State of California
AIR RESOURCES BOARD

Summary of Board Meeting
June 28, 2001

California Environmental Protection Agency
Air Resources Board
Coastal Hearing Room, Second Floor
1001 I Street
Sacramento, California

AGENDA ITEM #

01-5-1

Public Hearing to Consider Proposed Amendments to the California Zero-Emission Vehicle Regulations Regarding Treatment of Majority Owned Small or Intermediate Volume Manufacturers and Infrastructure Standardization

SUMMARY OF AGENDA ITEM:

Air Resources Board (ARB or Board) staff proposed two changes: 1) aggregating vehicle volumes and associated ZEV requirements for small and intermediate volume manufacturers that are greater than 50% owned by another manufacturer and 2) requiring a single charging system, on-board conductive, for battery electric vehicles.

ORAL TESTIMONY:

FORMAL BOARD ACTION:

The Board voted unanimously to approve staff's proposal for Infrastructure Standardization and approve staff's proposal with modifications to the Treatment of Majority Owned Small or Intermediate Volume Manufacturers to extend the implementation date. For a manufacturer that is now majority owned by another manufacturer the aggregated ZEV requirements will begin with the 2010 model year and for those manufacturers that subsequently become majority owned by another manufacturer a lead time of four years is provided.

RESPONSIBLE DIVISION: MSCD

STAFF REPORT: Yes (61 pages and appendices)

01-5-2

Public Meeting to Consider an Informational Item on the Health Effects of Particulate Matter and the Status of Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter

SUMMARY OF AGENDA ITEM:

Staff from the ARB and the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) updated the Board on the status of their ongoing review of the California ambient air quality standards for particulate matter (PM). Staff is evaluating the scientific literature on PM health effects to determine how to revise the PM standards, as required by the Children's Environmental Health Protection Act (SB25, Escutia, 1999, Health and Safety Code 39606 (d)(1)).

The Act required the Air Resources Board, in consultation with OEHHA, to review all California health-based ambient air quality standards to determine if any are inadequate to protect public health including infants and children. At the December 7, 2000, Board meeting, staff presented their evaluation, which identified the standards for particulate matter, including sulfates, to have the highest priority for review and revision. Health and Safety Code section 39606 (d) (2) requires that the Board revise the highest priority California ambient air quality standard, the PM standards, by December 31, 2002. Due to the importance of the matter, the Board directed the staff to present their recommendations for revisions in April rather than December 2002.

Dr. Deborah Drechsler from the Research Division discussed the process for setting an ambient air quality standard, the properties of PM, and the schedule for the review. Dr. Bart Ostro from OEHHA presented an overview of the epidemiologic evidence supporting significant associations between PM exposure and adverse health effects. The presentation concluded with Daniel Greenbaum, President of the Health Effects Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, who discussed emerging issues in PM health effects research.

The ongoing standards review is considering and evaluating new health and scientific information regarding the impacts of particulate matter air pollution. The presentation emphasized the issues that are expected to arise when staff present their recommendation for revising the standards in April 2002. The presentation also emphasized the importance of the PM standards. The health effects from exposure are significant and include death and cardiopulmonary disease. The body of evidence demonstrating an association between PM exposure and health effects is large. Associations have been found between health effects and PM10 and PM2.5, and preliminary evidence has been found for ultrafine particles. A draft staff report will be available to the public in late September 2001 and a lengthy public review will occur. The final staff recommendation and staff report will be made available to the public in March 2002.

ORAL TESTIMONY:

FORMAL BOARD ACTION: None (Informational Item)

RESPONSIBLE DIVISION: RD

STAFF REPORT: No

01-5-3

Public Meeting to Present Information to the Air Resources Board Regarding the Net Effects of Vegetation on Air Quality

SUMMARY OF AGENDA ITEM:

The Board heard a presentation from staff regarding The Net Effects of Vegetation on Air Quality. The conclusions of the presentation were that vegetation affects ozone and fine particle concentrations, both positively and negatively. Understanding the quantitative net effect is not simple, but is an important element in the effort to develop the most effective strategies to protect air quality. Potential air quality benefits could come from urban forestry efforts because shade and evaporative cooling can reduce emissions and slow chemical reactions. Furthermore, increased use of vegetation can also enhance removal of some pollutant species by contact with leaf and other plant surfaces. Conversely, biogenic emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a negative effect that needs to be well quantified to understand and predict future year concentrations of ozone and fine particles. The affect of allergens from vegetation on sensitive individuals, including asthmatics, was also discussed. Current efforts to increase the understanding of these processes were discussed, including important remaining information gaps. The main gaps concern the need to further develop an inventory of biogenic VOC emissions necessary to complete the total inventory of VOC emissions. This inventory is needed for air quality modeling. There are also gaps in the quantification of deposition of ozone precursor species and in the ability to model net effects. Practical recommendations were made regarding choices in planting location and selection of low-emitter shade trees that could reduce energy consumption and help to improve air quality. Recent public outreach efforts to local tree advocacy groups and through the Air Resources Board's web page were noted. The Sacramento Tree Foundation was in attendance and provided a display of tree species that are low emitters of biogenic VOCs.

ORAL TESTIMONY: None

FORMAL BOARD ACTION: None (Informational Item)

RESPONSIBLE DIVISION: RD

STAFF REPORT: No

01-5-4

Public Meeting to Consider the Smoke Management Guidelines Program Implementation Status

SUMMARY OF AGENDA ITEM:

Staff presented a status report on the implementation of the revised Smoke Management Guidelines (Guidelines) for Agricultural and Prescribed Burning to the Board. Air districts are incorporating new elements of the Guidelines into their programs, including issuing local daily burn authorizations, requiring smoke management plans for all prescribed burns, integrating marginal burn days into their procedures, and improving regional coordination and communication. ARB staff has been working closely with air districts and burners on development of program implementation tools.

Staff also presented an analysis of residential garbage burning to the Board. Residential garbage burning typically occurs in burn barrels and is a potential source of dioxin. It is allowed in all or part of seven air districts and is estimated to occur at approximately 150,000 California households.

Staff recommended adding residential garbage burning to ARB's Clean Air Plan and developing an airborne toxic control measure. The Board directed staff to develop an airborne toxics control measure for residential garbage burning and report back to the Board by the end of 2002.

ORAL TESTIMONY:

FORMAL BOARD ACTION: None

RESPONSIBLE DIVISION: PTSD

STAFF REPORT: No

01-5-5

Public Meeting to Consider the 2001 Biennial Report to the Legislature on the Phase-Down of Rice Straw Burning in the Sacramento Valley Air Basin

SUMMARY OF AGENDA ITEM:

Staff presented the 2001 Report to the Legislature - Progress Report on the Phase Down and the 1998-2000 Pause in the Phase Down of Rice Straw Burning in the Sacramento Valley Air Basin. This report will be forwarded to the Legislature.

The Connelly-Areias-Chandler Rice Straw Burning Reduction Act of 1991 requires the Air Resources Board and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to prepare and submit a report to the Legislature every two years on progress in reducing the amount of rice straw burned in the Sacramento Valley. This report focused on activities occurring since the 1999 report.

The ARB is also required to submit a report presenting findings regarding the air quality, public health, and economic impacts associated with the burning of rice straw during the years 1998 to 2000, when the phase-down schedule was paused at 200,000 acres. The "pause" report was incorporated in the 2001 biennial report.

Staff presented proposed changes to the criteria for the funding of grants under the Rice Straw Demonstration Project Grant Fund. These changes would add infrastructure and marketing to the categories of projects that could apply for the matching grants. The Executive Officer has the delegated authority to implement these changes after proper notice.

Staff presented its plan for conducting a rice straw expo, a forum for rice growers, straw end-users, and other interested stakeholders, to showcase and promote uses of rice straw and to provide information on financial incentive programs for the use of rice straw.

The Board directed staff to add language to the report to address: 1) the usage of water for winter flooding of rice fields; 2) the contribution of fallow fields to particulate matter loading in the atmosphere; and 3) additional information on the use of rice straw for ethanol production.

ORAL TESTIMONY:

FORMAL BOARD ACTION: None

RESPONSIBLE DIVISION: PTSD

STAFF REPORT: Yes (35 pages)

01-5-6

Public Meeting to Consider Research Proposals

The Board approved Resolution Nos. 01-20 through 01-22 by an unanimous vote.

Copyright 2001