• Los Angeles Councilman Hal Bernson Joins AQMD Board
• Board Approves Children's Air Quality Agenda Work Plan
• Board Adds Compounds to Rule for New Sources of Toxics
• Fiscal 1999-00 Budget Process Begins with February Hearing
• Auto Scrapping Program

In Other Action:

• Board Acts on Boat Paints, Technology Projects, CENCO

In Other News:

• AQMD Reacts to EPA's Proposed Disapproval of 1997 AQMP
• Town Hall Meeting Set for Montclair Area

LOS ANGELES COUNCILMAN HAL BERNSON JOINS AQMD BOARD

Los Angeles City Councilman Hal Bernson was sworn in today to represent the Western Cities of Los Angeles County on AQMD’s Governing Board. A veteran civic leader who has represented the 12^th District of Los Angeles on the council since 1979, Bernson brings extensive community service and rule-making experience to AQMD’s Board.

In 1990 Bernson formed the first city-side Transportation Management Association, called the 12^th Council District TMA. His work in transportation management earned him the Association for Commuter Transit’s 1995 "Man of the Year Award" and the 12^th Council District Transportation Management Association’s "Founders Award."

His years of efforts to improve the state’s earthquake preparedness led to legislation for enhanced seismic safety standards, funding to retrofit sub-standard buildings and the implementation of state and local educational programs. He now serves as the City of Los Angeles Earthquake Preparedness Coordinator and as a member of the State of California Seismic Safety Commission.

Throughout his public career, Bernson has focused on improving the quality of life for Southern California. He has spearheaded ordinances to preserve Southland parks and residential areas, require mandatory curbside recycling, and one that now enables the Los Angeles County Health Department to post cleanliness grades at Los Angeles restaurants.

Bernson fills the seat vacated in December by newly elected state Sen. Richard Alarcón. Bernson’s term on the air quality Board runs through Jan. 15, 2002.

BOARD APPROVES CHILDREN’S AIR QUALITY AGENDA WORK PLAN

The Board approved a 10-point work plan to implement Chairman William A. Burke’s Children’s Air Quality Agenda.

The plan includes sponsoring one conference for educators and another for pediatricians on the health effects of air pollution on children, conversion of school buses to clean fuels and seeking funds for lung and asthma testing.

AQMD plans two Smog and Health seminars for educators in 1999 – one in the Inland Empire and another in the downtown Los Angeles area. Each will include information on the health effects of smog and treatment, AQMD’s smog episode notification program and available classroom materials.

AQMD also plans a Pediatricians Conference this summer focusing on research of air pollution’s disproportionate impact on children. Co-sponsorship will be sought from the American Academy of Pediatrics and other professional medical organizations.

To help speed up the conversion of diesel school buses to clean fuels, AQMD will help school districts seek monies from a clean vehicle fund supported by vehicle registration fees. The region has an estimated 8,850 school buses, of which 75% are diesel-powered.

AQMD also will:

• Support and expand ongoing allergy and lung testing programs for children;
• Establish a school air quality monitoring service using a mobile instrument platform;
• Expand a priority air quality permit system to schools;
• Conduct presentations on air quality topics by more than 400 AQMD employees to individual schools;
• Provide summer internships for up to 12 high school and college students;
• Seek to expand cooperative partnerships with area museums for educational exhibits;
• Expand AQMD’s Internet website regarding the health effects of air pollution on children; and
• Establish a Children’s Advisory Board to meet quarterly to review the progress of the Children’s Initiatives.

BOARD ADDS COMPOUNDS TO RULE FOR NEW SOURCES OF TOXICS

The Board today added a variety of chemicals to the list of compounds AQMD considers when it issues permits for new, modified or relocated facilities that emit toxic air pollution. The measure, known as Rule 1401 – New Source Review of Toxic Air Contaminants, sets cancer risk limits for these facilities as well as standards for non-cancer health effects.

The amendments add sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid to the list of chemicals covered by the measure. Nickel plating operations are the primary users of these compounds. In addition, the Board approved adding another 41 compounds for which the state Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment recently finalized risk values.

However, the Board agreed to wait until its February meeting to consider adding nickel compounds to Rule 1401 until a recent review of the scientific literature on the cancer-causing potential of nickel is peer-reviewed.

The latest amendments follow an update of Rule 1401 in July in which some 100 compounds were added to the list of chemicals covered. For further information, see the Board letter or contact Jill Whynot at (909) 396-3104.

AQMD’s Governing Board set a Feb. 12 hearing to receive public input on the Executive Officer’s program goals and objectives for the upcoming 1999-00 fiscal year budget. The hearing – which will be part of the Board’s regular monthly meeting at 9:30 a.m. -- begins a public process that will culminate with the scheduled adoption of a budget in May after a public workshop in April.

Key goals and objectives proposed include:

• Continuing work to carry out the Board’s initiatives on Environmental Justice, Inland Empire priorities and the Children’s Air Quality Agenda;
• Achieving a balanced budget in future years and improving efficiency and productivity;
• Resolving remaining issues with the federal Environmental Protection Agency on federal Title V operating permits, the federal Title III toxic air pollution control program and Lowest Achievable Emission Rate standards for new facilities;
• Implementing permit streamlining actions;
• Pursuing an aggressive rulemaking schedule to achieve the goals of the latest Air Quality Management Plan; and
• Monitoring to track compliance with a new federal health standard for fine particulate -- known as PM_2.5 -- and community-level air quality monitoring.

AUTO SCRAPPING PROGRAM

AQMD’s Board delayed voting on a proposed amendment to Rule 1610 that would have required destroying vehicle engines, but allowed some parts recycling. The Board decision came after the California Air Resources Board adopted a statewide rule last month that requires complete destruction of vehicles scrapped for air pollution credits – with no parts recycling. Staff now intends to propose amendments to Rule 1610 by June that would mirror ARB’s statewide rule requiring complete destruction of the vehicle. In February, staff will propose amending the rule to require destruction of the engine to win the rule’s approval by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Meanwhile, some minor administrative amendments to improve AQMD’s existing scrapping program were adopted by the Board, such as allowing a slower acceleration test of vehicles on rainy days.

For further information, contact Laki Tisopulos at (909) 396-3102.

In other action, the Board agreed to:

• Set a Feb. 12 hearing on amendments to AQMD’s Rule 1106.1 to adjust standards for pleasure boat coatings to reflect current coating technologies;
• Cost share a $308,000 program to implement low emission, alternative fuel heavy-duty trucks in the Western United States by contributing $100,000;
• Support in an amount not to exceed $250,000 the demonstration of a liquefied natural gas locomotive in commuter train service with the Southern California Regional Rail Authority; and
• Deny a petition filed by the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada, Local 250 and Communities for a Better Environment to hold a Board hearing under AQMD’s Regulation XII on Cenco’s request for reactivation and change of ownership of permits to reopen the old Powerine oil refinery in Santa Fe Springs.

In Other News:

The AQMD expressed disappointment at the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed disapproval of the 1997 Air Quality Management Plan, the region’s blueprint for clean air.

Although the AQMD and California have the world’s most aggressive clean air plans, the EPA on New Year’s Eve rejected the AQMD’s plan as not aggressive enough.

The AQMD’s 1997 plan dropped several measures from its earlier, out-of-date 1994 plan because subsequent studies found them to be too costly, weak, infeasible or simply illegal. The AQMD acted after scientific analysis concluded that the remaining measures were sufficient to meet federal health standards by the required deadlines. But the EPA accused AQMD of weakening its cleanup effort.

"The AQMD of course is disappointed by the EPA’s proposed disapproval of the 1997 Air Quality Management Plan," said Executive Officer Barry R. Wallerstein.

"We continue to believe it contains the best science, significant air pollution reduction measures, and fully complies with the federal Clean Air Act.

"The silver-lining is that, nearly six months after the deadline required by the Clean Air Act, the EPA has finally proposed action on our Plan. As part of this disapproval, we expect the EPA to tell us specifically and in writing what is wrong with the Plan and how we can fix it. We look forward to studying this accompanying documentation and remedying any valid defects in the Plan. We will also consider our legal options to challenge this ruling, if necessary. We also need to have EPA do its fair share by agreeing to control pollution sources under its sole jurisdiction, such as trains, planes and ships."

TOWN HALL MEETING SET FOR MONTCLAIR AREA

As part of a continuing series under its Environmental Justice Initiatives, AQMD has set a Town Hall Meeting for 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 21 at the Montclair Community Center, Room B, 511 Benito St. in Montclair. The meeting will give residents of Montclair and the surrounding communities the opportunity to meet with top AQMD staff members and voice their concerns about issues in their neighborhoods.

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