BOARD MEETING DATE: June 12, 1998 AGENDA NO. 31
REPORT:
Mobile Source Committee
SYNOPSIS:
The Mobile Source Committee met on Friday, May 15, 1998. Presentations were made on the following items: Legislative Update; Status on Local Governments’ Use of AB 2766 Funds; Report on SB 836, SB 432 and Rule 2202 Activities; Proposed Amendments to Rule 1902 – Transportation Conformity; Proposed Amendments to Rule 1612 – Credits for Clean On-Road Vehicles, and Rule 1620 – Credits for Off-Road Mobile Equipment; Status of Rule 1610 Audit – Old Vehicle Scrapping; Status of Rule 403 – Agricultural Dust Control; and Reports on Environmental Justice Initiatives #4, 2, and 7. The next meeting is June 26, 1998, 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, Committee Members Norma Glover, Mee Hae Lee, Ronald Loveridge, and Jon Mikels. Also present was Board Member Wayne Nastri - not voting. Absent: Committee Vice Chair Roy Wilson. Attachment 1 is an attendance roster.
MOBILE SOURCE COMMITTEE DISCUSSION ITEMS
Legislative Update (Attachment 2)
Staff reported that AB 2194 (Washington) passed the Assembly Appropriations Committee with 11 "Yes" votes, eight "No" votes and two abstentions. The bill now goes to the full Assembly. Committee Chair Soto informed the Committee that she was present when the Appropriations Committee discussed and voted on the bill. She stressed the need for local elected officials to make their voices heard at these important legislative committee meetings. Committee Member Mikels noted that the bill would need a two-thirds majority vote in the Assembly to override the Governor’s expected veto.
Status of Local Governments’ Use of AB 2766 Funds
At the April 10, 1998 Board Meeting, Committee Chair Soto had expressed concern about the projected emission reductions from two projects that had been funded through the MSRC AB 2766 Subvention Fund program. Ray Gorski, Technical Advisor to the MSRC, presented an analysis of the two projects, namely Project AB2766/063 for the City of Beverly Hills and Project AB2766/049 for the City of Yucaipa. The Beverly Hills project involved the purchase of seven (7) Ford Ranger electric vehicles and two bicycles for use by city staff. The Yucaipa project involved the construction of a sidewalk and trail to provide a pedestrian and bicycle linkage between the city’s residential areas and the business district. The analysis showed that although the projects are dissimilar, the emission reductions from both are nonetheless real. A report on this item can be obtained from Ray Gorski by calling (909) 396-2479.
Status of SB 836/SB 432/Rule 2202 Activities
Staff informed the Committee that the Legislative Committee, at a specially scheduled meeting, adopted an interim position of Support for SB 432 (Lewis) with the understanding that the bill would amend SB 836 to delete the requirement that the AQMD pay $1.5 million annually to the Regional Transportation Agencies' Coalition (RTAC) to promote voluntary ridesharing. At a previous meeting, Senator Lewis had communicated to the AQMD that he could not support the Technology Advancement Office reauthorization bill AB 2194.
Staff informed the Committee that SB 432 had cleared the Assembly Transportation Committee. It has been scheduled to go before the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, May 20, 1998. Staff is awaiting the outcome of the bill before sending out a written notice to the regulated community informing them of whether or not the employers with between 100 and 249 employees would be exempted permanently from Rule 2202. Staff has developed an estimate of the emissions reductions that would be lost should the 2,800 worksites with 100-249 employees be exempted from the requirements of the rule. (See Attachment 3).
Proposed Amendments to Rule 1902 – Transportation Conformity
(Attachment 4)
Staff informed the Committee that EPA has promulgated three sets of amendments to the federal transportation conformity rule. These changes have necessitated a revision to AQMD Rule 1902. The proposed amendments would include the following provision: Submitted emissions budgets may be used for conformity determinations prior to EPA approval of the State Implementation Plan (SIP). State or local governments may approve nonfederal projects even when there is no currently conforming Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) or Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP). State or local governments may approve nonfederal projects if the projects are from the first three years of the most recent conforming plan and TIP. The Conformity rule applies whenever an area is designated non-attainment. The rule also requires separate SIP consultation procedures.
A public workshop was held on April 24, 1998. The Transportation Conformity Working Group reviewed and discussed the proposed draft rule and MOU changes since March 1998. The Statewide Conformity Working Group met on April 29, 1998. A Public Hearing has been scheduled for July 12, 1998. The SIP revision will be forwarded to EPA by August 1998.
Proposed Amendments to Rule 1612 – Credits for Clean On-Road Vehicles and Rule 1620 – Credits for Off-Road Mobile Equipment (Attachment 5)
Staff informed the Committee about three issues that have been raised by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) concerning the two rules. The issues relate to Retrofit Kits, High Mileage Credit and Baseline Emission Levels. Based on discussions with CARB, Rules 1612 and 1620 will be amended to include the following provisions: (1) Issue credits only for ARB approved Retrofit Kits. (2) Eliminate credits for high mileage fleet vehicles to eliminate double counting, and (3) Establish ARB-provided maximum baseline emission levels.
A public workshop will be held on May 27, 1998. A Set Public Hearing will go to the Governing Board on June 12, 1998, and will be followed by a Public Hearing on July 10, 1998.
Status of Rule 1610 Audit – Old Vehicle Scrapping
Staff informed the Committee that a special working group of internal staff submitted their recommendations on ways to tighten the Rule to the Technology Committee on April 24, 1998. Additional staff analysis is also underway as well as public consultation. Staff also noted that, due to state law requirements, potential near-term actions are essentially limited to enforceability improvements. Staff will submit recommendations for rule amendments to the Board for consideration at its July 10, 1998 Board meeting.
Staff informed the Committee that the Rule 403 Agricultural Working Group was formed to help develop a dust control plan that would address PM10 and fugitive dust emissions from agricultural operations in the Basin. The working group is comprised of local farmers, Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS), Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs), Riverside and San Bernardino counties’ Co-op Extensions, representatives from the county agricultural commissioners’ offices and AQMD. The group has had seven meetings between October 1997 and February 1998 and three Farm Bureau meetings. A draft agricultural dust control plan has been developed.
San Joaquin Valley farming groups have raised objections to the proposed plan. Rather than being compelled to undertake any control strategies, they would prefer a set of voluntary measures that farmers could choose from. EPA has informed staff that voluntary measures alone would not be approvable as meeting the Clean Air Act requirements. Because of these outstanding issues, additional time, beyond the June deadline that staff committed to, will be needed to complete the agricultural dust control plan. Staff expressed their commitment to work with the representatives of the San Joaquin Valley farming interests and the local farmers, to resolve these issues within the next few months and present the work product to the Board once it is completed. In response to a question from Committee Chair Soto, staff noted that the dust control plan developed thus far would only apply to agricultural operations.
Monthly Report on Environmental Justice Initiatives
Initiative #4 (a) CEQA Handbook Revision: The Working Group has not met this month. At its next meeting, the Working Group will be discussing the draft of the first five chapters of the Handbook. It is proposed to reduce the Handbook from the current fifteen chapters to about ten chapters. One proposal that has been presented for discussion is the Clean Air Communities Initiative. This initiative seeks to improve air quality through a number of land use strategies by removing existing barriers to smart land use and transportation decisions; rewarding clean technology pioneers; and attracting types of development/redevelopment that increase economic activity and quality of life but generate lower emission levels. AQMD’s main concern with this initiative has to do with quantifying these criteria. The Building Industry Association (BIA) is opposed to the initiative on grounds that it may result in new building codes that their members would have to comply with. It was decided to invite Ms. Amy Glad of the BIA to make a presentation to the Committee on this initiative.
Initiative #4 (b) CEQA Document Commenting: Staff distributed a report which lists the CEQA documents received and reviewed for the period of April 14, 1998 through May 13, 1998. (This report is included in the June 1998 Board package as Attachments A-C to agenda item "Lead Agency Projects and Environmental Documents Received by the AQMD.")
Monthly Report on Environmental Justice Initiative Study
Initiative #2 - Ambient Monitoring of Air Toxics (Attachment 7): Staff informed the Committee that six stations were in operation. One site is scheduled to begin collecting data on May 17, 1998. The District was negotiating with host agencies on the remaining three sites. Three sites in Torrance, Montclair and Hawthorne have been selected for the Microscale Study.
Initiative #7 - Cleanup Incentives for Diesel (Attachment 8): Staff is participating in a Department of Energy/National Renewable Energy Laboratory selection committee to review proposals for the development and on-road demonstration of high-efficiency alternative fuel trucks. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has signed a contract with Valley Detroit Diesel Allison to convert 127 inoperable ethanol buses to diesel.
Update on the Mobile Source Measures in the SIP (Attachment 9)
Written report submitted, no comments.
Rule 2202 Activity Report/Upcoming Events (Attachment 10)
Written report distributed, no comments.
Other Business
There was no other business.
Public Comment
There were no public comments. The meeting was adjourned at 10:50 a.m.
1. Attendance Roster
2. AB 2194 Hearing Results
3. Status of SB 432
4. Presentation on Proposed Amended Rule 1902
5. Presentation on Proposed Amended Rules 1612 and 1620
6. Presentation on Rule 403
7. Monthly Report on Environmental Justice Initiative #2
8. Progress Report on Environmental Justice Initiative #7
9. Update on the Mobile Source Measures in the SIP
10. Rule 2202 Activity Report/Upcoming Events
/ / /