• Orange County Supervisor Silva Reappointed to Board
• April Hearing Set to Adopt Proposed School Bus Measure
• $23.76 Million Available for Clean School Buses
• Board Funds Air Quality Improvement Projects
• Board Adopts Legislative Energy Policies
• In Other Action

Orange County Supervisor James Silva was sworn in to the AQMD Governing Board for a term ending Jan. 15, 2002. Silva, Supervisor for Orange County's Second District and vice-chair of the Board of Supervisors, previously served on the AQMD Board from 1995 to January 1999.

Silva was elected to the Orange County Board of Supervisors in November 1994. He served on the Huntington Beach City Council from 1988 to 1994, including stints as mayor pro tem from 1990 to 1991 and mayor from 1991 to 1992.

Silva taught 12^th grade civics and economics at Los Amigos High School in Fountain Valley for more than 20 years. He also worked as a real estate broker.

He holds an M.A. in education from Chapman University in Orange and a B.A. in business from San Jose State University.

The Board set a public hearing for April 20, 2001, to consider adopting Proposed Rule 1195 -- Clean On-Road School Buses. The measure is the eighth in a series aimed at shifting the region's fleets of transit buses, trash trucks, taxis and other vehicles from diesel-powered to lower-emission and alternative fuel models.

Under the proposal, school districts and private school bus fleet operators of 15 or more school buses would be required to purchase an alternative fuel bus when adding to an existing fleet or forming a new one.

Fleet operators would be exempt from the rule if funding is not available to cover the cost difference between a new diesel-powered and a new alternative fuel-powered bus. Operators also would be exempt until July 1, 2003 if their equipment yard is more than five miles from an alternative fuel station.

The rule would take effect 60 days after the date of adoption.

The Board approved the release of applications for a total of $23.76 million in funding available this year for the purchase of new alternative fuel school buses, lower-emitting-diesel buses and particulate trap retrofits for existing buses.

Of the total, $22.1 is from the state Lower Emission School Bus Program and $1.66 million is from AQMD's Clean Fuels Program. According to guidelines adopted by the California Air Resources Board, the state funds will be available as follows:

• $11.1 million to purchase new alternative fuel buses;
• $5.5 million for new lower-emitting diesel buses operating on low-sulfur diesel fuel; and
• $5.5 million to retrofit existing diesel buses with particulate traps.

In addition, AQMD's $1.66 million will be available for purchasing alternative fuel school buses and fueling stations.

Schools will provide 25% of the cost of a new bus up to a maximum of $25,000.

Applications for new buses are due by April 3, 2001, and AQMD will award funds on May 15, 2001. Applications for retrofits are due by July 31, 2001, and AQMD will begin awarding funds on Dec. 15, 2001.

Two workshops have been scheduled to provide information on the school bus funding program:

• Feb. 21, 2001, at 9:30 a.m. in the auditorium of AQMD's headquarters in Diamond Bar; and
• March 6, 2001, at 10 a.m. in room GB at AQMD.

The Board approved spending $20 million for air quality improvement projects under settlements with power plant operators.

Under an agreement in which the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is paying $14 million to mitigate increased emissions as its plants operate to meet the state's energy needs, the Board approved:

• $6 million for natural gas fueling stations in the LADWP service area;
• $6 million for micro-turbine development and commercialization projects within the city of Los Angeles;
• $1.4 million for an advanced fuel cell demonstration project to charge a large electric bus fleet;
• $350,000 for a Cool Schools/Tree People project in the City of Los Angeles and San Fernando Valley; and
• $250,000 for a taxi advertising program in the San Fernando Valley.

The Board also approved using $6 million of a $17 million settlement of emissions violations with AES Alamitos LLC to fund natural gas fueling stations in the Los Angeles Basin. The Board will hold a public workshop in the next 30 days to resolve how to designate the remaining $11 million.

In light of pending legislation on the state's energy crisis, the Board adopted a resolution urging the governor and state Legislature to implement several policies regarding power plants, including:

• Requiring near-term installation of cost-effective air pollution control equipment at power plants in exchange for granting operational flexibility;
• Allowing the use of an air pollution mitigation fee to cover nitrogen oxide emissions in excess of RECLAIM emission credit allocations;
• Supporting expedited review of new plants through the California Environmental Quality Act process provided that adverse air quality impacts are properly mitigated;
• Allowing the use of emergency standby generators for up to 500 hours per year by essential public service providers during actual or imminent blackouts if low-sulfur diesel fuel is used when reasonably available;
• Supporting clean distributed electrical generation units provided they create a net air quality benefit;
• Expediting the state licensing process for power plants that use best available control technology and are built on existing power plant sites; and
• Supporting increased funding for energy efficiency and conservation programs to reduce the demand for electricity.

• Amended Rule 1303(b)(2), Emission Offsets, revalued all existing volatile organic compound Emission Reduction Credits to account for compounds no longer designated as ozone-forming by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency including perchloroethylene, acetone and 1,1,1-trichloroethane. The measure will reduce the amount of existing Emission Reduction Credits by 5% to 10%.
• Set hearings for March 16, 2001 to adopt the following rules:
  • Proposed Rule 1425, Film Cleaning and Printing Operations -- to reduce air toxic emissions of perchloroethylene from motion picture film facilities; and
  • Amend Rules 3003, Applications, and Rule 3005, Permit Revisions, and adopt Proposed Rule 3008, Potential to Emit Limitations related to the Title V permit program for major facilities.
• Approved contracts for:
  • $2,087,935 for AQMD's Air Quality Investment Program for proposals received during the third quarter of 2000;
  • $120,000 with Strategy Workshops and $55,000 with TLC MediaWorks for media and public relations services;
  • $26,415 with Pickens Fuel Corp. to manage construction of a new compressed natural gas fueling station at AQMD headquarters;
  • $101,000 for several contracts to build, install and test a particulate trap on a compressed natural gas-powered transit bus.
• Received public input on the executive officer's proposed program for fiscal year 2001-02.

The Board approved all other items on the agenda.

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