BOARD MEETING DATE: April 4, 2008
AGENDA NO. 29

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Receive and file.
 

Ronald O. Loveridge, Member
SCAQMD Governing Board

The Air Resources Board’s (ARB or Board) March meeting was held in Sacramento. Key meeting items are summarized below.

1.  Health Update: Wildfire Smoke and Respiratory Symptoms in Children

ARB staff presented information from a recently completed study of the adverse health impacts of smoke from the October 2003 wildfires that consumed 750,000 acres throughout six counties in Southern California. The researchers surveyed over 5,400 children enrolled in the on-going multi-agency children’s health study. The new study found that non-asthmatic children reported more adverse health impacts than asthmatics; researchers surmised that this outcome may have been due to the use of preventative measures taken by asthmatic children in anticipation of exposure. These preventative measures were reported to be staying indoors, operating air conditioning systems on recycle mode, and the use of masks when going outdoors. The study was funded jointly by SCAQMD, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the Hastings Foundation, and ARB.
 

2.  Adoption of the 2008 Proposed Amendments to the California Zero Emission Vehicle Regulations

The Board amended the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) regulations that were originally adopted in 1990. At its May 2007 meeting, the Board heard from an expert panel that that progress towards the commercialization of battery electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles was slower than had been anticipated when the Board last revised the regulations in 2003. Acknowledging these findings, the Board directed ARB staff to develop regulatory amendments that would respond to this issue and that would encourage delivery of vehicles that foster progress toward zero emission vehicle goals. The proposal designed by staff to meet these goals called for:

• Retaining the required annual sales in 2012 through 2014 of 25,000 ZEVs but allowing manufacturers the option of offsetting all but 2,500 of these vehicles through the delivery of 58,000 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles;
• simplifying requirements into one compliance path;
• creating a new credit category for longer range city electric vehicles;
• adjusting credit values earned by various low emission vehicle categories; and
• making all ZEV sales and credit bank balance information available for public review beginning in 2009.

In approving the proposal with amendments, the Board increased to 7,500 the minimum number of all-electric ZEVs to be sold in each year from 2012 through 2014. The Board also directed staff to bring back recommendations, by the end of 2009, for the overhaul of the ZEV program after 2015 with the objective of placing very low emission gasoline vehicle requirements in the low emission vehicle program, placing the hybrid vehicle requirements in the Pavley greenhouse gas reduction program, and strengthening the all-electric ZEV requirements to more rapidly commercialize these vehicles, which are critical to achieving greenhouse gas emission reduction goals.
 

3. Revisions to the Carl Moyer Incentive Program Guidelines

The Board adopted revisions to the Carl Moyer program guidelines to streamline district processing protocols, implement new project categories, and align the program with other new incentive programs. In 2006 California voters approved Proposition 1B, which allocates substantial funds to the reduction of emissions from goods movement sources. The revisions to the guidelines address projects that qualify to participate in both the Moyer and Proposition 1B programs. The revised guidelines also expand the Moyer program to include off-road and agricultural diesel equipment.
 

4. Revisions to the 2008 Lower-Emission School Bus Program Guidelines and Funding Allocations

The Board adopted revisions to the 2006 guidelines for the replacement or retrofit of older school buses in California to conform to the requirements of the Proposition 1B Bond Act. Proposition 1B allocated $200 million to the replacement of older buses, and subsequent legislation (SB 88, 2007) prescribed requirements for use of the funds. The revisions implement the SB 88 requirements and make conforming changes to existing requirements for the use of vehicle license fee revenues received by air districts for school bus replacements or retrofits. The revisions require funds to be spent first on the replacement of the remaining 74 pre-1977 school buses, and then to replace or retrofit approximately 4,500 1977-1986 buses statewide. Although air districts are given discretion to determine how to apportion Proposition 1B funds between new bus purchases and retrofits for existing buses, the Board recommends that 25% or more of funds be designated for retrofit projects.

A total of $70 million in Proposition 1B school bus funds is earmarked for use in the South Coast AQMD.
 

Attachment

CARB March 27, 2008 Meeting Agenda