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REPORT:

Mobile Source Committee

SYNOPSIS:

The Mobile Source Committee met on Friday, September 25, 1998. Presentations were made on the following items: Legislative Update; Final Contractor Report on AB 2766 Subvention Fund Technical Support Services; Status Report/Update on AB 2766 Coordination Between AQMD, ARB, and the Cities; Status Report on Contract for Technical Assistance for Local Jurisdictions Utilizing AB 2766 Subvention Funds; Rule 2202 – AQIP Funding Recommendations for Second Quarter/1998; Status Report on the Rule 2202 Emissions Equivalency Task Force; Rule 2202 Annual Status Report; Proposed Amendments to Rule 2202 – On-Road Motor Vehicle Mitigation Options; and Reports on Environmental Justice Initiatives #2, 4, and 7. The next meeting is October 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, Committee Members Mee Hae Lee, Norma Glover and Jon Mikels. Also present was Committee Vice Chair Roy Wilson from the teleconference center in Indio. Absent: Committee Member Ronald Loveridge. Attachment 1 is an attendance roster.

MOBILE SOURCE COMMITTEE DISCUSSION ITEMS

1. Legislative Update

   Staff distributed a handout showing the status of 1998 Air Quality Legislation. In response to a question by Committee Member Jon Mikels, staff clarified information on SB 1083 (Polanco). The bill would have prohibited the ARB from listing diesel exhaust as a toxic air contaminant. The bill failed passage.

2. Final Contractor Report on AB 2766 Subvention Fund Technical Support Services
   

   Ms. Terry Solis of the Solis Group, presented the report to the Committee. The Solis Group was contracted by AQMD in January 1997 to provide technical assistance to local jurisdictions in the selection of projects with greater potential for reducing mobile source emissions. In addition, the Solis Group is to assist the AQMD and the ARB in improving the mechanisms for data reporting by local jurisdictions. The program is funded by AB 2766, a bill that authorized an annual fee of $4.00 per registered vehicle to be spent on mobile source emission reduction projects in the state. Thirty percent of the fee goes into a discretionary fund that is administered by the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC). A second thirty percent is used by AQMD for its programs to reduce air pollution from mobile sources. These include planning, monitoring and enforcement activities authorized by the California Clean Air Act. The remaining forty percent is distributed by AQMD to cities and counties within the air basin to be used by local jurisdictions. This subvention fund to the local jurisdictions is the program under review.
   

   The study found that since the program’s inception, cities and counties within the air basin have received $107 million. The monies have gone into rideshare programs, alternative fueled vehicles, public transportation and related infrastructure programs. Some of the recommendations made by the Solis Group include the following:

   • The AQMD should provide specific guidelines for the types of projects to be funded.
   • The ARB should enhance the current automated questionnaire for annual financial reporting to make it easier for local jurisdictions to provide accurate data on their projects to the AQMD and ARB.
   • The AQMD should determine the overall emission benefits of the programs implemented by local jurisdictions to date.
   • Finally, the AQMD should continue to provide technical assistance to local jurisdictions in both the selection, implementation and monitoring of cost-effective projects.

   In the discussion that followed, Committee Members Mee Lee, Norma Glover and Jon Mikels expressed concern about the lack of information on the cost-effectiveness and the emissions reductions that had been achieved by the projects funded through the program. Barry Wallerstein, Acting Executive Officer, explained that the ARB recently issued a report on cost-effectiveness guidelines in order to improve the project selection and monitoring processes. The AQMD’s MSRC has begun to monitor the emissions reductions benefits of projects that are being funded by them. Committee Member Mikels moved that staff should develop a draft legislative language to amend AB 2766 to make a tighter nexus between monies spent by local jurisdictions and emission reductions achieved. The Committee would work with the Legislative Committee to produce draft legislation that would be forwarded by the Board for consideration and possible submission during the next legislative session.

3. Status Report/Update on AB 2766 Coordination between AQMD, ARB, and the Cities

   Staff informed the Committee about four areas of coordination being pursued. District staff is working with ARB and local government staff to refine the current analytical tools needed to select cost-effective projects. The group is working on establishing a central depository to showcase successful projects that local governments can use as models in developing their respective projects. AQMD staff is assisting the ARB in convening an annual conference that would feature exemplary motor vehicle emission reduction projects that cities and counties have developed using AB 2766 funds. Lastly, AQMD and ARB will continue to provide assistance to local governments in the air basin.

   Staff also briefed the Committee on the outreach efforts being undertaken by the Technology Advancement Office. The objective of the program is to provide information on available and future alternative fuel vehicle technologies to the community through workshops and conferences. Four workshops have been held so far. An RFP has been released to assist the AQMD in developing these workshops. In response to a question by Committee Member Mikels, staff informed the Committee that Barry Wallerstein, Acting Executive Officer, would be appearing before the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Agency Board on Monday, September 28, 1998 to testify in opposition to the decision to purchase diesel buses for use in the basin. This testimony is consistent with the AQMD Board’s position on this issue. Staff is coordinating this effort with ARB and others. Staff has proposed that AQMD Board members contact LACMTA Board members to register their opposition to the decision to purchase diesel buses. The Committee asked Committee Chairperson Nell Soto to write a letter to the MTA board to reinforce that position. However, staff subsequently learned that MTA would be withdrawing this proposal so no letter was written.

4. Status Report on Contract for Technical Assistance for Local Jurisdictions Utilizing AB 2766 Subvention Funds

   The Committee agreed to defer action on the contract till the October meeting to enable members to study the report that had been submitted by the consultant currently under contract.

5. Rule 2202 – AQIP Funding Recommendations for Second Quarter/1998

   AQMD received 30 proposals from six companies for this quarter. Staff recommended a contract be awarded to Pick Your Part Auto Wrecking for five projects in the amount of $350,005. Available funding for the quarter is $515,966. The Committee approved the staff recommendation.



6. Status Report on the Rule 2202 Emissions Equivalency Task Force

   The Task Force convened on September 3, 1998. The goal of the Task Force is to make recommendations to the Mobile Source Committee on ways to achieve mobile source emissions offsets for the Rule 2202 shortfall. The Task Force met again on September 16, 1998. The next meeting is scheduled for October 14, 1998. The Task Force expects to submit recommendations to the AQMD Board in December 1998.

7. Rule 2202 Annual Status Report

   There are currently 1,577 worksites with 686,205 employees in the program. Of the total number of worksites, 1,079 are implementing Employee Commute Reduction Programs, 125 are Utilizing the Air Quality Investment Program and the remaining 374 are implementing Alternative Emission Reduction Strategies. The three programs are estimated to be reducing daily 32.81 tons of CO, 4.25 tons of VOC and 3.18 tons of NO_X. The Transportation Programs Division has been providing ETC training, AQIP assistance and technical assistance and also maintains an internet page.

8. Proposed Amendments to Rule 2202 – On-Road Motor Vehicle Mitigation Options

   Staff informed the Committee about the proposed amendments to the Rule, the Implementation Guidelines and the Employee Commute Reduction Program Guidelines. The changes include the following: raising the employee threshold from 100 to 250, deleting all SB 836 (Lewis) provisions, changing the rule rescind date from December 31, 1998 to whenever an equivalent replacement measure is available, replacing prior Rule 306-Plan Fees with Rules 308-On-Road Motor Vehicle Mitigation Option Fees and 311-Air Quality Investment Program Fees, and replacing the December 8, 1995 adoption date with the October 9, 1998 amendment date. Eight comment letters have been received. Staff opposes two recommendations made by respondents: the recommendation to exempt residential college students, and the recommendation to eliminate the AVR survey response threshold. Concerns raised by Committee Chair Soto and Member Mikels about these two issues led staff to study these issues further and report back to the Committee.

9. Monthly Report on Environmental Justice Initiatives

   Initiative #4 (b) CEQA Document Commenting: Staff distributed the report for the month. There was no discussion. (This report is included in the October 1998 Board package as Attachment A-C to the agenda item "Lead Agency Projects and Environmental Documents Received by the AQMD.")

   Initiative #4 (a) CEQA Handbook Revision: Staff distributed the report for the month. There was no discussion.

10. Monthly Report on Environmental Justice Initiatives:

    Initiative #2 - Ambient Monitoring of Air: Staff distributed the report for the month. There was no discussion. (This report is included in the October 1998 Board package as an attachment to agenda item "Technology Committee Report.")

    Initiative #7 - Cleanup Incentives for Diesel: Staff distributed the report for the month. There was no discussion. (This report is included in the October 1998 Board package as an attachment to agenda item "Technology Committee Report.")

11. Update on the Mobile Source Measures in the SIP

    Written report submitted, no comments.

12. Rule 2202 Activity Report/Upcoming Events

    Written report submitted, no comments.

13. Other Business

    There was none.

14. Public Comment

    There was none.

The meeting was adjourned at 10:55 a.m.

The next Mobile Source Committee meeting is October 16, 1998.

Attachment

1. Attendance Roster

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