Greenhouse Gases (GHG)
CEQA Significance Thresholds

In September 2006, Governor Schwarzenegger signed California’s Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB32).  AB32 requires the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to establish, by January 1, 2008, a statewide GHG emissions cap for 2020, based on 1990 emissions, adopt mandatory reporting rules for significant sources of GHG emissions by January 1, 2008, etc.  Subsequent to the adoption of AB32, the California Attorney General’s Office has been aggressively reviewing CEQA documents prepared by lead agencies and submitting comments to the lead agencies if the documents have not evaluated GHG emission impacts from their projects.

To provide guidance to local lead agencies on determining significance for GHG emissions in their CEQA documents, the SCAQMD staff is convening an ongoing GHG CEQA Significance Threshold Working Group.  Members of the working group include government agencies implementing CEQA and representatives from various stakeholder groups that provide input to the SCAQMD staff on developing GHG CEQA significance thresholds.

On December 5, 2008, the SCAQMD Governing Board adopted the staff proposal for an interim GHG significance threshold for projects where the SCAQMD is lead agency.  The board letter, resolution, interim GHG significance threshold, draft guidance document and attachments can be found under the Board Agenda Item 31 on the December 5, 2008, Governing Board meeting agenda.

Meeting Information

Working Group meets every 4^th Wednesday of the month from 10 a.m. to noon, unless otherwise noted

2010			2011/2012
Meeting Dates	Agenda and Handouts		No Working Group meetings were held in 2011 and meetings in 2012 are to be determined.
January - August	cancelled
September 28*
October -December	cancelled
*Tuesday Meeting (10:00 a.m.)

Archive of Past GHG Working Group Meetings: 

Year 2008-2009

Climate Change Efforts at Other California Agencies:

• California Attorney General’s Office's Webpage on CEQA, Global Warming and General Plans

• California's Attorney General's Office's Project Level Mitigation Measures (PDF, 157k)

• CARB's California Environmental Quality Act and Greenhouse Gases  

• Governor's Office of Planning and Research (OPR) CEQA Guidelines and Greenhouse Gases (proposed amendments to the CEQA Guidelines for GHG emissions)

• San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District Climate Change Action Plan

• Bay Area AQMD Proposed GHG Significance Thresholds

• Sacramento Metropolitan AQMD CEQA Guidance on Greenhouse Gases and Climate Change  

• California Air Pollution Control Officers Association (CAPCOA)'s CEQA & Climate Change White Paper (January 2008)