South Coast Air Quality Management District

Mobile Source Committee

SYNOPSIS: 

The Mobile Source Committee met on June 28, 2002. Attached is the summary of the meeting.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Receive and file.

Roy Wilson, Chair
Mobile Source Committee

Attendance

The meeting started at 9:05 a.m. Present: Committee Chair Roy Wilson, Vice Chair Jon Mikels, and Committee Members Jane Carney, Norma Glover (arrived at 9:35 a.m.), Ron Loveridge, and Jim Silva. The attachment is an attendance roster.

ACTION ITEM

1. Rule 2202 – AQIP
   Proposal of Recommendations for 1^st Quarter of 2002
   Staff’s presentation to the Committee for its consideration included: summary of available funding; proposals received – 19 in total; emission reductions from the proposed projects; cost effectiveness of each proposal; and summary of emission reduction credits surplus.
   
   Staff recommends that three contracts be awarded as follows:

To: Jaguar Tractor, in the amount of $39,792, for Retrofit of 3 dual engine scrapers with oxidation catalysts;

To: Seaboard Marine, in the amount of $92,000, for repowering the marine vessel "Misty Moon";

To: Air Quality Management Services, in the amount of $500,000, for old vehicle scrapping.

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

INFORMATION ITEMS

2. Report on Initiative #2 White Paper
   Staff provided an overview of the Strategic Alliance Initiative #2 - Petition EPA to Review Outdated Policy Interpretations of the Clean Air Act. The objective of Initiative #2 is to work with EPA to obtain fair, reasonable, consistent interpretations of the Clean Air Act (CAA) that will expedite clean air progress. The AQMD staff worked with a Steering Committee that included a variety of stakeholders that identified 22 CAA policy interpretation issues. Based on comments from the Steering Committee, a cross-sectional survey, and input from the public, policy issues were prioritized for implementation as either Phase I which represents immediate implementation, or Phase II which represents near-term implementation. Eight issues were categorized as Phase I and 14 issues were categorized as Phase II. One of the policy issues identified as Phase I is Transportation Conformity. The AQMD staff is recommending to seek federal policy interpretation to allow the "latest planning assumptions" to be the same as SIP assumptions, if subject to periodic SIP update requirements no later than every five years. The action plan includes submitting the White Paper to EPA, instituting formal policy resolution process, forming policy issue groups, and developing outreach briefing materials. The White Paper will be presented to the Governing Board for its approval at the July 12, 2002 Board meeting.
   
   
3. Recent Findings on Particulate Matter Health Studies
   Staff gave an overview of recent CARB actions adopting new State annual standards for PM10 and PM2.5, and CARB’s deferral of proposed 24-hour standards for particulate matter. The reason for deferral of the 24-hour standards was a recently discovered problem in a commonly used statistical software package used in many short-term air pollution studies. The studies that formed the basis for the adopted annual standards were not affected. Staff also presented initial results from a reanalysis of a Health Effects Institute funded study of the 90 largest U.S. cities that looked at daily levels of air pollution and health effects. The reanalysis, using a different statistical approach, found somewhat lower effects levels associated with PM10, but the major conclusion of a significant association of mortality and morbidity with PM10 was confirmed. Staff concluded by indicating that researchers are in the process of assessing the effects of the software on previously conducted studies, and that CARB will propose revising the 24-hour PM standards when this is completed. The software problem will also delay EPA’s current review of the PM standards.
   
   
4. AB2766 Subvention Fund Program – Legislative Committee Discussion and Recommendations
   Staff updated the Committee Members on the status of the AB2766 Subvention Fund action item discussed at the May 24, 2002 Committee meeting. At that meeting the Committee Members directed staff to amend the board letter and the recommendation contained in the staff report and to present the amended recommendation to the Legislative Committee at its June 14, 2002 meeting for potential legislative action. The Mobile Source Committee had supported requiring cities and counties to use their funds only on projects that result in emissions reductions; and requires that the emissions reductions be quantified and that surplus emissions reductions be captured by AQMD for State Implementation Plan (SIP) purposes. The Legislative Committee proposed that the changes be incorporated administratively, via CARB’s AB2766 guidelines and criteria, and not through legislation.
   
   The Mobile Source Committee accepted the Legislative Committee’s recommendation. Discussion ensued among the Committee Members on local government procedures for receiving, earmarking and approving the use of funds for Subvention Fund projects. Staff was directed to coordinate with CARB to amend their Guidelines to reflect these additional components: Local government receipt and earmarking/expenditure of funds be elevated to Council/Mayor level for discussion and action. Staff should further recommend that the Mayor/City Manager of each jurisdiction sign for approval of Subvention Fund annual reports prior to submittal to the AQMD.
   
   
5. Report on AB2650 – Truck Idling in Marine Terminals
   AB 2076 (Lowenthal) would establish significant requirements on terminal operators in the port areas within the AQMD. Staff has provided comments to Assemblyman Lowenthal prior to the consideration of the bill by the Senate Transportation Committee on June 25, 2002. Assemblyman Lowenthal and his staff have been very responsive to the concerns of the AQMD. The staff provided the Committee with the status of the legislation as of June 27, 2002.
   
   At the meeting Douglas Kim, a member of the MSRC, provided supplemental comments on MSRC’s actions relative to the pollution problems in the port also addressed by this legislation. MSRC decided to fund replacement of older diesel engines used by small operators.
   
   
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. Status Report on Strategic Alliance Initiative #2
   Written Report submitted, no comments.
   
   
9. Other Business
   None.
   
   
10. Public Comment
    None.

The meeting adjourned at 10:32 a.m.

Attachment

Attendance Roster

SOUTH COAST AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT
MOBILE SOURCE COMMITTEE

JUNE 28, 2002

ATTENDANCE ROSTER

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