BOARD MEETING DATE: August 1, 2003
AGENDA NO. 36

Adopt the 2003 Coachella Valley PM10 State Implementation Plan

SYNOPSIS:

On June 21, 2002, the AQMD adopted the 2002 Coachella Valley PM10 State Implementation Plan (2002 CVSIP), which included a request for extension of the PM10 deadline, and met all applicable federal CAA requirements, including a Most Stringent Measures analysis, control measures, and attainment demonstration. U.S. EPA approved the 2002 CVSIP on April 18, 2003. At the time of the 2002 CVSIP adoption, the AQMD committed to revising the emissions inventories, emission budgets, and attainment modeling with the latest approved mobile source emissions estimates and planning assumptions, when they became available. The 2003 CVSIP updates those elements of the 2002 CVSIP; the control strategies and control measure commitments have not been revised and remain the same as in the 2002 CVSIP.

COMMITTEE:

Mobile Source, June 27, 2003 and July 25, 2003, Reviewed

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Adopt the attached resolution:

1. Certifying the Notice of Exemption for the 2003 Coachella Valley PM10 State Implementation Plan; and
    
2. Adopting the 2003 Coachella Valley PM10 State Implementation Plan.

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 (Salton Sea Air Basin portion of Riverside County). In June 2002, the Board adopted the 2002 CVSIP, which included a request for extension of the PM10 deadline to 2006, Most Stringent Measures (MSM) analysis, control measures, and attainment demonstration. U.S. EPA approved the 2002 CVSIP on April 18, 2003. At the time of the 2002 CVSIP adoption, CARB was in the process of updating their mobile source emission models, and SCAG was updating their growth forecasts and other planning assumptions. Therefore, the AQMD committed to revising the emissions inventories, emission budgets, and attainment modeling in the 2002 CVSIP with the latest approved mobile source emissions estimates and planning assumptions, when they became available. The AQMD also requested that U.S. EPA approve the emissions budgets based on the 2002 CVSIP for use only until U.S. EPA finds adequate the revised budgets submitted as part of the 2003 CVSIP revision to the 2002 CVSIP.

Public Process

The Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) established the Coachella Valley Ad Hoc Air Quality Task Force (CV Task Force) on February 14, 2002. The CV Task Force is charged with assisting AQMD staff in crafting proposed revisions to local and AQMD dust regulations that would meet the MSM criteria necessary for U.S. EPA to approve the request for extension of the PM10 attainment deadline. The CV Task Force and relevant CVAG committees have been fully informed on the 2003 CVSIP.

Proposal

The 2003 CVSIP updates the 2002 CVSIP emissions inventories, transportation budgets, and attainment demonstration with the latest approved motor vehicle emissions model (i.e., EMFAC2002) and planning assumptions. It also updates the emission estimates for fugitive dust sources, using the latest CARB methodologies in conjunction with local activity levels. AQMD is requesting that CARB and U.S. EPA approve the following 2003 CVSIP revisions to the corresponding elements of the 2002 CVSIP:

• Base year and future baseline PM10 emissions inventories;
• Emission reduction commitment for the attainment year 2006;
• Future controlled PM10 emissions inventories for 2006;
• Transportation conformity emission budget for 2006 and post-attainment years;
• Interim milestone year targets and emission budget for the end of year 2003; and
• Attainment demonstration for 2006 and 2006 conformity scenario.

Other elements of the 2002 CVSIP remain the same, i.e., the MSM analysis, the Coachella Valley control and contingency measures, and the Natural Event Action Plan. AQMD is requesting that U.S. EPA terminate approval of the 2002 CVSIP budgets when it is determined that the budgets submitted as part of this 2003 CVSIP are adequate, in accordance with U.S. EPA’s rule published on November 15, 2002 (67 FR 69139). The 2003 CVSIP contains a possible budget trading mechanism, but AQMD is not requesting that U.S. EPA approve it at this time since it is only a possible strategy that may be considered in future SIP revisions.

Policy Issues

As directed by the Board in its June 2002 adoption resolution for the 2002 CVSIP, the 2002 CVSIP is being revised to update the transportation conformity emission budgets with the latest mobile source emission estimates and planning assumptions. After the inventories were updated, the modeling assessment was performed to demonstrate that the 2002 CVSIP control strategy still is sufficient to attain the federal annual average PM10 standard by 2006. The 2006 transportation conformity budget is based on the full PM10 carrying capacity, which is slightly higher than the modeled PM10 levels with 2002 CVSIP controls. This provides an additional margin of emissions in the transportation conformity budget for 2006 and post-attainment years.

During the course of SIP development, staffs of CARB, SCAG, U.S. EPA and the AQMD discussed potential budget trading mechanisms, as those described in Section 93.124 (C) of the federal conformity rule. The 2003 CVSIP describes a possible budget trading mechanism. The budget trading mechanism would allow excess reductions in non-transportation PM10 emissions to be "traded" into the conformity budget (i.e. emissions from transportation-related sources). It is included as a possible strategy to be considered in future SIP revisions. Therefore, the AQMD is NOT requesting that U.S. EPA approve the budget trading mechanism in the 2003 CVSIP at this time.

California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)

Pursuant to California Environmental Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15002(k) – Three Step Process, the AQMD has determined that the draft 2003 CVSIP is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) – Review for Exemption, since it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the draft 2003 CVSIP has the potential to have a significant adverse effect on the environment.

Socioeconomic and AQMD Resource Impacts

Since the 2002 CVSIP control strategy or control measures have not been altered, there are no socioeconomic impacts of the 2003 CVSIP revision. It is not anticipated that there will be an AQMD staff workload increase due to the 2003 CVSIP.

Attachments

1. Resolution
2. Draft Final 2003 Coachella Valley PM10 State Implementation Plan
3. Final Notice of Exemption

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