South Coast Air Quality Management District

Notification of OEHHA’s Finalization of Chronic Reference Exposure Levels

SYNOPSIS: 

The March 2000 amendments to Rule 1402 – Control of Toxic Air Contaminants from Existing Sources, require that staff notify the Board and affected parties when the state adds chemicals or changes risk values for TACs. In January 2001, Office of Environmental Health and Hazard Assessment finalized Chronic Reference Exposure Levels for 23 compounds, comprising of 26 individual chemicals. At the June 2001 Board meeting, staff will propose amendments to Rule 1401 and report on the impacts to facilities subject to Rule 1402.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Receive and file.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

On March 17, 2000, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) Governing Board (Board) adopted amendments to Rule 1402 – Control of Toxic Air Contaminants from Existing Sources. In conjunction with the amendments to Rule 1402, the Board directed staff to promptly notify the Board and affected facilities after OEHHA finalizes changes to a Toxic Air Contaminant (TAC) or risk value and to establish a 12-month lead time (or shorter, if the Board approves another schedule through an official Board action) for using the new TAC or risk value in a risk assessment for Rule 1402. This notification fulfills that Board directive.

OEHHA establishes risk values for TACs and the Scientific Review Panel (SRP) reviews and finalizes these values. This final action is taken when the Director of OEHHA signs the document and posts the information on the internet. The SRP met December 6, 2000 and the Director of OEHHA finalized the Chronic Reference Exposure Levels (RELs) for 23 compounds, comprising of 26 individual chemicals on January 22, 2001. The table in Attachment I lists the chemicals with new or revised RELs. Fifteen compounds have more stringent RELs or did not have an existing draft risk value.

Rule 1402 also requires staff provide a report to the Board within 150 days of final action by OEHHA before new or updated risk factors are used. Similarly Rule 1401 – New Source Review of Toxic Air Contaminants, also requires an analysis of these same compounds that are used for new source review. A report containing analysis of the impacts of the changes and new RELs on facilities subject to Rules 1401 and 1402 will be presented at the June 2001 Board meeting. For Rule 1401, many of the potential impacts of these chemicals were assessed in previous Board packages. This analysis will include the subset of chemicals that have more stringent risk values or those chemicals that did not have a final risk value for Rules 1401 and 1402.

Attachment

Chronic RELs Finalized by OEHHA, January 2001

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