South Coast Air Quality Management District

Mobile Source Committee

SYNOPSIS: 

The Mobile Source Committee met Friday, January 26, 2001. Following is a summary of that meeting.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Receive and file.

Jon D. Mikels, Committee Member
Mobile Source Committee

Attendance

The meeting started at 9:10 a.m. Present: Committee Member Jon Mikels, Committee Member Norma Glover (arrived at 10:10 a.m.), and Board Member Cynthia Verdugo-Peralta (arrived at 10:38 a.m.). Committee Member Norma Glover appointed Board Member Cynthia Verdugo-Peralta as ad hoc committee member. Absent: Committee Chair Cynthia Coad, Committee Vice Chair Roy Wilson, and Committee Members Jane Carney and Ron Loveridge. The attachment is an attendance roster.

Committee Member Jon Mikels chaired the meeting until the arrival of Committee Member Norma Glover who then assumed the chairmanship for the meeting.

The information items (items #2 - #5) were presented before the Action Item (item #1).

INFORMATION ITEMS:

2. Proposed Rule 1612.1 – Mobile Source Credit Generation Pilot Program
   Staff provided a brief presentation on PR 1612.1. The purpose of the proposed rule is to develop a pilot program for mobile source credit generation that will meet ARB and U.S. EPA approvability requirements. This is a voluntary program and is intended to accelerate introduction of cleaner vehicles and to provide NOx credits for RECLAIM facilities. Two categories of vehicles are included under this phase of the rule development: yard hostlers; and Class 7 & 8 vehicles which includes refuse vehicles exempt from the 1190 series of rules. Under the proposed rule, credits will be discounted by 10%. Most (9%) will be retired to benefit the environment and 1% may be used to provide emission offsets for Rule 518.2. Monitoring, Recordkeeping and Reporting (MRR) requirements have to be met; and a yearly reconciliation of credit projections made by the facilities will be conducted. non-compliance. A program review will be provided to the Governing Board. Staff also reported on future rule development plans. Major progress has been made with respect to surplus reductions. Key remaining issues are: length of the pilot program, and additional restrictions on the use of credits and a cap on total credits used.
   
   
3. Status Report on Proposed Fleet Rule 1195
   An update on the development of PR 1195 was provided. The current version of the proposed rule will affect 74 school bus fleets. Implementation of the rule is proposed to start 60 days from rule adoption. Exemptions are proposed for the following: public school bus fleets, if funding is not available; prior to July 1, 2003, if there is no alternative-fuel station within 5 miles of vehicle storage yard; and 10 percent of remaining school bus fleet may remain non-rule compliant for field trip purposes.
   
   Staff provided an overview of potential funding for school bus purchase, including: Lower-Emission School Bus Program, a statewide program, ($16.6 million); MSRC ($948,000); Carol Moyer Program ($2-$3 million); and Adopt-A-School Bus Foundation ($300,000). For infrastructure development: funds to be provided by CEC ($6 million statewide).
   
   Issues raised by industry include: existing school bus transportation service contracts; deployment of school buses in and out of the South Coast District jurisdiction; additional cost of new alternative-fuel school buses; infrastructure development; safety issues with gasoline-powered buses; smaller operators versus larger operators; lead time in procuring new alternative-fueled buses versus conventional-fueled buses; cost to upgrade maintenance facilities for alternative-fueled vehicles; and increased cost of alternative fuels. Issues comments from raised by environmental groups include: the implementation date of the proposed rule; removal of the 5-mile infrastructure exemption; the used school buses rule language; and a request that the AQMD remain committed to pursue continued funding. Issues and comments from the South Coast Clean Air Partnership include: a request to delay rule adoption until the toxic equivalency studies are completed; a request to adopt a fuel-neutral strategy; and that school buses allowed under the State Lower-Emission School Bus Program should be considered as rule-compliant.
   
   Currently the proposed rule is scheduled for the Governing Board’s consideration at the March 2001 meeting.
   
   Some public comments were received. David Smith, representing BP and South Coast Clean Air Partnership, commented on the following issues: the additional costs incurred for the purchase of more expensive school buses; the environmental benefits; the availability of funds; CNG/electrical costs; CNG tank inspections/replacement; and medium-duty buses. The SCCAP proposal is that the AQMD require the schools to purchase school buses that would otherwise qualify for the Lower-Emission School Bus Program. William Bunn, of International Truck and Engine, commented on tank inspections and pollutants covered under the proposed rule.
   
   
4. Taxi Cab Clean Air Advertisement Program Proposal
   Staff provided a brief presentation on a Taxicab Clean Air Advertisement Program proposal. Under Rule 1194 provisions, para. (d)(6) states that "prior to January 1, 2002, airport fleet operators voluntarily purchasing an alternative-fueled vehicle meeting requirements of para. (d)(4) after adoption of this rule, may apply for funding to offset the purchase cost, less $10,000 in accordance with para. (e)(3)." To provide for this funding, City Cab Company solicited a Clean Air Advertisement Program proposal. The components include: a 3-year public education contract; top sign advertising; interior brochure rack with AQMD air quality materials; and bumper sticker program (1-800-CUT-SMOG). Cost of the proposal is $6,660 per vehicle for 3 years. Staff estimates that by this proposal City Cab is seeking approximately $250,000 to cover approximately 38 CNG taxicabs. Staff is supportive of the proposal and is examining potential funding sources. If funding is available and cost-effective, staff will bring the proposal to the Governing Board for its consideration.
   
   
5. Status Report on ‘‘Procedures for Calculating Equivalent Toxic Risk Reduction from Vehicle Emissions’’
   At the November 2000 Board meeting the Governing Board directed staff to conduct additional studies on the procedure for calculating equivalent toxic risk reduction from vehicle emissions and return to the Governing Board in March this year. Also at the January Board meeting, the Governing Board directed staff to initiate a project to retrofit a CNG bus with a particulate trap and conduct exhaust analyses on this bus. A status report on the current efforts was presented by staff. The additional studies proposed include bioassay screening tests and chemical speciation of exhaust from diesel- and CNG-buses, in participation with the study by CARB and EC-Diesel studies sponsored by NREL/DOE/CARB/ARCO. The CARB studies will test exhaust from CNG- and diesel-transit buses, and will include measuring toxics and conducting Ames bioassays. The testing will begin in February this year. The EC-Diesel project will be focused on grocery trucks, tanker trucks and transit buses. Test site will be at the OCTA facility in Irvine, and the testing will begin in April this year. Staff proposed to add the following to the EC-Diesel study: two CNG-transit buses from the L.A. MTA fleet with chemical characterization of the exhaust; and collection of samples from diesel- and CNG-transit buses for Ames bioassay screening tests. Staff also provided a summary list of toxics to be analyzed and a schematic representation of the sampling system for the testings being conducted. Staff reported that in relation to the proposed additional studies, the Governing Board approved the following contracts at the January Board meeting: 1) West Virginia University for dynamometer and sample collection; 2) Desert Research Institute for chemical analyses; and 3) U.C. Davis for Ames tests. Staff will submit the study results for peer review at a later date. Other studies being conducted include a DOE sponsored study on natural gas exhaust particles. This will begin late summer this year.
   
   Staff will also propose adding an additional bus retrofitted with a particulate trap to the EC-Diesel Study at the February Board meeting, in response to the request made at the January Board meeting.
   
   Public comments were received from the audience regarding the proposed CNG bus particulate trap project. Stephanie Williams of California Trucking Association (CTA) expressed concern on the feasibility of the project; and Bill Bunn of International commented that staff should not let the project delay the process of the proposed studies.

ACTION/DISCUSSION ITEM

1. Rule 2202 – AQIP
   Proposal of Recommendations for 3^rd Quarter of 2000
   Staff’s presentation to the Committee for their proposal included: summary of available funding; proposals received – 8 proposals in total; emission reduction credits balance; emission reductions from the proposed projects and cost effectiveness of each proposal. Staff recommended that a contract be awarded to each of the following four companies:

Taormina Industries, in the amount of $324,000, for the purchase of 13 LNG refuse trucks;

OceanAir Environmental, in the amount of $988,491, for diesel tugboat repower;

City of Norwalk, in the amount of $173,128, for the running of electric shuttle; and

Market Based Solutions, at no charge, for deferred emission exchange.

Committee Member Jon Mikels moved to recommend approval of this item to the Governing Board and Committee Member Norma Glover seconded. The motion was passed unanimously.

(The meeting returned to the remaining information items at this point.)

6. Rule 2202 Activity Report
   Rule 2202 Summary Status Report submitted, no comments.
   
   
7. Monthly Report on Environmental Justice Initiatives
   Item #4 – CEQA Commenting:
   a. CEQA Document Commenting Update: Written reports submitted, no comments.
   
   
8. Other Business
   None.
   
   
9. Public Comment
   Stephanie Williams of CTS mentioned that President Bush had proposed a 60-day delay to U.S. EPA’s recent rule on diesel fuel and heavy-duty vehicle. She requested AQMD’s assistance to oppose this proposal by sending letters to the California Congressional delegations.

The meeting adjourned at 10:50 a.m.

Attachment

Attendance Roster

SOUTH COAST AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT
MOBILE SOURCE COMMITTEE

JANUARY 26, 2001

ATTENDANCE ROSTER

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