South Coast Air Quality Management District

Adopt 2002 Coachella Valley PM10 State Implementation Plan Addendum

SYNOPSIS: 

After the adoption of the 2002 Coachella Valley PM10 State Implementation Plan (CVSIP) on June 21, 2002, U.S. EPA requested that explicit information concerning reasonable further progress milestone emission reductions be included in the 2002 CVSIP. U.S. EPA has indicated that further information is needed to take final action on the 2002 CVSIP, which includes a request for extension of the 2001 PM10 attainment deadline. The proposed 2002 CVSIP addendum details the 2003 emissions (baseline and controlled), emission reductions by control measure, and emission budgets for transportation conformity based on the adopted 2002 CVSIP. There are no changes to the 2002 CVSIP emissions, control strategy, control measure adoption or implementation schedule, attainment demonstration or any other element of the 2002 CVSIP.

COMMITTEE: 

Mobile Source, July 26, 2002, Reviewed

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Adopt the attached resolution:

1. Adopting the Addendum to the Final Negative Declaration for the 2002 CVSIP; and
   
   
2. Adopting the 2002 Coachella Valley PM10 State Implementation Plan Addendum, which consists of CVSIP Appendix E, "2003 Milestone Year Target and Emission Budgets."

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) is the local agency responsible for air quality assessment and improvement in the Coachella Valley. The Coachella Valley is the desert portion of Riverside County in the Salton Sea Air Basin. On June 21, 2002, the AQMD Governing Board adopted the 2002 CVSIP. Within a few days after the 2002 CVSIP adoption, U.S. EPA requested that interim milestone targets be explicitly included in the 2002 CVSIP. Milestone targets for emission reductions and emission budgets in intermediate years are used to establish reasonable further progress toward attainment.

Proposal

In response to the U.S. EPA request, the proposed 2002 CVSIP Appendix E is prepared as an addendum to the final 2002 CVSIP. It details the emission reductions, the interim milestone year emission target, and emission budgets for transportation conformity at the end of the interim milestone year of 2003. The emission reductions are based on the commitments in the adopted 2002 CVSIP. The interim milestone year emission target is less than the 2000 base year emissions, demonstrating progress toward attainment. There are no changes to the 2002 CVSIP emissions, control strategy, control measure adoption or implementation schedule, attainment demonstration or any other element of the 2002 CVSIP. Combined with the commitments in the Governing Board Resolution (Attachment A), the 2002 CVSIP Appendix E (Attachment B) contains the interim milestone year emission target and emission budgets requested by U.S. EPA, so that they can take final action on the 2002 CVSIP.

Public Process

The Draft Final 2002 CVSIP Addendum (Appendix E) was released on July 25, 2002. SCAG, CARB, and the Coachella Valley Association of Governments and its Ad Hoc Air Quality Task Force were sent the proposed 2002 CVSIP Addendum on that date. A notice of Public Hearing was also released and published in the Desert Sun and the Riverside Press Enterprise.

Policy Issues

Unless U.S. EPA approves the AQMD’s request for extension of the PM10 NAAQS deadline to December 31, 2006, the Coachella Valley could be subject to a failure to attain notice by U.S. EPA. If U.S. EPA finds that the Coachella Valley has failed to attain, it could impose planning requirements to demonstrate a 5% per year reduction in PM10 primary or precursor emissions as early as December 31, 2002. U.S. EPA staff has requested that interim milestone information be formally submitted before they take final action on the 2002 CVSIP, which is expected by November 2002. A public hearing on the proposed 2002 CVSIP Addendum is required before it can be submitted to U.S. EPA.

California Environmental Quality Act

Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), staff has prepared an Addendum to the Final Negative Declaration for the 2002 CVSIP. The Addendum was prepared in accordance with CEQA Guidelines §15164 because none of the conditions in the CEQA Guidelines §15162 for a "Subsequent" EIR or Negative Declaration are applicable. An addendum is not required to be circulated for public review, but is made available to the public and provided to the SCAQMD Governing Board at the September 13, 2002 Public Hearing. Since the revisions to the 2002 CVSIP are administrative, and do not alter the control strategy or its implementation schedule, the addendum concluded that the proposed 2002 CVSIP Appendix E will generate no new significant adverse effects on the environment or make existing effects from the project substantially worse.

The Addendum to the Final Negative Declaration for the 2002 CVSIP is included as Attachment C of this Board package. The June 2002 Final Negative Declaration for the 2002 CVSIP is provided for Board Members only and is available for review at the AQMD’s Public Information Center.

Resource Impacts

There are no future resource impacts from the 2002 CVSIP Addendum.

Attachments

1. Resolution
2. Draft Final 2002 CVSIP Appendix E
3. Addendum to the Final Negative Declaration for the 2002 CVSIP
4. June 2002 Final Negative Declaration for the 2002 CVSIP (available to the public at the AQMD’s Public Information Center)

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