AB 1378 required the Air Resources Board and California Department of Food and Agriculture to report jointly to the Legislature on the progress of the Rice Straw Burning Reduction Act of 1991. This report recommends that some of the phase-down provisions of this Act be paused for three years at the 50% level. No additional public testimony will be taken on this item at this meeting.

This is an addition to the existing guidelines for generating mobile source emission reduction credits. The guidelines are similar to the guidelines for urban buses that the Board approved in 1993; these guidelines apply to other heavy-duty vehicles -- trucks and tour buses. The Board has already adopted, in June 1995, the optional low-emission standards needed to implement mobile source credit programs for these vehicles.

Staff is proposing that the Board update the designation of the test methods used for measuring the benzene, aromatic hydrocarbons, olefins, and sulfur content of California reformulated gasoline (Ca RFG). The proposed test methods will be used to verify that California gasoline meets Ca RFG specifications beginning in March, 1996. The proposed test methods are more precise than the methods currently adopted.

As part of the ongoing review of the technological progress of ZEVs, the staff has conducted a series of public forums in 1995. In addition, an independent battery panel was appointed to assess the battery types likely to reach production before 2002. An informational report will be provided to the Board to update them on information received to date.