South Coast Air Quality Management District

SUMMARY MINUTES OF THE
SOUTH COAST AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT
SPECIAL BOARD MEETING
FRIDAY, June 21, 2002

Notice having been duly given, the special meeting of the South Coast Air Quality Management District Board was held at District Headquarters, 21865 E. Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, California; and the videoteleconference location, Coachella Valley Association of Governments, Conference Room 119, 73-710 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, California. Members present:

Councilmember Norma J. Glover, Chairman
Cities of Orange County

Mayor Michael D. Antonovich
County of Los Angeles

Ms. Jane W. Carney
Senate Rules Committee Appointee

Mayor Ronald O. Loveridge
Cities of Riverside County

Supervisor Jon D. Mikels
County of San Bernardino

Mayor Pro Tem Leonard Paulitz
Cities of San Bernardino County

Ms. Cynthia Verdugo-Peralta*
Governor�s Appointee

Supervisor S. Roy Wilson, Ed.D.*
County of Riverside

*At Videoconference Location

Members absent:

Councilmember Hal Bernson
Cities of Los Angeles County - Western Region

William A. Burke, Ed.D., Vice Chairman
Speaker of the Assembly Appointee

Councilmember Beatrice J. S. LaPisto-Kirtley
Cities of Los Angeles County - Eastern Region

Supervisor James W. Silva
County of Orange

CALL TO ORDER: 

            Chairman Glover called the meeting to order at 9:40 a.m. and announced that Board member Roy Wilson would co-chair the public hearing from the videoteleconference location, the Coachella Valley Association of Governments, Conference Room.

1. Adopt 2002 Coachella Valley PM10 State Implementation Plan

            The staff report was given by Dr. Julia Lester, Program Supervisor, Planning, Rule Development and Area Sources. Dr. Lester outlined the background, options under the Federal Clean Air Act, and the public process via the Coachella Valley (CV) Task Force; and she highlighted the most stringent measures, key issues, recommended Board actions, and the commitments set forth in the adopting resolution. Dr. Lester pointed out an addendum sheet showing minor revisions to page 5-2 of the 2002 CV PM10 SIP requested by U.S. EPA. The addendum sheet was distributed to the Board members and copies were made available to the public.

            Board member Wilson commended the CV Task Force, the community participation and the AQMD staff for moving the process forward. The public hearing was opened. The key issues and/or concerns expressed are outlined below. The Board heard testimony from the following individuals:

Corky Larson � Executive Director, CV Association of Governments
Bill Clapper � Sunline Transit Agency
Dick Folkers, Resident, Palm Desert
Joseph Cipriani � Resident, Sun City, Palm Desert*
Norman Cady � Vista Santa Rosa
John Powell, Jr. � Peter Rabbit Farms*
Alex Sanchez � Desert Mist Farms
Bob Perryman � Sunrise Colony Co.
Paul Quill - - Del Webb
Al Greco � Sun City
Ellen Lloyd Trover, - Resident CV (submitted written comments only)

*Submitted written comments

Issues/Concerns:

• Compliments to AQMD staff, especially Dr. Julia Lester and Air Quality Inspector II Harold Rank, for the development of the plan and the assistance provided to the CV community.

• Support for CV implementation of PM10 dust control through the CV regional street sweeping program.

• The dust problems in Sun City created by the Preserve for the Fringed-Toed Lizard, and a petition signed by residents of Sun City suggesting remedies for consideration, such as additional monitoring stations downwind and around the Preserve.

• Concerns expressed (1) that the agricultural community had not been adequately involved in the planning process, (2) regarding the reliability of the conclusion that the farming community contributed to one-third of dust detected at the Jackson Street station; and (3) that the Board was adopting a document imposing regulations with which the agricultural community could not comply.

• The lack of information addressing the control of fugitive dust emissions from (1) the CV Water District�s Whitewater Storm Channel and the various small channels that feed the channel, and (2) the CalTrans shoulders on the I-10 Freeway.

• The SIP has not adequately addressed weather as a significant factor; and there was a correlation between the problems regarding the farming community, the Preserve, and undisturbed vacant and government-owned lands and the drought.

            In response to issues raised during the public comment period and questions by Board member Paulitz, Dr. Lester made the following comments:

• A control measure is not implemented until it is adopted as a rule. There are Clean Air Act provisions that allow the removal of a control measure if it is found not to be feasible for the type of farming in the CV.

• The feasibility of the control measure will be determined through the working group process. Since 1990 the AQMD has conducted special monitoring studies in the CV, and will build on the knowledge gained from those studies, along with additional proposals. Staff will also look at sand movement from the Preserve and will work with the agricultural community.

• CV BCM Control Measure I includes AQMD requirements for road shoulder stabilization during the grading process, and also requires dust control plans from the CV water district and others when performing storm channel maintenance. CV BCM Control Measure I also requires CalTrans to have a generalized dust control plan for work on unpaved shoulders.

• The control measures will be adopted as part of the plan. Rules to implement the control measures will be brought before the Board to consider for adoption no later than December 2003.

• Certain types of controls used for open areas such as chemical stabilization are not allowed because they would be at variance with the Endangered Species Act. However, other controls, such as sand fencing and access restriction, are consistent with the Endangered Species Act. Staff will be working with the Preserve and the Bureau of Land Management on this issue.

• Turf overseeding is a process that occurs in the late fall on golf courses and parkways in the CV. As the grass dies out it is over seeded with a winter appropriate grass. During the process the old grass is often scalped down to the dirt, which produces large clouds of dust. A study supported by the AQMD and CVAG through UC Riverside showed that by simply modifying some of the procedures, 75-99 percent of dust from that process could be reduced. The modified process is being voluntarily implemented by the golf courses in the CV.

            Board member Cynthia Verdugo-Peralta commended the AQMD staff and the community participants for their hard work. She stated it was important for the Board members to know how much the community was involved and that the Board valued the community�s input.

ON MOTION OF BOARD MEMBER WILSON, SECONDED BY BOARD MEMBER CYNTHIA VERDUGO-PERALTA, UNANIMOUSLY PASSED (Absent: Bernson, Burke, LaPisto-Kirtley and Silva) THE BOARD APPROVED THE REVISIONS TO THE DRAFT FINAL 2002 CV PM10 SIP SET FORTH IN THE ADDENDUM AND ADOPTED RESOLUTION NO. 02-21, CERTIFYING THE FINAL NEGATIVE DECLARATION AND ADOPTING THE 2002 CV PM10 SIP.

2. Allocate Rule 2202 AQIP Funds to Assist in Purchase of Natural Gas Vehicles for Taxicab Services

ON MOTION OF BOARD MEMBER CARNEY, SECONDED BY BOARD MEMBER PAULITZ, UNANIMOUSLY PASSED (Absent: Bernson, Burke, LaPisto-Kirtley and Silva), THE BOARD APPROVED THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS SET FORTH IN THE BOARD LETTER.

ADJOURNMENT