State of California
AIR RESOURCES BOARD
Biltmore Hotel
Galeria Room
515 S. Olive Street
Los Angeles, CA
March 24, 1977
10:00 a.m.
AGENDA
77-6-1 Minutes
77-6-2 Public Hearing to Consider Amendment to Exhaust
Hydrocarbon Standards and Test Procedures
Applicable to 1978 Through 1981 Production Year
Motorcycles.
77-6-3 Control of Motorcycle Evaporative Emissions and
Certification of Motorcycle Fuel Fill Pipes.
77-6-4 Status Report Regarding In-Stack Monitoring.
77-6-5 Public Hearing Regarding Revisions to the State
Air Pollution Emergency Plan.
77-6-6 Other Business -
a. Executive session - personnel and litigation
b. Research proposals
ITEM NO. 77-6-2
Public Hearing to Consider Amendment to the Hydrocarbon Standards
and Test Procedures Applicable to 1978 Through 1981 Production
Year Motorcycles.
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt Resolution 77-11.
SUMMARY
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on December 23, 1976
adopted exhaust emission standards and test procedures applicable
to new 1978 and subsequent model-year street motorcycles. Since
the differences between the EPA and current California
hydrocarbon standards are minimal, the staff proposes the
adoption of the EPA's 1978 through 1981 hydrocarbon standards and
test procedures. Adoption of EPA's standards and test procedures
will result in:
(1) an insignificant change in hydrocarbon control
effectiveness,
(2) a reduction in the cost of certification which may be
reflected in lower motorcycle costs to the California
consumer,
(3) a reduction in the amount of staff effort required to
review motorcycle applications, and
(4) a change in California's standards implementation
schedule from a calendar-year to a production model-year basis.
Motorcycle manufacturers will be required to submit completed
copies of the application for certification for each engine
family (information submitted to EPA) along with a copy of the
EPA Certificate of Conformity.
The staff proposes that the Board retain its authority to conduct
enforcement testing of production motorcycles manufactured after
January 1, 1978 pursuant to adoption of regulations in Title 13.
New motorcycle enforcement test procedures and evaluation
techniques will be presented at the June Board meeting.
ITEM NO. 77-6-3
Control of Motorcycle Evaporative Emissions and Certification of
Motorcycle Fuel Fill Pipes.
RECOMMENDATION
None, information item.
SUMMARY
This staff report is divided into two sections. The first part
discusses motorcycle evaporative emissions and the second part
discusses controlling hydrocarbons emitted during the refueling
of motorcycles.
Part I
Since May 1976 the Board's Haagen-Smit Laboratory has measured
evaporative emissions from seventeen 1970 to 1976 model-year
motorcycles. The test procedure for determining evaporative
emissions is identical to the SHED (seal housing for evaporative
determination) method for passenger cars except for some
modifications to accommodate motorcycles. The test results
indicate average evaporative emissions from motorcycles to be
21.9 grams per test. This is over three times the evaporative
standards (6 grams per test) for 1978-79 model-year passenger
cars. The staff has determined that the impact of motorcycle
evaporative emissions on the atmosphere to be 12 tons per day,
(about 6 tons/day in the South Coast Air Basin). Motorcycle
evaporative emissions represent roughly 30% of all motorcycle
hydrocarbon emissions. An evaporative control program for
motorcycles could achieve reductions similar to those obtained
with motorcycle exhaust emission standards.
The staff has scheduled a workshop on March 21, 1977 with
interested motorcycle manufacturers to discuss the feasibility of
implementing motorcycle evaporative emission controls. Based on
the information received at the workshop, the staff will make
recommendations to the Board at its May Board meeting as to
whether control of motorcycle evaporative emissions is a
cost/effective strategy.
Part II
On March 19, 1976 the Board adopted "Specifications for Fill
Pipes and Openings of Motor Vehicle Fuel Tanks" to ensure
compatibility with ARB approved vapor recovery nozzles.
Motorcycle manufacturers have claimed that they have problems in
complying with the "Specifications" due to the inability of the
fuel nozzle to latch and adequately refuel the motorcycle. The
Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) has submitted a letter to the
Executive Officer requesting exemption from the "Specifications"
due to the incompatibility of present fuel tank designs with the
"Specifications". In addition, the MIC intends to challenge the
EPA Administrator's decision in allowing California to enforce
the "Specifications" on new motorcycles.
At the March 21, 1977 workshop, motorcycle manufacturers have
been invited to discuss the progress made to comply with the
"Specifications". Depending on the manufacturers' inputs, the
staff plans to formulate an Executive Order (G-70-4) which
presents a reasonable compliance schedule for motorcycles. It is
hoped that the workshop discussion will reveal some efforts by
motorcycle manufacturers to comply with the fill pipe
specifications or to reduce in some other way refueling emissions
from motorcycles. To date, the industry's attitude has been more
of recalcitrance than of cooperation.
ITEM NO. 77-6-4
Status Report Regarding In-Stack Monitoring.
RECOMMENDATION
Informational Report.
SUMMARY
All air basins and APCDs where there are existing sources for
which in-stack monitors are required have either adopted or are
in the process of adopting regulations to require these sources
to install continuous emission monitors. However, in most
instances the rules do not meet all the federal requirements
and/or will not be adopted before the federal deadline of April
6, 1977.
The staff will continue to monitor the progress of the APCDs
toward the adoption of approvable regulations. The staff will
also schedule a public hearing for either April or May 1977 for
the Board to consider the adoption of rules for those APCDs which
have not adopted acceptable rules by that time.
ITEM NO. 77-6-5
Public Hearing on Amendments to the California Air Pollution
Emergency Plan.
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt Resolution No. 77-12, thereby amending the California Air
Pollution Emergency Plan as shown in Exhibit A attached thereto.
SUMMARY
On November 13, 1973, the Air Resources Board adopted the
California Air Pollution Emergency Plan to provide the framework
for local regulations and for action to prevent air pollution
concentrations from reaching levels which could endanger or cause
significant harm to public health, or to abate such
concentrations if they should occur. Since that time, the Plan
has been amended a number of times to enhance its effectiveness
or to reflect program changes. Additional amendments are being
proposed for consideration by the Board at this meeting.
The important proposed amendments are: to modify Stage 2 and
Stage 3 sulfur dioxide and sulfate episode abatement actions that
affect electrical utilities; to define combustion sources
affected by the Plan; to include the applicability of oxidant
episode criteria in the Los Angeles, Riverside, and San
Bernardino County Air Pollution Control Districts (which are
located in the Southeast Desert Air Basin); to clarify the
purpose of the Emergency Action Committee; to clarify the episode
level at which source inspection plans should be implemented; to
require air pollution control districts (APCDs) to notify
adjacent APCDs not within the same air basin when a Stage 2 or
Stage 3 episode is declared; to specify that criteria established
by order of the ARB Executive Officer be included in source
abatement plans; and to specify that interbasin coordination
procedures be developed by the APCDs. Other amendments are
designed to clarify further certain provisions of the Plan and to
make technical changes such as updating districts' names and
boundaries; eliminating masculine references; and correcting
typographical errors.
CALIFORNIA AIR POLLUTION EMERGENCY PLAN
CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
II. AUTHORITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
III. AREAS OF APPLICABILITY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
IV. EPISODE STAGES AND AIR POLLUTIONS DISASTERS . . . . . . . .3
V. EPISODE STAGE CRITERIA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
VI. DIVISION OF RESPONSIBILITY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
VII. EMERGENCY PLAN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
VIII.EPISODE ACTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Appendix A. Actions for Air Pollution Disaster
Appendix B. Personal Protective Actions During Air
Pollution Episodes
1. Oxidant or Oxidant in Combination with Sulfur
Dioxide
2. Carbon Monoxide
3. Sulfur Dioxide or Sulfate