November 1 will mark the beginning of the seventh Winter Spare the Air season since the Air District first passed its wood-burning regulation in 2008.  Through the end of February 2015, it will be illegal to burn wood when the Air District issues a Winter Spare the Air Alert.

Wood smoke is the number one source of wintertime air pollution in the Bay Area. Particulate matter from wood smoke is associated with a wide range of unhealthy conditions:  like cigarette smoke, it has been linked to asthma, heart disease and even premature death, and it contains many of the same carcinogenic substances as cigarettes.  

On cold, still winter nights, pollution from wood smoke often gets trapped close to the ground, causing it to accumulate in many Bay Area neighborhoods.  When pollution levels rise and air quality is expected to become unhealthy, the Air District will call a Winter Spare the Air Alert, banning wood burning.  

For this reason, residents must check the Winter Spare the Air Alert status before using their fireplace or wood-burning stove between November and the end of February. 

Because wood smoke is hazardous, the Air District encourages residents to rethink wood burning throughout the winter. When the weather is stagnant, a single fire can fill an entire neighborhood with smoke.

There are several ways to check the wood-burning status.  Residents can call 1 (877) 4-NO-BURN, visit www.sparetheair.org, register online for automatic phone or email alerts, or download the iPhone or Android app.  Winter Spare the Air Alerts will also be announced in the local media.

First-time violators of the wood-burning rule will be given an opportunity to take a Wood Smoke Awareness Course, in lieu of paying a $100 penalty.  Fines for subsequent violations will start at $500. 

During the upcoming Winter Spare the Air season, the Air District will begin formally revisiting the Wood Burning Rule in order to consider possible updates and enhancements to the program.  This public rulemaking process will address issues relating to exemption status and enforceability, and examine wood-burning regulations throughout the country to determine whether they contain options that might apply to the Bay Area.  As part of this process, a series of workshops will be held to solicit public input, with the goal of adopting any proposed amendments to the rule by the beginning of the 2015-16 Winter Spare the Air season.

For more information about the Winter Spare the Air Program, visit www.sparetheair.org.

On October 15, the Air District’s Board of Directors adopted a resolution to further protect Bay Area communities by developing a strategy to achieve continued emission reductions from petroleum refineries.

This resolution outlines an ambitious approach to both tracking and decreasing refinery emissions through an aggressive implementation schedule. The goal of the resolution is to reduce refinery emissions by 20 percent or as much as feasible.  The Air District will evaluate refinery emission-reduction approaches and recommend a strategy by December 2014. 

The Bay Area has five major oil refineries that produce air pollution and greenhouse gases in the region.  These are already subject to 21 specific Air District regulations and programs, and their overall emissions have been steadily decreasing.

Under the new resolution, the Air District will continue to prepare its Petroleum Refining Emissions Tracking rule.  This rule will require updated health risk assessments and add further fence-line and neighborhood monitoring capacity, as well as requiring the compilation of an annual emission inventory for each refinery.  The Air District will also prepare a companion rule to set emissions thresholds and mitigate potential increases at refineries.  These rules are projected to be presented to the Board for consideration in 2015.

The overall strategy will be based on the evaluation of a range of approaches to further reduce refinery emissions.  This strategy will ultimately result in a series of rules expected to be adopted by the end of 2015.  

This fall, the Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program rolled out throughout the region.  

As this article goes to press, over 3,500 local employers have signed up for the program and begun to implement options for offering their workers commuter benefits.  Over 50 percent of registrants have indicated that they are offering these benefits for the first time, indicating that the program is already expanding commute incentive opportunities in the nine-county region.

Commuter traffic is a major contributor to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.  Annual traffic surveys rank congestion in the Bay Area as a significant problem.  The Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program is a groundbreaking pilot program, designed to reduce air pollution and traffic congestion while providing financial benefits to employers and employees alike.  It was signed into law by Governor Brown last year.

Under the Commuter Benefits Program, employers with 50 or more employees must register and provide commuter benefits to their staff. One option is to set aside pre-tax dollars for public transit costs, which is cost-effective for employees and saves employers payroll tax dollars.  This option benefits the entire region by reducing cars on the road.

Other options include a direct transit or vanpool subsidy, or employer-provided shuttle service.  Employers can custom-design their own alternative commuter benefit, as long as it is as effective at reducing emissions as the other options. 

Employers subject to the program must register at 511.org. They can click on “Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program” and select their program option. The 511.org website has a full run-down on options available, as well as other resources such as recorded webinars and web tutorials that offer step-by-step registration guidance for employers.

The Bay Area Air District and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission developed the program in response to Senate Bill 1339, signed by Governor Brown in September 2012. It was modeled on successful commuter benefit ordinances established in San Francisco, Berkeley, Richmond, and the San Francisco International Airport.
 
From green energy to electric vehicles, the Bay Area has historically been a pioneer in adopting new technologies and strategies that reduce air pollution and protect the environment. The Commuter Benefits Program makes perfect sense for the region—it’s a win-win proposition offering economic rewards to participants and cleaner air and less-congested highways to us all.

In August, Bay Area Bike Share commemorated the successful conclusion of its first year in operation.  During this initial year of service, 700 bikes rolled out at 70 stations in three counties, with locations in San Francisco, Redwood City, Mountain View, Palo Alto and San Jose.  

The Bay Area Bike Share program has enabled its members to save time and money while contributing to cleaner air.

“Bike share allows me to exercise, protect air quality and get to work on time all in one fell swoop,” said Leo Kay, U.S. Department of Labor.  “Thanks to bike sharing, I can get from doorstep to doorstep easily and quickly.”

In its first 365 days, the program gained 5,000 annual members and 31,000 casual members, who pedaled a combined total of 614,000 miles in the region—equivalent to 25 times around the earth! 

To celebrate Bay Area Bike Share’s birthday on August 29, riders enjoyed discounted day passes, free burritos at designated stations and a Twitter contest to win Clipper Cards.

In addition, Bay Area Bike Share is now offering a “30-Day Trial” Membership for just $29.95. Trial members will receive a Bay Area Bike Share key fob and can enjoy all the perks of an annual membership without the full-year commitment. 

Bay Area Bike Share has a corporate membership program, where businesses and organizations of all sizes can offer discounted and subsidized annual memberships to employees. There are five levels of partnership that are based on company size, number of participating employees and company contribution. For more information, please visit: http://www.bayareabikeshare.com/pricing/corporate

With leadership and funding from the Bay Area Air District and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the Bay Area Bike Share pilot project is a partnership among local government agencies including the City and County of San Francisco, SamTrans, Caltrain, San Mateo County Transportation Authority, the County of San Mateo, the City of Redwood City and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority. 

Bay Area residents and visitors can learn more about the bike share system at: 
www.bayareabikeshare.com

The summer 2014 Spare the Air season came to a close in October, with a total of 10 Spare the Air alerts called during the period.  

Overall, the federal eight-hour ozone standard was exceeded five times during the course of the Spare the Air season, and the more stringent state eight-hour ozone standard was exceeded 10 times.

Despite the fact that high pressure persisted over California for much of the summer, increased monsoonal moisture resulted in more cloudy days, limiting ozone formation.  And although there were a number of hot days, strong afternoon sea breezes also helped to prevent ozone concentrations from exceeding the standard more frequently.  The weather pattern was fairly consistent over the past three summers, with 58 days over 90 degrees Fahrenheit in 2014, 43 in 2013 and 56 in 2012.

Coming on the heels of an exceptionally dry winter, with the region caught up in a serious drought, the tail end of the summer was marked by concerns about the potential impacts of smoke from several wildfires which blazed outside the Bay Area.

As a result, the Air District issued special Smoke Advisories for 10 days—one in August, and nine in September.  Although wildfire smoke caused PM and ozone levels to rise above normal on several of these days, none of the federal air quality standards were exceeded. 

The Air District appreciates the efforts of all Bay Area residents who found alternatives to driving alone and helped to reduce air pollution throughout the summer.

In September, the Air District finalized a settlement with Chevron U.S.A Inc. to pay a $278,000 civil penalty for air quality violations at its refinery in Richmond. 
 
The settlement covered 27 violations that occurred between 2011 and 2013.  These violations included vapor leaks, failure to obtain proper permits for petroleum product storage tanks, uncovered drains on the shipping wharf, and excess hydrogen sulfide concentrations in fuel gas.

The violations have been corrected and did not result in significant emissions.  None of the violations were related to the August 2012 Chevron fire.

The Air District issues Notices of Violation when facilities violate a specific air quality regulation or rule. Violators are generally required to respond to the notice within ten days and submit a description of the actions they will take to correct the problem. These actions can include shutting down operations immediately, or changing operations or equipment to come into compliance.

November

San Jose Fall Home Show - San Jose
November 1-2

Lung Force Walk - San Francisco
November 8

SF Green Festival - San Francisco
November 14-16

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