BAY AREA AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT
939 ELLIS STREET
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
DATE: January 19, 2000 AGENDA NO: 9
 
PROPOSAL: Public Hearing to consider proposed amendments to the District’s Manual of Procedures, Volume III: Laboratory Methods, and the filing of a CEQA Notice of Exemption for the amendments.
SUMMARY: The proposed amendments would add three new laboratory methods: 1) Method 44A: Determination of Reduced Sulfur Gases and Sulfur Dioxide in a Gaseous Matrix Using the Sulfur Chemiluminescence Detector, 2) Method 45: Determination of Butanes and Pentanes in Polymeric Materials, and 3) Method 46: Determination of the Composite Partial Pressure of Volatile Organic Compounds in Cleaning Solvents. The new laboratory methods are required for the enforcement of amended regulations or to incorporate advances in analytical equipment.
 
RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Adopt proposed amendments to the District’s Manual of Procedures, Volume III: Laboratory Methods, and approve the filing of a CEQA Notice of Exemption for the proposed amendments.
  Ellen Garvey
Executive Officer


Background
The District’s Manual of Procedures contains, in Volume III, the methods used by the District’s laboratory to determine whether sources of air pollution are in compliance with District rules. The existing laboratory methods in Volume III are updated when new materials or equipment make possible quicker, safer, or more accurate procedures. New methods are added when new equipment requires an entirely new method or when regulatory amendments require new types of analysis.
Proposal
Proposal

Three new laboratory methods are proposed either because they are required for enforcement of amended regulations or in order to incorporate advances in analytical equipment. The proposed methods are:

  • Method 44A: Determination of Reduced Sulfur Gases and Sulfur Dioxide in a Gaseous Matrix Using the Sulfur Chemiluminescence Detector. Method 44A will use a highly sensitive sulfur chemiluminescence detector to measure the light emitted from a reaction of sulfur monoxide (produced from the combustion of sulfur compounds) with ozone to determine compliance with Regulation 7: Odors and Regulation 9, Rule 1: Sulfur Dioxide.
  • Method 45: Determination of Butanes and Pentanes in Polymeric Materials. Method 45 will use a gas chromatograph with a flame ionization detector to measure butanes and pentanes in polymeric materials to determine compliance with Regulation 8, Rule 52: Polystyrene, Polypropylene and Polyethylene Foam Product Manufacturing Operations.
  • Method 46: Determination of the Composite Partial Pressure of Volatile Organic Compounds in Cleaning Solvents. Method 46 will use a gas chromatograph with photoionization-flame ionization detectors to determine weight percent of VOC components in cleaning solvents from which partial pressures will be calculated, and will be used to determine compliance with Regulation 8, Rule 20: Graphic Arts Printing and Coating Operations.
Cost and Environmental Impacts

The California Health and Safety Code requires analysis of various impacts when regulatory amendments will set more stringent requirements or impose costs on regulated entities. The proposed amendments to the laboratory methods do not set air pollution standards or impose costs associated with new standards and are therefore not subject to requirements in Health and Safety Code for socioeconomic analysis (Section 40728.5), incremental cost analysis (Section 40920.6), or regulatory overlap analysis (Section 40727.2).

These proposed amendments can be seen with certainty to have no environmental impacts because they are administrative in nature and establish methods for determining compliance with air pollution regulations. The amendments do not affect emission standards or emissions in any way. The amendments are therefore exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061, subd. (b)(3).



Attachment A - Proposed Amendments to District Manual of Procedures
Proposed Laboratory Method 44a
Proposed Laboratory Method 45
Proposed Laboratory Method 46
Attachment B - Staff Report