BOARD MEETING DATE: March 3, 2006
AGENDA NO. 24

Mobile Source Committee

SYNPOSIS:

The Mobile Source Committee met Friday, February 24, 2006.
Following is a summary of that meeting.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:

Receive and file.

Jane Carney, Chair
Mobile Source Committee

Attendance:

The meeting started at 9:03 a.m. Present: Committee Chair Jane Carney, Committee Vice-Chair Roy Wilson (via videoconference), Committee Members Gary Ovitt, Ron Loveridge, Jan Perry (via videoconference), and James Silva.

INFORMATION ITEMS:

1)         Execute Contract for Rule 2202 AQIP and 2006 Lawnmower Exchange Program

Shashi Singeetham gave a presentation on staff recommendations for the Rule 2202 AQIP for the first semiannual period of 2005.  The presentation included the Emission Reduction Target, funding amount available; list of all the proposals received, and project recommendation for funding. 

Four projects, Connolly-Pacific, Karandan Enterprises, Science & Technology Development Corp, Pick Your Part Auto-wrecking were recommended for funding. 

Presentation also included recommendation for executing a contract with Neuton Lawn Mower Company to do the ‘2006 Mow Down Pollution’ program.

Henry Hogo also informed the committee about the on going leaf blower exchange program. 

2)         Summary of Faster Freight Cleaner Air Conference

Mr. Henry Hogo gave an overview of the Faster Freight Cleaner Air Conference held on January 30 – February 1, 2006 at the Long Beach Convention Center.  This is the second conference on goods movement.  The first conference was held in December 2004 in Northern California and focused on goods movement related activities in the Northern California area.  The conference in Southern California focused on national and international goods movement from the two local marine ports.  The conference was well-attended with over 600 registrants.  The South Coast AQMD along with CARB, U.S. EPA, Southern California Association of Governments, and the Port of Los Angeles co-hosted the conference.  Each of the co-hosts provided opening remarks.  In addition, there were over 20 sponsors and 35 exhibitors.

The general sessions covered health studies, community impacts, funding opportunities to reduce emissions, and coordination among stakeholders to address challenges facing the region as goods movement activities are expected to increase significantly over the next 15 years.  A series of pre-conference sessions were held on the morning of the first day of the conference.  The sessions covered various topics related to goods movement including current and potential future air regulations, port environmental programs, and community perspective.

Three general breakout periods were held during the conference.  Each breakout period contained five sessions covering marine vessels, rail, on-road, off-road, and infrastructure.  Each session covered various topics including regulatory activities, community concerns, control technologies, and funding opportunities.  A wrap-up session occurred on the last day of the conference.  The conference ended with closing remarks from the co-hosts.  General remarks included the recognition of the environmental impacts that good movement activities have on the surrounding communities and the region, the scope of the challenge facing the region, the need to clean-up emissions as soon as possible, and coordination among all stakeholders including coordination on an international level.

The conference presentations can be found at the following website: http://www.ffca2006.com. 

In subsequent discussions, Board Member Loveridge indicated that City of Los Angeles Councilmember Janice Hahn is working on the national level to address port-related issues and requested that staff look into supporting such efforts.  Staff indicated that this topic will be brought to the Legislative Committee for further discussion and consideration.  Board Member Perry indicated that the City of Los Angeles Council has adopted support of such efforts.  In addition, Board Member Perry indicated that there is a need to coordinate with other California ports (specifically, San Diego) and to look at border trucks.  Staff indicated that they will work with her office on the specifics of any proposals and bring the item to Legislative Committee.

3)         Assessment of Sources Contributing to PM10 at the Rubidoux Monitoring Station

Lee Lockie presented a summary of the assessment of sources contributing to PM10 at the Rubidoux air monitoring station.  Key contributors to PM in the area have been identified as road dust from unimproved road shoulders, exposed unstabilized vacant lands (often from weed abatement activities), off road vehicle use, and AQMD regulated sources, such as concrete batch plants and construction/grading activities.  Ms. Lockie highlighted that new Rules 1156 and 1157 regulating cement manufacturing and aggregate generating facilities, respectively, were adopted in 2005 and are currently being implemented.  In addition to ongoing enforcement of Rule 403 – Fugitive Dust, these rules will contribute to decreasing PM10 levels in the Rubidoux area.   Staff is working with Riverside County officials to address those sources under their jurisdiction, including the Economic Development Agency (road shoulders), County Sheriff (off road vehicles), and County Fire Department (weed abatement).  Staff will present a status report in June 2006 to the committee with a final completion report in December of this year.

Board Member Loveridge asked staff to specifically acknowledge Riverside County Supervisor John Tavaglione for his assistance in identifying reasonable air quality control options in the surrounding area and to continue to involve Supervisor Tavaglione’s office in future efforts.

 4)         Proposed Particulate Standards Update

Staff presented an overview of U.S. EPA proposed standards for particulate matter (PM), including the proposed levels and timeline for attainment.  According to a consent decree, U.S. EPA will promulgate any changes to PM standards by September 27, 2006.  The proposed changes include revoking PM10 standards, and addition of a new standard for particles between 2.5 and 10 micrometers diameter, termed inhalable course particles or PM10-2.5.

  The proposed standards are summarized below

PM2.5

 No change to annual Average: 15 µg/m3

 24-Hour average: 35 µg/m3

 PM10

Rescind Annual Standard

Retain 24-Hour Standard in areas violating the current standard with populations > 100,000 until designations are determined for PM10-2.5

 Inhalable Coarse PM10-2.5

No annual standard

24-Hour Average: 70 µg/m3

Excludes areas impacted by wind blown dust, agriculture and mining determined from monitoring criteria

Staff also presented an overview of the recommendations of the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC), a committee established under the Clean Air Act to provide advice to U.S. EPA on air quality standard development.  Staff noted that U.S. EPA did not follow the recommendations of CASAC in proposing the revised standards.  Specifically, CASAC recommended lowering of both the annual as well as the 24-hour PM2.5 standard, and did not call for exemptions of particles from specific sources or in less populated areas.

Staff recommended that the AQMD support revising the PM2.5 standards and establish a PM10-2.5 standard at the low end of the CASAC recommended ranges to protect public health and provide for a margin of safety, and retaining both the annual and the 24-hour PM10 standards until the SIP is approved to maintain progress toward clean air.

 5)        Alternative Actions to Heighten AB2766 Fund Disbursements for Project Selection Processes to the Attention of City Council and Board of Supervisors

Kathryn Higgins presented on Item #5 to address a long standing concern of the Mobile Source Committee.  Over past years, City Councils and Boards of Supervisors seem to be minimally involved in the AB 2766 program relative to their awareness of the amount of annual funding received by their jurisdictions and the projects chosen to be implemented with those funds.  At the committee’s direction, staff sent a written request to CARB urging the modification their AB 2766 Subvention Fund Guidance to encourage local government expenditures only on projects having quantifiable emission reductions and elevation of their expenditure approval process to a more visible level.  In response to CARB’s response to forgo making this guideline modification, staff was directed to explore a strategy to communicate the District’s concerns directly to local jurisdiction Council and Board Chairpersons.  Staff presented a letter, Attachment 2, to be sent to the Chairpersons of City Councils and Boards of Supervisors encouraging their elevated involvement in the AB 2766 Subvention fund expenditure process.    The committee approved the release of the letter, and directed that: 1) City Managers are copied; 2) Each letter be signed by the District Board Member representing that jurisdiction; 3) a website link be included in the letter showing a one-page summary of examples of eligible projects employed by local jurisdictions.           

6)         Rule 2202 Activity Report

Rule 2202 Summary Status Report submitted, no comments.

7)         Monthly Report on Environmental Justice Initiatives – CEQA Document Commenting Update

            Written report submitted.  No comments.

8)         Report on Scientific, Technical & Modeling Peer Review Group

            Written report submitted.  No comments.

9)         Other Business

            None.

10)       Public Comment
None.

The meeting adjourned at 10:25 a.m.

Attachment
Attendance Roster

SOUTH COAST AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT
MOBILE SOURCE COMMITTEE
FEBRUARY 24, 2006

ATTENDANCE ROSTER

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