South Coast Air Quality Management District
South Coast Air Quality Management District
BOARD MEETING DATE: January 19, 2001 AGENDA NO. 17
Annual Report for 2000 on AB 2588 Air Toxics "Hot Spots" Program
SYNOPSIS:
The Air Toxics "Hot Spots" Information and Assessment Act of 1987 requires local air pollution districts to prepare an annual report. This report summarizes the program progress over the period March 1999 to December 2000 and anticipated activities for the upcoming year. Highlights for the period include program streamlining, finalizing the remaining 134 Phase I health risk assessments, the holding of 10 public notification meetings, and the approval of 9 risk reduction plans.
COMMITTEE:
Stationary Source, December 1, 2000, Reviewed
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Receive and file.
Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer
Background
Under the requirements of the California Air Toxic "Hot Spots" Information and Assessment Act of 1987 (AB 2588), the AQMD approves facility emission inventories, determines which facilities must prepare health risk assessments (HRAs) and ensures that HRAs are prepared according to state and AQMD guidelines. An additional requirement of the Act is for local air districts to provide an annual report of risk assessments and air toxics rulemaking.
Accomplishments
The attached report provides a summary of major program activities during the period March 1999 to December 2000 and anticipated activities during 2001. Several steps have been undertaken to simplify, accelerate, and re-focus the HRA review and approval process. The intent was to expedite the completion of the review of the historical emissions and risks, and to emphasize the approval of current facility risks. This streamlining effort is in concert with the Governing Board’s approval of amended Rule 1402 on March 17, 2000, which established risk reduction action levels. In order to implement the action levels, it was necessary to develop current facility risks and implement risk reduction strategies, if necessary.
As a result of these streamlining efforts, AQMD staff finalized the remaining 134 Phase I HRAs, held 10 public notification meetings, and approved 9 risk reduction plans over the period March 1999 to December 2000. In addition, there are currently 14 Phase I facilities that have prepared updated HRAs since their last approval. It is anticipated that staff will complete its review of these updated HRAs by the end of the year. The efforts of the AQMD contractor (Applied Modeling, Inc.) helped the staff achieve its process goals.
Future Activities
Over the upcoming year, the section plans to:
Annual Report for 2000 on AB 2588 Air Toxics "Hot Spots" Program
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