Air Quality Action Plan

Challenge

The San Joaquin Valley experiences some of the worst ozone and particulate air pollution in the nation. The Valley faces the twin challenges of attaining two federal air quality standards: ozone 8-hour and particulate matter PM2.5. The current deadline to attain the federal 8-hour ozone standard is 2013, with the ability to “bump up” to a later attainment year if necessary. The PM2.5 attainment deadline is 2015, with no extension possible. Attainment requires compliance for three consecutive years.

Failure to attain the standards by the mandated deadline carries potential federal penalties, including permitting sanctions and loss of federal transportation funding. PM2.5 and ozone exposure both have substantial adverse health impacts:One in six Valley residents has been diagnosed with asthma Young people who grow up in smoggy areas have underdeveloped lungs by the age of 18 and will likely never recover. Each year, asthma accounts for 808,000 days of Valley school absences. Despite significant reductions in emissions of ozone-forming pollutants during the past 15 years, Valley residents still breathe ozone levels above the federal 8-hour standard about one-third of the year. A recent report puts the cost of non-attainment at more than $3 billion per year or, an average of $1,000 per Valley resident per year. The San Joaquin Valley’s geography, topography and climate conditions add to the challenge. The Valley experiences low, regional air evacuation and dispersion rates, frequent inversions, abundant sunlight and extreme temperatures. Every unit of emission creates a disproportionate pollution impact. 

To further complicate matters, pollution from the Bay Area accounts for as much as 27% of the air pollution in the Valley’s northern counties. It is essential that this challenge be approached as a partnership between the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA), California Air Resources Board (ARB) and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (District). These agencies are jointly responsible for air quality standards in their regulatory roles and, at the same time, share an obligation to develop and implement plans that produce the desired outcomes. Failure to meet air quality standards will result in protracted detrimental health effects and adverse economic impacts.

Indicators

• Decrease in ozone precursors
• Decrease in particulate matter
• Decrease in number of days with 8-hour ozone exceedances
• Increase in the use of clean energy
• Increase in the use of clean fuels
• Decrease in attributable mortality rates
• Decrease in asthma rates

Goals & Objectives

Goal 1: Eliminate institutional constraints to air quality improvement.

Objective A: Negotiate with EPA to address federal constraints on alternative compliance emission reduction programs.

Objective B: Negotiate with EPA allowance of State Implementation Plan (SIP) credits for incentive programs.

Objective C: Work with ARB to identify appropriate criteria for incentive programs in the Valley.

Goal 2: Encourage EPA adoption of tighter federal emission control standards.

Objective A: Recommend that ARB work with EPA to ensure that On- and Off-Road Heavy Duty Vehicles and equipment comply with applicable new and in-use emission standards.

Objective B: Encourage EPA to develop the strongest emission control standards for locomotives. Negotiate with railroads to ensure early introduction of the cleanest locomotives into the San Joaquin Valley fleet.

Goal 3: Implement incentive mechanisms to accelerate adoption of air quality mitigation technologies.

Objective A: Establish Air Quality Mitigation Zones (state level designation).

Objective B: Establish Air Quality Empowerment Zone (federal level designation).

Objective C: Establish and fund a five-year program to scrap and replace approximately 6,000 gross polluting passenger vehicles per year and achieve 20 tons/day emissions reduction in a five-year period.

Objective D: Establish and fund a five-year program to scrap and replace approximately 7,500 heavy-duty diesel trucks per year and achieve 60 tons/day emissions reduction in a five-year period.

Objective E: Establish and fund a five-year scrap and replace program for off-road equipment to achieve 10 tons/day emissions reduction in a five-year period.

Objective F: School Bus Fleet Modernization.

Goal 4: Promote Clean Energy Projects.

Objective A: MEstablish a San Joaquin Valley Clean Energy Office (joint recommendation with Energy Work group).

Objective B: Establish San Joaquin Valley Clean Vehicle Information Exchange.

Objective C: Implement Community Choice Aggregation Project.

Objective D: Net metering within same agricultural operation or water district.

Objective E: Incentivize use of agricultural biomass for fuel and energy production.

Goal 5: Improve People and Goods Movement.

Objective A: Evaluate Highway Tolling Option (joint recommendation with Transportation Work Group).

Objective B:Urban Traffic Synchronization Pilot.

Objective C: Evaluate/implement short sea shipping (joint recommendation with Transportation Work Group).

Objective D: Evaluate/implement multimodal facilities (joint recommendation with Transportation Work Group).

Objective E: Evaluate/implement rail improvements (joint recommendation with Transportation Work Group).

Objective F: Evaluate/implement mass transit options (joint recommendation with Transportation Work Group).

Goal 6: Encourage green local government.

Objective A: Accelerate use of clean energy technology in municipal and state operations.

Objective B:Include air quality scoring criteria in all municipal and state procurement contracts.

Objective C: Adopt Green Building standards joint recommendation with Energy Work Group).

Objective D: Adopt new land use guidelines (joint recommendation with Land Use, Agriculture and Housing Work Group).

Goal 7: Accelerate research of critical emissions.

Objective A: Agricultural PM10, PM2.5 and ROG emissions research.

Objective B: Research of dairy emissions sources and best available control technology (BACT).

Goal 8: Improve public understanding of air quality issues and solutions.

Objective A: Conduct Public Education Campaign.

Objective B: Publish and distribute user-friendly air quality improvement plan and annual progress report.