BOARD MEETING DATE: July 11, 2008
AGENDA NO. 38

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:

Receive and file.
 

Ronald O. Loveridge, Member
SCAQMD Governing Board

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

1. Health Update on the Direct Health Effects of Temperature and Heat Waves in California

Dr. Bart Ostro of the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment provided the Board with an overview of recent epidemiological research on the relationship between ambient temperature and public health impacts, primarily mortality rates. Data collected from 1999 through 2003 in nine California counties, including Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside, were used to identify changes in death rates due to increases in temperature. The data indicate that mortality increases due to temperature rise occur in infant, elderly, and disease-compromised populations. Analysis of the heat wave of July 2006, when temperatures were higher than those that occurred during the 1999-2003 study period, revealed greater increases in the rates of mortality as temperatures increased.

2. Climate Change Update on the Impacts of Non-Kyoto Greenhouse Gases

The Board heard a report of the impacts of non-Kyoto greenhouse gases from
Dr. Michael Prather of UC Irvine. Non-Kyoto gases include tropospheric ozone, aerosols, ozone-depleting substances, ozone precursors, and particulate matter. Dr. Prather discussed the interdependency of these gases and their potentialities for global warming.

3. Initial Draft of a Plan to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions in California (AB 32 Scoping Plan)

The Board received a presentation from staff on the draft AB 32 Scoping Plan. The Scoping Plan is the state’s blueprint for achieving the emissions reductions needed to achieve the goal of returning to 1990 levels by 2020. ARB staff estimated that to meet this goal, greenhouse gas emissions will have to be reduced by 30% from business-as-usual forecasts for 2020, or by about 10% from current emission levels. The Scoping Plan proposes measures that will achieve about 80% of the required cuts. These measures primarily include:

• expansion and strengthening of existing energy efficiency programs and building and appliance standards;
• expansion of the goal of the Renewables Portfolio Standard (electrical generation from renewable sources) to 33 percent by 2020; and
• implementation of existing State laws and policies, including California’s clear car standards, goods movement measures, and the Low Carbon Fuel Standard.

The Scoping Plan recommends that the remaining 20% of required cuts should be achieved through the development of a California cap-and-trade program that links with other Western Climate Initiative partner programs to create a regional market system. The transportation, electrical generation, commercial and residential, and industrial emission sectors are recommended for inclusion in the cap-and-trade program. The cap-and-trade program is proposed to commence operation in 2012.

Carbon fees are among the measures under evaluation. Revenues may be raised by the use of auctions within the cap-and-trade system or through the imposition of more targeted measures like public goods charges on water. Any revenues raised are proposed to be used to support AB 32 requirements for greenhouse gas emission reductions and associated socio-economic considerations. A California Carbon Trust, similar to a publicly created and now stand-alone corporation in the United Kingdom, is proposed to receive fee revenues for funding innovations in carbon reduction technologies. The Scoping Plan recommendations include the use of targeted fees to fund the State’s long-term commitment to AB 32 administration.

A final draft of the Scoping Plan, scheduled for public release in early October, will expand upon the current document to address additional unresolved issues and respond to comments. The final draft will be considered for adoption by the Board at its meeting on November 20.

4. Amendments to the California Consumer Products Regulation

The Board approved amendments to the California Consumer Products Regulation in partial fulfillment of a commitment to reduce VOC emissions from these products in the 2007 State Strategy SIP. Adoption of the measure will also reduce toxic and greenhouse gas emissions from 19 categories of consumer products, including both previously unregulated products and products that will be subject to more stringent limits. The use of specified toxic solvents in the affected products will be prohibited, and the VOC content will be reduced. The measure is expected to reduce statewide VOC emissions by 5.8 tons per day statewide in 2016.

5. Approval of the Western Mojave Desert 8-Hour Ozone SIP and the Ventura 8-Hour Ozone SIP

Eight-hour ozone SIPs were approved by the Board for the Western Mojave Desert and Ventura County nonattainment areas. Both areas are affected to varying degrees by the transport of ozone and ozone precursors from the South Coast Air Basin, and attainment in both areas will be influenced by future reductions in upwind emissions. Ventura County is expected to attain the current 8-hour ozone standard by 2012, and the Western Mojave Desert area by 2020.

6. Update on the Implementation of the Enhanced Vapor Recovery Program

ARB staff provided an update to the Board on the implementation of the enhanced vapor recovery control measure adopted by the Board in 2000. The measure requires gasoline service stations to upgrade Phase II vapor recovery systems, to ensure compatibility with onboard refueling vapor recovery (ORVR) equipment on newer vehicles, by April 2009. The Phase II upgrades available prior to 2006 were compatible only with vapor assist systems, which are used by ten percent of the affected stations. The first Phase II upgrade for vapor balance systems was offered for sale in 2006. Service station owners have delayed buying the equipment for a variety of reasons, including financial hardships caused by the tightening of credit markets and the rapid rise in gasoline wholesale prices. ARB staff is using a variety of media to notify owners of the impending deadline, emphasizing the need to allow time for equipment delivery and the acquisition of local permits. ARB staff will provide another progress report to the Board at its October 23 meeting.

Attachment
CARB June 26, 2008 Meeting Agenda