August 13, 1999

• Burke Re-elected Chairman, Calls for Millennium Goals
• $5 Million Awarded to Replace Heavy-Duty Diesel Engines
• Board Updates Numerous Rules

In Other Action:

• Public Hearing Set on Rule 1186 -- PM10 Emissions from Paved and Unpaved Roads
• Environmental Justice Task Force Recommendations Adopted
• Staff Report Received on Discussions with Paint Industry

In Other News:

• EV Rental Car Program Expands With Support from AQMD
• AQMD Will Hold Town Hall Meeting This Month in Highland

BURKE RE-ELECTED CHAIRMAN, CALLS FOR MILLENNIUM GOALS

AQMD Governing Board Chairman William A. Burke, re-elected today to another two-year term as chairman, called upon the Board to establish Year 2000 Millennium Goals for Clean Air, with an emphasis on air toxics, the agency’s clean air blueprint and steps to address the adverse health effects of smog on the elderly.

Burke was unanimously re-elected as Board chairman for a term starting Jan. 14, 2000 through Jan. 11, 2002. AQMD Board Vice Chair Norma Glover, a Newport Beach council member, also was unanimously re-elected as vice chair to the same term.

A Board retreat to discuss the Millennium Goals, to take place during the next 90 days, will focus on three issues, Burke said:

• AQMD’s Air Quality Management Plan and new federal clean air standards for ozone and particulate matter;
• a plan to address air toxics; and
• steps to reduce the disproportionate adverse health impacts of air pollution on the elderly.

Burke noted that during the last two years, the Board has implemented programs focusing on environmental justice, children’s health and air quality in the Inland Empire and adopted significant rules to reduce air pollution.

"As we have over the past two years, we must continue to act on the awareness that the individuals most affected by poor air quality are often the least represented.

"For that reason, I would like to see us redouble our efforts to hear and respond to the voices of our elderly residents and to take concrete steps to address their sensitive health needs."

Burke called on the Board to set its sights beyond the year 2000 in developing programs to clean the Southland’s air, considering what technologies are available and most effective, what incentives can best encourage the transition toward zero-emissions technologies and what vehicles, products and fuels can be used to improve public health in the region.

"I think this is a good time to recalibrate our clean air vision – to look clearly at where we stand and where we want to lead this agency," Burke said.

"Together, I believe we can continue the careful balance of steadily cleaner air and stable economic growth."

$5 MILLION AWARDED TO REPLACE HEAVY-DUTY DIESEL ENGINES

The Governing Board approved nearly $5 million in incentive funds to convert 104 heavy-duty refuse and waste transfer trucks to clean fuels.

The trucks will be converted from diesel fuel to compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG) or dual fuel (85% LNG or CNG with 15% diesel). Of the 104 vehicles, 41 will get new engines, 48 will be retrofitted and 15 will be replaced with new vehicles. The clean-fueled trucks will reduce a total of 129 tons per year of smog-forming nitrogen oxides (NOx), the amount emitted by 14.6 million average car trips. That translates to a cost-effectiveness of less than $4,000 per ton of NOx reduced annually. The awards are as follows:

The incentive funds come from the Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment Program, a $25 million statewide initiative to reduce smog-forming nitrogen oxides and diesel soot, a toxic air contaminant, from heavy-duty vehicles. AQMD received $11.3 million this year from the California Air Resources Board for the program. AQMD staff plans to present proposals for its remaining $6.3 million for clean-fueled transit and school buses and off-road vehicles and equipment at the Sept. 10 Board meeting.

The agency received a very strong response to the program, with a total of 51 proposals for 851 vehicles and pieces of equipment requesting approximately $52.4 million in incentive funds. The truck projects were selected on a first-come, first-serve basis as well as the cost-effectiveness of emissions reductions.

For more information, e-mail Cindy Sullivan or call her at (909) 396-3249.

BOARD UPDATES NUMEROUS RULES

The Governing Board adopted amendments to six rules, including an update of AQMD’s Rule 1401 – New Source Review of Toxic Air Contaminants – and streamlined permit requirements under Rule 1401 and Rule 219 – Equipment Not Requiring a Written Permit Pursuant to Regulation II.

The Rule 1401 amendments update the effective dates for analysis of acute risk for about 60 chemicals, for which the state of California recently approved acute reference exposure level risk values.

In addition, the amendments streamline AQMD regulations by requiring permits for equipment -- that otherwise would be exempt -- only when toxic emissions exceed Rule 1401 risk thresholds.

In other action, the Board amended:

• Regulation IX – Standards of Performance for New Stationary Sources and Regulation X – National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants to incorporate new and amended federal standards by reference;
• Regulation XVII – Prevention of Significant Deterioration to align AQMD’s program with federal requirements;
• Rule 465 – Vacuum Producing Devices or Systems to correct deficiencies identified by the federal Environmental Protection Agency; and
• Rule 1104 – Wood Flat Stock Coating Operations, to incorporate all feasible control technologies, as identified by the California Air Resources Board, including a 250 grams per liter standard for inks and exterior siding coatings.

In Other Action, the Board:

• Set a public hearing on amendments to AQMD’s Rule 1186 – PM10 Emissions from Paved and Unpaved Roads, and Livestock Operations to establish certification standards for new street sweepers that are designed to collect fine dust instead of simply dispersing it. Cities will be required when replacing existing street sweepers that wear out to use the newer dust-capturing models. For further information, e-mail Jack Broadbent or call him at (909) 396-3789.
• Adopted the recommendations of AQMD’s Environmental Justice Task Force, which met for 18 months to review environmental justice issues related to air quality.
• Approved a staff report covering discussions with the paint industry on Rule 1113 – Architectural Coatings, which was tightened by the Board in May. The report includes a work plan for enhanced implementation of the rule, which calls for ongoing technical studies of paint and coating formulations, discussions with the paint industry through several committees and regular reports on implementation issues to the Board. In addition, at the request of the Board, the work plan calls for examining whether the public sector should be held to the same volatile organic compound limit as the private sector in using industrial maintenance coatings. Public agencies have argued they needed a more lenient limit between 2002 and 2006 due to unique contracting circumstances. The Board approved the report after hearing more than a dozen speakers from the paint industry and the public, supporting and opposing the rule.   For further information, e-mail Jack Broadbent or call him at (909) 396-3789.

The Board approved all other items on the agenda, except item 26, which was withdrawn.

In Other News:

EV RENTAL CAR PROGRAM EXPANDS WITH SUPPORT FROM AQMD

More electric rental cars will be available under a clean fuels project supported by AQMD. The agency is providing $200,000 to EV Rental Cars for 44 electric vehicles to be rented at eight Budget Rent a Car locations throughout California, including six here in the Southland at Los Angeles International Airport, Ontario Airport, John Wayne Airport, Burbank Airport, Beverly Hills and Anaheim. The project also will fund an electric bus to transport customers between Budget Rent a Car and Los Angeles International Airport. Other sponsors of the $624,000 project include the Air Resources Board, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, City of Burbank, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, City of Anaheim, Anaheim Transportation Network, Edison EV and Calstart.

For more information, e-mail Fred Minassian or call him at (909) 396-2641.

AQMD WILL HOLD TOWN HALL MEETING THIS MONTH IN HIGHLAND

AQMD will hold its next town hall meeting at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 24, at the Highland Senior Center, 3102 E. Highland Ave. in Highland. The town hall meetings, held under the agency’s environmental justice initiatives, provide residents a chance to voice their concerns regarding air quality to AQMD, which then follows up. For further information, call AQMD at (909) 396-3218.

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