 to $1,416,000.
Out of the total cost of enhancements, staff is recommending that AQMD contribute $450,000 to partially fund the program. Staff will be seeking co-sponsorship from the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and others in the private sector to fund the remainder of the program. The final cost and scope of the TEP 2000, however, will be adjusted based on the level of funding available.
The Committee agreed to communicate to the Board its recommendation to approve the reallocation of resources to fund TEP 2000.
6. Monthly Report on Environmental Justice Initiatives (Attachments 6 and 7)
Under Initiative #4 - CEQA Commenting, staff informed the Committee that AQMD’s CEQA Handbook was being revised and updated to reduce redundancies, simplify the air quality analysis methodologies, and update technical information. Staff is proposing to set up a working group to assist in the revision. The working group will be comprised of 16 representatives from county and subregional councils of governments planning staff, two representatives from the environmental community, one representative from the building industry association, one representative from the Construction Industry Air Quality Coalition, and two representatives from the business community. It is expected that the revised Handbook will be finalized by July 1998 for AQMD Board approval at its August 1998 meeting.
Staff described the administrative arrangements that had been put in place to handle the expanded review and commenting functions contained in Environmental Justice Initiative #4. For all AQMD rules and rule amendments, and AQMD Lead Agency projects, AQMD’s Planning and Policy division will handle the CEQA requirements. The Transportation Programs division will be responsible for all outside projects for which AQMD is the Responsible/Commenting Agency.
7. Monthly Report on Environmental Justice Initiative Study
(Attachments 8 and 9)
Under Initiative #2 - Ambient Monitoring of Air Toxics, staff informed the Committee that there is general consensus on the MATES II study approach. Ten new MATES II stations will be installed in the basin. In addition, there will be further evaluation of the microscale monitoring. Three subgroups have been set up: 1) Excluded Compounds Group; 2) Limited Sampling Compounds Group; and 3) Microscale Study Group.
Under Initiative #7 - Clean-up Incentives for Diesel, staff informed the Committee of four areas that are going to be pursued. These are: 1) to promote technology advancement; 2) coordinate programs with the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC) and the Local Government Office; 3) better coordination of activities with Transit Districts; and 4) conduct public education and outreach.
8. Status Report on Rule 403 - Agricultural Operations (Attachment 10)
A working group has been set up to assist staff in amending the Rule. The working group is comprised of representatives from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Local Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs), Riverside County Farm Bureau, UC Cooperative Extension, County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office and AQMD staff. The purpose of the working group is to develop soil erosion control practices and establish acceptability criteria for agricultural dust control. The group expects to obtain input from the broader agricultural community.
9. Technology Advancement Office Projects (Attachment 11)
Staff described the status of the projects being undertaken by the division. The projects include: 1) natural gas fuel system design and integration; 2) RFP for zero emission lawn and garden equipment and low emission off-road equipment; 3) expanding internet on-line mapping and support; 4) LPG specification study; 5) direct methanol fuel cell development; and 6) fast-charging demonstration and assessment of advanced lead acid batteries.
10. Rule 2202 Activity Report/Upcoming Events (Attachment 12)
Written report submitted, no comments.
11. EIR Review and Preparation
Written report submitted, no comments. (This report is included in the January 1998 Board package as Attachments A-C to agenda item "Lead Agency Projects and Environmental Documents Received by the AQMD.")
12. Update on the Mobile Source Measures in the SIP (Attachment 13)
Written report submitted, no comments.
13. Other Business
Staff informed the Committee about the passing away of Carl Moyer on Saturday, November 29, 1997 at the age of 60. Carl had been an air quality consultant for years with his work at Acurex.
14. Public Comment
There were no public comments. The meeting was adjourned at 11:40 a.m.
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