BOARD MEETING DATE: June 4, 2010
AGENDA NO. 31
REPORT:
California Air Resources Board Monthly Meeting
SYNOPSIS:
The California Air Resources Board met on May 27, 2010. The following is a summary of this meeting.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Receive and file.
Ronald O. Loveridge, Member
SCAQMD Governing Board
Background
The Air Resources Board’s (ARB or Board) May meeting was held in the San Diego County Board of Supervisors Chambers. Key meeting items are summarized below.
Status Report on Imperial County PM10 Air Quality and Planning Activities
ARB heard a staff presentation on PM10 air quality trends and attainment planning activities in Imperial County. The Imperial County Air Pollution Control District (ICAPCD) adopted a PM10 Attainment Plan (Plan) that includes several new rules for the control of fugitive dust sources. The Plan also concludes that all PM10 exceedances in recent years occurred during high wind events or as a result of international transport from the Mexican city of Mexicali, which abuts Imperial County’s southern border. The federal Clean Air Act does not require attainment demonstrations to control for these types of events.
ARB staff agrees with the ICAPCD’s findings. However, in a May 24, 2010 letter to ARB, U.S. EPA indicated that it would not propose approval of the Imperial Plan due to what it considers insufficient evidence to demonstrate that the exceedance days identified as high wind events qualify for exceptional events status. U.S. EPA also noted the possibility that proposed revisions to ICAPCD’s fugitive dust rules might not fully address all deficiencies identified by U.S. EPA. In light of this letter, ARB staff recommended that the Board not submit Imperial County’s PM10 Plan to U.S. EPA as a proposed revision to California’s State Implementation Plan. The Board concurred, and directed staff to continue working with U.S. EPA and ICAPCD to resolve these issues. The Board also directed staff to prepare a letter to U.S. EPA expressing concern about the level of documentation required to substantiate exceptional events claims.
-
Report on the San Joaquin Valley Smoke Management Program and Approval of Modifications to Agricultural Burning Requirements
ARB concurred on a limited term basis with San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District’s approval of exemptions from a ban on agricultural burning in the San Joaquin Valley. ARB concurrence is required by the legislation that established the agricultural burn phase-down, SB 705 (Florez, 2003), in order for the exemptions to take effect. The Board’s action contained a sunset date of two years, until May 2012, on ARB support for the District’s action because of Legislative concerns about the exemptions. The approved exemptions allow for the continued burning of some limited agricultural waste streams, and of orchard removals on small farms where chipping and hauling would not be economically viable. At the end of the two year period ARB will consider an extension of the exemption after reviewing new economic and air quality data. In addition to providing a limited concurrence, ARB agreed to revisit the issue in 90 days. This was done to provide the opportunity to consider any new information that may result from a Legislative hearing, scheduled by Senator Florez, on the action.
Attachment (DOC, 38k)
CARB May 27, 2010 Meeting Agenda