May 14, 1999

• Board Sets Tighter Standards for Architechtural Coatings
• Zero-Polluting Paint Study Approved to Help Industry
• 1999-00 Budget Approved With 2% Fee Increase
• New Equipment Can Reduce Restaurant Emissions Up to 75%
• Ridesharing Emissions Equivalency Task Force Wraps Up
• Board Approves Outreach Program for AB2766

In Other News

• Town Hall Meeting Planned for Alhambra
• Open House at Air Monitoring Facility Set in South El Monte

In a major step toward clean air, the Governing Board today approved by an 8-to-1 vote a rule requiring paints used on homes, buildings and other structures to pollute far less in the future. The amendments to AQMD’s Rule 1113 – Architectural Coatings -- will require a variety of paints to be reformulated in two steps, first by July 1, 2002, and then again by July 1, 2006, subject to studies of technical feasibility for the various paint categories covered. When fully effective, the new requirements will reduce daily emissions of smog-forming volatile organic compounds by 21.8 tons, or by 2.4%.

"This may be the last big ticket item available to us to significantly reduce smog-forming emissions from stationary sources of pollution," said AQMD Executive Officer Barry Wallerstein.

Wallerstein noted that the amount of smog-forming VOCs from drying paint exceeds that of 1.8 million cars. It also exceeds the VOC emissions of all refineries, gas stations and fuel transfer operations in the region.

The rule revisions represent the second of three rounds of amendments to Rule 1113 called for in AQMD’s 1997 Air Quality Management Plan. Currently, architectural coatings emit some 59 tons a day of VOCs on average. The first amendments, which reduced VOC emissions by some 10 tons a day, were adopted late in 1996. Additional amendments are planned in the next decade -- subject to technological advancement in paint formulations -- to eliminate another 14.6 tons a day VOC emissions (see research story below).

The Board’s approval was based on some modifications to the original staff proposal by creating new categories for chemical storage tank coatings, specialty primers and recycled coatings. In addition, the Board approved a two-year extension on the final limits for small manufacturers of non-flat primers, sealers, undercoaters, quick dry enamels and rust preventive coatings.

The Board also directed staff to work with the paint industry over the next 90 days to resolve outstanding issues and to report back to the Board, to work with the industry on implementation issues on an ongoing basis and to provide the Board an annual status report on the state of coatings technology. Key work will include:

• Field studies of new low-polluting paints;
• Technical assessments of coatings technology;
• Outreach to painting contractors and the public; and
• Establishing special working groups on niche markets and the averaging provisions of the rule.

For further information, see the Board agenda item or contact Naveen Berry at (909) 396-2363.

ZERO-POLLUTING PAINT STUDY APPROVED TO HELP INDUSTRY

The Board approved $185,000 for a study that aims to help the paint manufacturing industry develop zero-polluting stains, waterproofing sealers and clear wood finishes.

AVES, an Arcadia-based affiliate of ATC Associates Inc., will conduct the research by testing a new resin that contains no smog-forming volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Resins are the basic building blocks of architectural coatings.

AVES has partnered with Adhesives Coating Co. of Burlingame, a firm that developed a zero-VOC, water-based resin for metal finishing. AVES will adapt the same patented resin for use in stains and sealers.

Once developed, the new finishes would be used to comply with the third and final phase of AQMD’s architectural coatings emission reduction program outlined in the agency’s Air Quality Management Plan.

AVES and Adhesives Coating Co. will contribute a combined total of $372,500 to the project for an overall project cost of $557,500.

For more information, see the Board agenda item or contact AQMD’s Abid Latif at (909) 396-3132.

The Board approved an $85.9 million operating budget for the coming 1999-00 fiscal year and increased most AQMD fees by 2% beginning July 1, based on a 2% increase in the California Consumer Products Index for 1998.

The budget creates eight new positions funded by a federal Environmental Protection Agency grant for particulate monitoring and analysis, bringing AQMD’s total authorized staff to 761 positions. Overall, the budget is down by $6.8 million over last year’s because of the loss of state funding for AQMD’s Clean Fuels program. (Should pending legislation be enacted to reauthorize the program, the money would be placed in a special new fund separate from AQMD’s operating budget.)

Key priorities in the coming fiscal year will be to:

• Improve efficiency and productivity and streamline AQMD’s permit system;
• Carry out the environmental justice, Inland Empire and children’s air quality agenda programs;
• Adopt rules called for under AQMD’s clean air plan;
• Begin PM_2.5 and localized air monitoring; and
• Resolve numerous issues with the federal EPA on federal Title V operating permits, Title III toxics regulations and Lowest Achievable Emission Rate requirements.

The Board’s action on fees also includes numerous minor adjustments and a one-year deferral of a fee increase for gasoline stations approved last year. AQMD charges fees for permits, annual renewal of permits and emissions from large sources of pollution. A variety of other minor fees are covered too, such as for laboratory analyses and Hearing Board variances. AQMD receives no property, sales or other tax revenue.

NEW EQUIPMENT CAN REDUCE RESTAURANT EMISSIONS UP TO 75%

AQMD will begin developing a new rule to reduce emissions from restaurant charbroilers based on promising test results of new pollution control devices.

The rule proposal will be developed during the next 12 months and will seek to identify cost-effective technologies for reducing emissions from under-fired charbroilers, the source of most restaurant emissions.

In laboratory tests at the University of California, Riverside, a new smokeless broiler technology reduced emissions of particulate matter by 75% and smog-forming volatile organic compounds by 71%. Two other technologies -- a microwave ceramic filter and a catalytic converter hood system – also were tested and were not as effective, but may yield better results upon further work by the manufacturers.

AQMD’s Board received a final report today on a $150,000 study, performed by UCR’s CE-CERT, the College of Engineering-Center for Environmental Research and Technology.

Smokeless broilers use strategically placed burners to prevent fat from dripping on flames, and water pans to collect grease drippings. Grease is skimmed from the top of the water and collected in a trap.

Catalytic incineration uses heat and an attached hood to reduce the volume and increase the temperature of exhaust gases to improve the efficiency of the catalyst. Ceramic-paper filters that collect smoke and grease would be cleaned by a built-in microwave heat source.

Charbroiler Emission Reductions Technologies

Source: CE-CERT

In 1997, AQMD’s Board adopted a measure requiring the use of emission-reduction catalysts with chain-driven charbroilers, which are used to cook hamburgers at many quick-service restaurants.

In addition to sometimes being a source of smoke and odors, the region’s restaurants are responsible for 11.6 tons per day of particulate matter and 1.6 tons per day of volatile organic compounds. For more information, see the Board agenda item or call AQMD’s Jill Whynot at (909) 396-3104.

RIDESHARING EMISSIONS EQUIVALENCY TASK FORCE WRAPS UP

The Board approved the report of a task force that has developed recommendations to make up the shortfall in emission reductions stemming from the Legislature’s action to exempt employers with 100 to 249 employees from AQMD’s Rule 2202. The rule requires larger employers to reduce motor vehicle emissions through employee ridesharing programs and other measures. The Rule 2202 Emissions Equivalency Task Force, a group composed of representatives from other public agencies, businesses, and universities around Southern California, estimates that the daily emissions reduction shortfall in 2000 will be 0.84 tons of volatile organic compounds, 1.36 tons of nitrogen oxides and 9.59 tons of carbon monoxide. To make up the shortfall the task force recommended:

• Working with the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Committee to use the nitrogen oxide emission reductions generated by committee projects;
• Seeking to generate and use excess emission reductions generated by AQMD’s Air Quality Investment Program projects;
• Using emission reductions from Carl Moyer Fund projects; and
• Pursuing corporate donations of volatile organic compound emission reduction credits.

The Board approved a pilot outreach program for local government recipients of AB2766 funds. The pilot program partners with regional councils of government to assist the AQMD with better utilization of AB2766 fund on projects that have quantifiable emission reductions and are cost-effective.

AB2766 funds come from the $4 clean air fee paid as part of the DMV registration bill for each vehicle. Same 40% of these funds go to city and county governments for local clean air improvements. Through this pilot program, AQMD hopes to partner with the councils of government to develop more effective projects to achieve the program’s goals.

For further information see the Board agenda item or contact Oscar Abarca at (909) 396-3242.

In Other News

TOWN HALL MEETING BEING PLANNED FOR ALHAMBRA

AQMD is scheduling a town hall meeting in Alhambra in the near future. Look for an announcement of the meeting in the weeks ahead.

OPEN HOUSE AT AIR MONITORING FACILITY SET IN SOUTH EL MONTE

In conjunction with the City of South El Monte next Wednesday, AQMD will hold an open house at a mobile monitoring facility being used to measure levels of more than 30 toxic air pollutants for one month as part of a regional study on toxic air pollution. The facility, located at 2550 Edwards St. in South El Monte, will be open to the public from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on May 19. Tours will be provided in English and Spanish. The South El Monte City Council requested the event. More than 2,000 letters were mailed to area residents to notify them of the event.

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