State of California
AIR RESOURCES BOARD
Cal State University - Los Angeles
Student Union Building
5155 State University Drive
Los Angeles, CA
August 26 and 27, 1981
10:00 a.m.
AGENDA
Page
81-16-1 Public Hearing to Consider the Petition of 001
Southern California Rapid Transit District for
Relief from California Motor Vehicle Emission
Control Standards and to Consider Impacts of
Requiring Engines in all California Buses to
Meet Standards No More Stringent than Applicable
Federal Standards.
81-16-2 Status Report on California's Permit Program for 116
Stationary Sources (NSR/PSD).
81-16-3 Other Business
a. Closed Sessions
1. Personnel (as authorized by State Agency Open
Meeting Act).
2. Litigation (Pursuant to the attorney-client
privilege).
b. Research Proposals
c. Delegations to Executive Officer
SMOKING NOT PERMITTED AT MEETINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES
BOARD.
ITEM NO.: 81-16-1
Public Hearing to Consider the Petition of Southern California
Rapid Transit District for Relief from California Motor Vehicle
Emission Control Standards and to Consider Impacts of Requiring
Engines in all California Buses to Meet Standards No More
Stringent Than Applicable Federal Standards.
SUMMARY
On January 10, 1980, the Southern California Rapid Transit
District (RTD) submitted a request to the Air Resources Board
(ARB) that it be allowed to use federally certified 1980 model
year General Motors engines in a fleet of 940 new buses it was
purchasing, rather than engines meeting the more stringent
California emission standards.
RTD contended that the fuel cost penalty associated with the
California engine compared to the federal engine outweighed the
air pollution benefits obtained by use of the California engine.
Further, RTD asserted that the increase in fuel consumption would
result in higher operating costs and lost revenue that would
require a cutback of transit service and produce an attendant
increase in passenger car usage. RTD claimed that the emissions
resulting from the increase in passenger car usage would offset
the emission reductions resulting from use of California
certified engines.
Staff denied RTD's request based on a determination that more
fuel efficient engines were available than the one RTD used for
its analysis, and that even if all of RTD's claims with respect
to reduced service were true the use of California engines would
still reduce emissions.
RTD petitioned the ARB for a public hearing on the matter, which
was held on August 27, 1980. At the hearing, RTD submitted new
data which was not previously available for staff analysis. RTD
also revised its request and sought an exemption allowing RTD to
rebuild new California certified engines to federal
specifications at the first overhaul in approximately 2 « years.
The Board determined that the new issues raised by RTD at the
hearing required further analysis, and therefore deferred action.
The Board created a subcommittee of Dr. Laurence Caretto, Vice
Chairman, and Dr. Alvin Gordon to study the issues and make
recommendations to the Board's Chairwoman.
In May, 1981, the staff submitted a report to the subcommittee
analyzing the issues raised at the August 27, 1980 public
hearing. On June 2, 1981, the staff report was transmitted to
RTD for its analysis and response. It is anticipated that the
Board subcommittee will receive RTD's response to the staff
report and will complete and make available to the Board and the
public its final report in advance of the August 26, 1981
hearing.
The May staff report to the Board subcommittee analyzed
emissions, performance, fuel economy and availability of buses
using new California and federal engines, and also evaluated
buses now being used by RTD with 1974 California engines. Staff
concluded that RTD's use of buses with new GM California engines
would result in a major reduction of emissions when compared to
buses having new GM federal engines, with a fuel penalty of 3 «
percent. Hydrocarbon (HC) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) combined
emissions reductions of 1.4 tons per day were associated with
buses using the GM California engine at an extremely
cost-effective price of about $0.50 per pound of HC + NOx
emissions reduction. Staff estimated that the 3 « percent fuel penalty
would cost RTD $0.01 per mile. The report also concluded that
RTD would not have significant route delays if it used California
engines, that there is no significant difference in smoke
emissions between GM California and federal engines, and that RTD
has several viable options for obtaining intermediate size buses
with California engines. Staff now reaffirms these conclusions
of the May staff report and the supporting analysis.
RTD's request to retrofit the 940 buses it is purchasing from
California engines to federal engines at the first overhaul in 2«
years would similarly result in a 1.4 ton per day HC + NOx
emissions increase subsequent to the retrofit. Continuing the
use of California engines after the overhaul would have
approximately the same cost-effectiveness value of $0.50 per
pound of HC + NOx emissions reduction as determined in the May
staff report. Other adopted HC and NOx control measures cost up
to six times as much per pound of pollutant reduced; the existing
motor vehicle inspection program, costs four times as much per
pound. The fuel penalty associated with California engines will
increase RTD's bus operations costs by less than one cent per
passenger boarding.
In response to a bill pending before the Assembly Transportation
Committee (SB 274, Foran), the Board staff agreed to consider the
effects of requiring engines in California buses to meet
standards no more stringent than federal standards. The staff
report addresses this issue.
SB 274 would exempt all buses from using California certified
engines. The bill would apply to approximately 37,000 buses
statewide, including municipal transit, school, church, and
charter buses. Staff estimates that the total increase in HC +
NOx resulting from SB 274 would be approximately 21.3 tons per
day. This emission increase would offset about 15 percent of the
benefits of the existing inspection and maintenance program for
passenger cars.