CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD
Fresno Hilton
Crystal Ballroom
1055 Van Ness Avenue
Fresno, CA
August 27, 1992
9:30 a.m.
AGENDA
Page
92-14-1 Public Meeting to Consider the Annual Report to 001
the Governor and the Legislature on the Air
Resources Board's Atmospheric Acidity Protection
Program.
92-14-2 Public Meeting to Consider Whether the San Joaquin 187
Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District has
met the Criteria for a Unified District as Specified
by Senate Bill 124 (McCorquodale, Stats. 1991,
Chapter 1201).
92-14-3 Public Meeting to Consider Approval of the San 324
Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control
District 1991 Air Quality Attainment Plan as
Required by the California Clean Air Act of 1988.
ITEM NO.: 92-14-1
Public Meeting to Consider the Approval of the Draft Annual
Report to the Governor and the Legislature for the Atmospheric
Acidity Protection Program.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff is recommending approval of the draft report and
transmittal to the Governor and the Legislature.
DISCUSSION
The Atmospheric Acidity Protection Act of 1988 (Stats. 1988, ch.
1518, Health and Safety Code section 39900-39911) requires the
Air Resources Board to conduct a research and monitoring program
to determine the nature and extent of acidic deposition and
atmospheric acidity in California, and the potential effects on
human health and natural ecosystems. Health and Safety Code
Section 39910 requires the Board to prepare and submit to the
Governor and the Legislature, an annual report describing the
research and monitoring programs and findings to date.
In addition, Health and Safety Code Section 39912 (Stats. 1989,
ch. 991) directs the Board to conduct a study on the effects of
acidic deposition on crops in the San Joaquin Valley. The staff
has prepared a draft report to fulfill the requirements of both
of these statutes.
The draft report outlines progress made in 1991, along with a
tentative plan for the balance of the five-year program.
Findings to date, are summarized in the following subject areas:
(1) acidic deposition monitoring, (2) atmospheric processes, (3)
effects on lakes and streams, (4) effects on forests, (5) effects
on human health and (6) effects on man-made materials. Data from
the California Acid Deposition Monitoring Program are also
included in the report. The update of the five-year plan focuses
on progress to be made in program elements designed to
investigate the long-term effects of acidic air pollutants on
human health, determining the impact of acidic episodes on lakes
and streams in the Sierra Nevada, long-term effects on vegetation
and soil in forests in southern California and evaluating the
effects of emission control strategies on ambient concentrations
of atmospheric acidity and levels of acidic deposition.
The effects of acidic deposition on crops in the San Joaquin
Valley are described in an appendix of the draft report. The
appendix contains an overview of current research findings,
estimates of impacts on crop yield, and an economic assessment of
projected crop loss resulting from combined exposure to acidic
deposition and ozone.
ITEM NO.: 92-14-2
Public Meeting to Consider Whether the San Joaquin Valley Unified
Air Pollution Control District Has Met the Criteria For a Unified
District as Specified by Senate Bill 124, McCorquodale (Chapter
1201, Statutes of 1991).
RECOMMENDATION
Find that the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control
District has met the criteria specified by SB 124. Find that the
provisions of SB 124 creating a statutorily defined district are
not triggered unless, at some future date, the district ceases to
meet one or more of the applicable criteria. Staff further
recommends that the Board commend the counties of Fresno, Kern,
Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tulare for
their actions leading to the creation of a valley wide air
quality management organization.
DISCUSSION
SB 124 was introduced by Senator McCorquodale to coordinate air
pollution control efforts in the San Joaquin Valley. At that
time, air pollution control organization in the valley consisted
of eight individual districts with eight individual management
structures, fee schedules, and sets of rules. SB 124, signed by
the governor in October, 1991, provided for specific criteria to
be met by the eight counties in the San Joaquin Valley by July 1,
1992. SB 124 stipulates that if the eight counties fail to meet
the criteria as a unified or regional district or, at a later
date cease to function as a unified or regional district, a
legislated Air Quality Management District would commence
operations in the San Joaquin Valley. It also provided that the
Air Resources Board would, after a 45-day noticed public hearing,
assess the district progress in meeting the criteria.
The San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution control District was
created on March 20, 1991 and has since met all of the criteria
specified in SB 124.
SUMMARY AND IMPACTS
A finding that the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution
Control District has met the SB 124 criteria will allow the
District to focus its efforts on the adoption and implementation
of new controls needed to reduce the Valley's air pollution.
ITEM NO.: 92-14-3
Public Meeting to Consider Approval of the San Joaquin Valley
Unified Air Pollution Control District 1991 Air Quality
Attainment Plan.
RECOMMENDATION
Approve the conforming elements of the San Joaquin Valley Plan.
Request the District to modify/expand upon the remaining plan
elements.
DISCUSSION
The San Joaquin Valley plan satisfies all of the California Clean
Air Act requirements for stationary and area sources. However, a
number of modifications are needed to the transportation
provisions.
Specifically, the plan lacks a control measure to reduce trips
made for purposes other than work commutes. The ARB has defined
such transportation control measures (TCMs) as "reasonably
available" and thus required in all nonattainment areas.
Also, the plan needs additional detail on TCM development
schedules and implementation commitments. This is a deficiency
common to all the plans reviewed by the Board thus far.
Finally, the plan does not address the requirement that the rate
of growth in trips and vehicle miles traveled be substantially
reduced, or that 1.5 average vehicle occupancy be achieved by
1999. The San Joaquin Valley is relatively data poor in the
transportation sector, and needs additional time to evaluate both
its baseline conditions and what can be accomplished.
Due to the missing TCM, the plan cannot be said to contain all
feasible measures. However, this deficiency will be corrected
upon the submittal of a work plan for developing the missing
measure.
SUMMARY AND IMPACTS
Approval of satisfactory plan elements will affirm the San
Joaquin Valley's selection of control strategies for the near
term and allow rule development to proceed. The combination of
measures in the plan is expected to reduce emissions between 1987
and 1994 by the following amounts: ROG - 115 tons per day, NOx -
104 tons per day; and CO - 220 tons per day.