Facility Risk Reduction Program

The Air District’s Facility Risk Reduction Program focuses on existing facilities that pose the highest health risks to nearby residents and workers. This program requires these facilities to implement technically feasible and economically reasonable risk reduction measures on significant sources of health risk.

Rule 11-18

The Air District’s Regulation 11, Rule 18: Reduction of Risk from Air Toxic Emissions at Existing Facilities requires existing facilities with health risks above risk action thresholds to either reduce those health risks below the rule’s risk action thresholds or implement Best Available Retrofit Control Technology for Toxics on all significant sources of health risks.

Rule 11-18 Implementation Plan

The Air District is conducting health risk assessments for existing facilities using  the latest science to determine which facilities exceed the Rule 11-18 risk action thresholds and are therefore subject to the Rule 11-18 risk reduction requirements.

The Air District assigns prioritization scores to determine which facilities must undergo health risk assessment. The Air District determines the prioritization score for each facility during the annual permit renewal process. The prioritization score is calculated based on the toxic emission inventory for the site, health effects data for the air toxics emitted, and distances from the site to nearby residents and off-site workers. If a site’s prioritization score exceeds a prioritization score threshold, the Air District will conduct a health risk assessment for that site. 

The Air District’s Rule 11-18 Implementation Plan describes the procedures to be used in implementing the rule and includes the prioritization score thresholds, an initial implementation schedule, and lists of potentially subject facilities based on 2016 emission inventory data. The Rule 11-18 Implementation Flow Chart summarizes the procedures, decision points, and opportunities for public comment. 

Implementation Workgroup

The purpose of the Rule 11-18 Implementation Workgroup is to ensure transparency during the implementation of Rule 11-18. This Workgroup will include members of the affected communities, affected industry, and Air District staff. The Air District will periodically hold Rule 11-18 Implementation Workgroup meetings to explain procedures, answer questions, and inform communities and industry about the status of the emissions inventory reviews, health risk assessments, risk reduction plan reviews, and installation of risk reduction measures. This Workgroup may also inform the Air District about educational or informational needs or public concerns about Rule 11-18 actions.

Technical Dispute Resolution Committee

The Air District will convene a Technical Dispute Resolution Committee to resolve disputes that may arise between industry, the public, and the Air District regarding Implementation of Rule 11-18 for a specific facility. The types of matters that this committee will handle include: toxic air contaminant emission factors, emission calculation techniques, air dispersion modeling, health risk assessments, or Best Available Retrofit Control Technology for Toxics determinations.

The Technical Dispute Resolution Committee will consist of at least three independent experts in the fields of toxic air contaminant inventories, health risk assessment, or air pollution control. Procedures for bringing a dispute to the Technical Dispute Resolution Committee, committee review procedures, and responses to committee recommendations will be explained in more detail upon formation of this committee.

Additional Resources

Spare the Air Status

Last Updated: 12/03/2024