State of California
AIR RESOURCES BOARD
Sacramento Community Center
Sacramento Room (2nd floor)
1100 14th Street
Sacramento, CA
December 14, 1976
10:00 a.m.
AGENDA
76-23-1 Minutes of September 21, Board Meeting.
76-23-2 Continuation of Public Hearing on Proposed Changes to
Regulations for Exhaust and Evaporative Emissions
Standards and Test Procedures for 1979 and Subsequent
Passenger Cars, Light Duty Trucks, and Medium Duty
Vehicles (Specific Items to be addressed are changes in
allowable maintenance during certification testing and
sealing of fuel metering devices).
76-23-3 Hearing to Consider Proposed Amendments to the
Agricultural Burning Regulations.
76-23-4 Consideration of extending Executive Officer Authority
to Grant Time Extensions for Open Burning at Dump Sites
and Lengthening the Total Time Extension Period.
76-23-5 Other Business.
ITEM NO.: 76-23-2
Continuation of Public Hearing on Proposed Changes to Regulations
Regarding Allowable Maintenance During New Vehicle Certification
of Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles (Item 76-22-2(b) of
November 23, 1976 Board Meeting).
NOTE: The following report is that prepared for the November
23 Meeting and is included for reference purposes at
the December 14th Meeting. A report supplement and
revised proposed regulations will be supplied prior to
the meeting.
ITEM NO.: 76-23-3
Hearing to Consider Proposed Amendments to the Agricultural
Burning Regulations.
RECOMMENDATION
That the Board adopt Resolution No. 76-42, thereby amending the
Agricultural Burning Guidelines, effective thirty days from the
date said Guidelines are filed with the Secretary of State.
SUMMARY
As directed by the State Legislature in 1971, the Board adopted
Guidelines for the regulation and control of agricultural burning
in six air basins. In June 1972 these Guidelines were expanded
to include all 11 air basins existing in California at that time.
Because of changes in State law and additional scientific and
technological data, revisions to the Agricultural Burning
Guidelines are necessary. At this time the Guidelines need to be
modified to reflect:
1) The recent recodification of the air pollution laws.
2) A redefinition of "Agricultural Burning."
3) Scientific data that indicates that permissive burn and
no-burn day forecasts can be made the previous day, in most
cases.
4) Expansion of the 48-hour advance burn notification system
for forest management burning to include elevations below
3,000 feet.
5) Revisions in district implementation plans to include
regulation of burning for disease or pest prevention.
6) Changes in the number of air basins.
7) The implementation of AB 2931, which allows open burning of
cotton gin waste.
The proposed revisions will make the Guidelines consistent with
current State law and with the Agricultural Burning Program as it
is currently being implemented by the staff.
ITEM NO.: 76-23-4
Consideration of Extending Executive Officer Authority to Grant
Time Extensions for Open Burning at Dump Sites and Lengthening
the Total time Extension Period.
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt Resolution No. 76-41, thereby:
1. Reaffirming the authority delegated to the Executive Officer
by the Board on November 18, 1975 to approve or disapprove
requests by cities and counties for additional time
extensions for open burning at dump sites.
2. Adopting guidelines for receiving applications and approving
requests from cities and counties to continue to use open
fires for solid waste disposal after January 1, 1977.
3. Rescinding Resolution 74-5.
SUMMARY
Open outdoor burning, unless exempted, was banned by State law as
of December 31, 1971. Open burning for solid waste disposal at
city and county dump sites is permitted for a limited time only
if the Air Resources Board finds that sparse population and
technical and economic reasons necessitate such burning. In its
Resolution 74-5 (adopted February 14, 1974), the Air Resources
Board adopted guidelines for receiving applications and approving
requests from cities and counties to continue the use of open
fires for solid waste disposal until January 1, 1977. The Board
delegated the authority to approve open burning extensions to the
Executive Officer on November 18, 1975.
The staff anticipates that a few rural counties will submit
requests for extensions beyond January 1, 1977. Federal
legislation has been enacted which provides financial assistance
for rural counties to phase out open burning dump sites. This
assistance will not be available to the counties in time to meet
the January 1, 1977 deadline which was previously adopted by the
Board. It appears that an additional one to two years will be
needed for the few remaining rural counties to phase out open
burning at isolated dump sites.