SCAQMD Governing Board Establishes an Air Quality Investment Program for Greenhouse Gases

On February 6, 2009, the South Coast Air Quality Management District Governing Board announced the adoption of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Program, which will implement an air quality investment program for the SoCal Climate Solutions Exchange. This will encourage voluntary actions and allow the agency to collect funds, pool those funds and use them to implement greenhouse gas reduction projects through a competitive bidding process.

In December 2008, SCAQMD's Governing Board adopted Rules 2700 - General, and Rule 2701 - SoCal Climate Solutions Exchange, which set up the administrative structure for the initiative by providing a mechanism to recognize and quantify reductions by third parties.

Rule 2702 is a voluntary program and since many greenhouse gas reduction strategies also result in reductions of smog-forming pollutants, there are additional benefits for the region's air quality.

"This initiative will further accelerate clean air objectives and we are confident it will also enhance the local economy and potentially bring local investments, jobs and clean technologies into the area," said William A. Burke, Ed.D., Governing Board Chairman of the South Coast Air Quality Management District. "We also believe that adopting a local program can help alleviate some of the concerns individuals have in regards to the quality of offsets in addressing climate change issues."

Projects would follow protocols approved by the SCAQMD's Governing Board as well as the California Air Resources Board for quantifying emissions reductions. Staff is working on developing additional protocols, which will go through the public process and could be added to Rules 2701 and 2702 through future rule amendments.

Protocols include forest projects, urban tree planting, and manure management. Additional local requirements were added for manure management projects in environmental justice areas.

SCAQMD's Board directed its staff to establish guidelines for a greenhouse gas emissions bank that would pre-fund the emission reductions. Staff will also require independent audits on randomly selected projects that have been verified by the SCAQMD.

The rules provide an option for companies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from projects under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) or other environmental mitigation. Companies or individuals could also use these reductions to voluntarily offset their "carbon footprint." SCAQMD will verify reductions and post information on the agency website.

Fossil-fuel burning and other emissions including methane are now widely recognized by the scientific community as culprits behind a rapid rise in carbon dioxide levels in the Earth's atmosphere. Potential climate change impacts include a 90 percent loss of the Sierra snow pack, the sea level rising between 22 to 30 inches and three to four times the number of heat wave days. Health problems are also expected to result from global warming.

Information on the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Program available at www.aqmd.gov/hb/2009/February/090235a.htm.