BOARD MEETING DATE: February 5, 2010
AGENDA NO. 33
REPORT:
California Air Resources Board Monthly Meeting
SYNOPSIS:
The California Air Resources Board met on January 28, 2010.
The following is a summary of this meeting.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Receive and file.
Ronald O. Loveridge, Member
SCAQMD Governing Board
The Air Resources Board’s (ARB or Board) January meeting was held in Sacramento. Key meeting items are summarized below.
1. Air Resources Board’s Program Priorities for 2010
Executive Officer James Goldstene briefed the Board on major program priorities for the agency in 2010. Mr. Goldstene started with a review of the significant actions that the Board approved in 2009, and then highlighted ARB’s priorities for 2010, which include:
The consideration of a renewable energy standard for electrical generation.
The reconsideration of some diesel fleet requirements in light of economic conditions.
Revising standards of new passenger vehicles for further reductions of criteria and greenhouse gas emissions.
The consideration of greenhouse gas goals for regional transportation agencies.
The consideration of a greenhouse gas cap-and-trade rule.
The continued availability of incentive programs.
Mr. Goldstene affirmed that agency actions in 2010 will remain mindful of current economic and state budget limitations, meet public health and AB 32 goals, ensure transparency and comprehensive public involvement, and expand public outreach.
2. Amendments to the Regulations Applicable to Portable Diesel Engines and Diesel Engines Used in Off-Road and On-Road Vehicles
The Board adopted amendments to extend deadlines for control of some portable engines and clarify requirements for a subset of auxiliary engines. In consideration of the economic downturn and in response to public testimony, the Board approved a temporary extension for the limited use of older, uncontrolled engines for one year beyond the original January 1, 2010 deadline. The regulatory clarifications approved by the Board apply to dual-engine water well drill rigs and non-propulsion engines in snow removal equipment. These revisions will be subject to a further public comment period; the Board directed staff to work with the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association and other stakeholders to develop the specific regulatory language.
3. Amendments to the Verification Procedure, Warranty and In-Use Compliance Requirements for In-Use Strategies to Control Emissions from Diesel Engines
ARB adopted amendments to regulations governing the verification procedure, warranty and in-use compliance for retrofit devices used to control emissions from in-use diesel engines. These amendments are designed to respond to new information gleaned from administration of this program since its inception in 2004. In summary, the amendments will improve the matching of retrofit control devices to affected engines, improve end-user protections, improve design and data collection requirements, and improve program flexibility.
4. California’s Plan for Adapting to Climate Change
Staff from the California Natural Resources Agency presented an overview to the Board of the 2009 California Climate Adaption Strategy. The Strategy was developed through the collaboration of many state agencies under the facilitation of the Natural Resources Agency in response to the Governor’s Executive Order S-13-08. Recommendations from the Strategy that would involve ARB participation include the incorporation of climate adaption strategies into climate mitigation development, the inclusion of climate adaption strategies in ARB research projects, and the incorporation of strategies into ARB outreach programs.
5. Update on the Climate Champions Program
ARB staff and youth participants provided an update to the Board on California’s Climate Champions Program. The California program is modeled after a similar program in England that selects and trains high school students to initiate classroom projects directed toward the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in ways that educate their peers and communities. Two California Climate Champions summarized the projects that they had designed and implemented, which are being emulated by youth groups in other parts of the country and abroad.
6. Overview of the Greenhouse Gas Cap-and-Trade Program
Staff provided the Board with a progress report on development of the greenhouse gas cap-and-trade regulation highlighted in the AB 32 Scoping Plan. The cap-and-trade program is expected to provide approximately one-fifth of the greenhouse gas emission reductions identified in the AB 32 Climate Change Scoping Plan. ARB staff released a preliminary draft regulation to the public in November 2009 to facilitate a full discussion by stakeholders of impacts prior to the Board’s consideration of the regulation in Fall, 2010.
At this point the preliminary draft staff proposal includes the following:
electrical generation and industrial sources would be regulated commencing in 2012.
transportation and natural gas delivery sectors would be regulated commencing in 2015.
all greenhouse gas emission allowances would be auctioned.
offsets would be allowed to cover no more than 4% of individual facility or company emissions.
ARB will maintain registries of allowances and offsets to assure that reductions are real, additional, permanent, quantifiable, verifiable, and enforceable; and
offset traders and trades will be required to be registered to assure transparency and avoid market manipulation;
The Economic and Allocation Advisory Committee (EAAC), a group of economic and technical experts appointed by California Environmental Protection Agency Secretary Linda Adams, released its recommendations to the Board in January. The EAAC’s recommendations address emission offset use limitations, auction requirements, and revenue allocations.
Staff will be returning to the Board with a general discussion of offsets in February, reports on the economics of the Scoping Plan and details of the EAAC recommendations on allowance allocation and the use of auction proceeds in March, a general discussion of cap-setting and allowance allocation in June, and a report of rulemaking progress to date in September of 2010.
7. Update on the Air Resources Board’s Enforcement Program
ARB staff presented an update on progress made to address issues raised during recent Board meeting open comment periods, and a subsequent workshop on ARB enforcement policies. Staff reported that the workshops identified opportunities to increase public understanding of ARB’s enforcement policies and practices. In response to these proposals, ARB will be posting the following on its website: enforcement penalty guidelines, California Environmental Protection Agency guidance on Supplemental Environmental Projects (projects to which violators can direct portions of penalties), and information about where ARB penalty payments are otherwise deposited.
Attachment (DOC, 56k)
CARB January 28, 2010 Meeting Agenda