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February 2018 l Volume 2018-1
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Welcome to the latest issue of the Bay Area Air District’s Air Currents newsletter. In this issue, you’ll find articles about the Air District’s new toxic emissions regulation, upcoming refinery community monitoring workshops and the status of the 2018 wood smoke incentive reduction program. Other articles cover a pilot mobile air monitoring study in Richmond, the 2018 YES Conference and a review of recent financial settlements. A summary of current grant opportunities is also included.
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Air District Adopts Pioneering Rule to Reduce Toxic Air Pollutants
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In November, the Air District’s Board of Directors unanimously adopted Regulation 11, Rule 18, Reduction of Risk from Air Toxic Emissions at Existing Facilities.
This rule is considered to be the most health-protective toxic air pollution risk-control measure in the nation. The rule will reduce emissions in communities from stationary air pollution sources—ranging from large facilities such as power plants and oil refineries to smaller operations like back-up generators and dry cleaners—that emit hazardous air pollutants that can potentially cause cancer and other serious health effects. Hundreds of Bay Area facilities will be affected by the rule.
Rule 11-18 was developed to ensure that emissions of toxic air pollutants from existing facilities do not reach levels that pose an unacceptable health risk to local residents. Air District staff will begin the process of assessing and prioritizing these facilities: risk levels will be determined by health risk assessments based on guidelines from the state of California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.
During the risk evaluation process, the public will have the opportunity to review and provide input on the health risk assessments before they are finalized. Any facility shown to pose a health risk at or above the risk action levels in the rule would be required to take steps to reduce that risk, and to report annually to the Air District. This process will allow for flexibility in compliance and ensure continuous improvement in reducing toxic levels of air pollution.
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Air District Hosts Upcoming Workshops on Refinery Community Monitoring
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The Air District is holding four workshops in refinery communities to discuss air monitoring near these large industrial facilities. The Air District's Board of Directors recently passed Regulation 12, Rule 15, Petroleum Refining Emissions Tracking. This new rule requires additional air monitoring around Bay Area refineries.
Come learn about current and planned air monitoring at and near refineries, ask questions and provide input.
Richmond:
Wednesday, February 21
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Richmond Convention Center Complex
Bermuda Room
403 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond
Martinez:
Thursday, February 22
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
City of Martinez, Council Chambers
525 Henrietta Street, Martinez
Rodeo:
Thursday, March 1
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Lefty Gomez Recreation Center
470 Parker Ave, Rodeo
Benicia:
Monday, March 5
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Veterans Memorial Building
1150 First Street, Benicia
For questions and comments, please contact Katherine Hoag at khoag@baaqmd.gov
Translation services for those wishing to attend may be requested three business days in advance. Contact Azibuike Akaba at aakaba@baaqmd.gov or 415.749.8603 to request interpretation.
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Fireplace Changeout Program Taking Waitlist Submissions
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The Winter 2017/2018 Wood Smoke Reduction Incentive Program opened on January 16 and is currently oversubscribed. New applications are being placed on a waitlist. On cold winter nights, wood smoke from residential wood burning accounts for a significant portion of the Bay Area’s fine-particle pollution.
To address this health hazard and improve air quality, the Air District developed the Winter 2017/2018 Wood Smoke Reduction Incentive Program.
This program helps eligible Bay Area homeowners offset a portion of the cost of replacing older, more highly polluting fireplaces and wood-burning stoves with qualifying cleaner heating devices, including electric heat pumps and natural-gas or propane heating stoves and inserts. Homeowners who have another form of heat can also choose to apply for funding to help decommission their working fireplaces and wood stoves by permanently taking them out of service.
Given the limited funding available this cycle, applications are only being accepted from residents located in Air District designated highly impacted and high-wood-smoke areas. Please review the Program Requirements to see whether you qualify.
Residents that are not eligible are encouraged to sign up to receive notifications if and when additional funding becomes available.
For more information, and to get on the waitlist, visit the Air District’s Wood Smoke Reduction Incentive Program web page.
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Mobile Air Monitoring Study Gets Rolling in Richmond
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Four organizations - the Environmental Defense Fund, the California Air Resources Board, the Air District and UC Berkeley - are working together on a mobile air monitoring study conducted in and around the cities of Richmond, San Pablo and El Cerrito. The Richmond Mobile Air Monitoring Pilot study will use sensors installed on low-emission research vehicles driven through pre-determined areas to collect air quality data in local neighborhoods. These research cars will repeatedly drive multiple routes on city streets at varying times of day and night. The data collected will be used to generate air quality impact maps that could reveal if certain areas are more affected by air pollution than others.
Preliminary road testing of the air monitoring vehicles and equipment has already begun. Air quality data collection will continue through the early part of 2018. Residents in the area will see the air monitoring vehicles driving in Richmond, San Pablo and El Cerrito neighborhoods during the testing and data collection phases of the study. A website is currently under development and will be up early in 2018 to share the data gathered throughout this study.
The Richmond Mobile Air Monitoring Pilot aims to use this data to provide a greater understanding of air pollution patterns at the street level. This study builds on a similar air quality mapping pilot project completed in Oakland, where research vehicles drove along city streets for approximately one year to collect air monitoring data. The Oakland pilot resulted in localized air quality maps that were subsequently made available to the public.
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Annual YES Conference Encourages Action for Clean Air
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The annual Youth for Environment and Sustainability, or YES, Conference, returns to the Bay Area on Saturday, February 24, 2018. It will be held from 9 AM to 3 PM at Laney College, 900 Fallon Street, in Oakland. Cosponsored by the Air District and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, this free, day-long regional conference will bring together middle and high school students from the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties to discuss topics ranging from climate change and public health to transportation and air pollution.
At the YES Conference, hundreds of local students come together to discuss better ways to get to school or work and participate in leadership workshops put on by other teens. Students learn about paid internships and the latest climate science and technologies, enjoy photo booths, bike blenders, bike repair workshops, art and music, and win prizes.
The goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and driving by increasing walking and biking as a transportation mode among youths and their families, thus improving air quality in communities throughout the Bay Area.
This year, the conference theme will be social and environmental justice, and it will be bigger than ever – hosted on the campus of Laney College with easy access by BART from the Lake Merritt station or by AC Transit bus.
Registration for the event is still open, but space is limited to the first 1,000 students.
There is no cost to attend the conference and breakfast and lunch will be provided for participants. Parents and teachers are also welcome. Students are required to have their parents’ permission to attend. For complete conference details, visit the Spare the Air Youth website.
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Air District Reaches Settlement with Four Local Facilities
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This winter, the Air District reached agreement with four companies to settle notices of violation at their Bay Area facilities.
- In December, Valero Refining Co. agreed to pay $142,000 to settle violations at its refinery in Benicia. The settlement covered a group of 20 notices of violation issued to the company for non-compliance with air quality regulations that occurred largely in 2015.
- In December, the San Francisco Financial District Hilton Hotel, located at 750 Kearny Street, agreed to pay the Air District $150,000 for asbestos violations that occurred at the hotel between 2015 and 2016.
- In January, Tesoro Refining & Marketing Co. agreed to pay $915,700 to settle air quality violations at its Golden Eagle Refinery in Martinez. The settlement covered 51 notices of violation issued to Tesoro for non-compliance at its refinery in 2013 and 2014.
- In January, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., agreed to pay $990,000 to settle air quality violations at its facility in Hercules. The settlement covered violations that occurred at Bio-Rad Laboratories from 2003 to 2014 for non-compliance at its facility.
The violations that led to these settlements have been corrected; most of them soon after they were discovered.
All settlement funds will be used to fund Air District activities, such as the inspection and enforcement activities that led to these settlements.
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Air District Offers Millions in Grants
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Charge! Program – Up to $5 million is available to public and non-public entities that deploy new, qualifying electric vehicle charging stations at transportation corridors, workplaces, multi-family-unit dwellings, park and rides and key destinations. Applications are being accepted on a first-come, first served basis until March 9, 2018, or until funds are exhausted. www.baaqmd.gov/charge Bicycle Facilities Grant Program – Up to $5 million is available to public entities to support the construction of new bicycle facilities, including bikeways and secure parking, to help residents and commuters to mode shift to cycling and walking as alternatives to driving for short and first- and last-mile trips. The deadline for receiving applications is March 19, 2018. www.baaqmd.gov/bikeways
Pilot Trip Reduction Program – Up to $3 million is available to public agencies that pilot new, innovative, and replicable solutions that reduce commute-hour, single occupancy vehicle trips. Funding is limited to projects that are conducted in eligible areas: Priority Development areas (PDAs) and Air District designated highly impacted areas. www.baaqmd.gov/ptr
Carl Moyer Program – More than $16 million is available for projects that upgrade or replace eligible diesel equipment, including on-road trucks, off-road equipment, marine engines, agricultural equipment, locomotives, and electric charging and alternative fueling infrastructure. Applications are being accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until all funds are awarded. www.baaqmd.gov/moyer
Lower-Emission School Bus Program - Funding is available for public school districts, JPAs, and contracted fleets in the Bay Area for bus replacement, engine repower or electric conversion, natural gas tank replacement, and electric charging and alternative fueling infrastructure projects. Applications are being accepted on a first-come, first served basis until all funds are awarded. www.baaqmd.gov/lesbp
Vehicle Buyback Program –The Vehicle Buy Back Program will pay Bay Area residents $1,000 to turn in their operable, registered, older vehicle for scrapping. Eligible vehicles include those that are model year 1996 and older. www.baaqmd.gov/vbb
Residential Wood Smoke Reduction Incentive Program - This program provides funding to eligible Bay Area homeowners to help offset a portion of the cost to replace older, more highly polluting fireplaces or wood-burning stoves with qualifying cleaner heating devices, including electric heat pumps, and natural gas or propane heating stoves and inserts. Funding is also available to help homeowners decommission their working fireplaces and wood stoves by permanently taking them out of service. Funding is limited to homes located in eligible areas: Air District designated highly impacted and high-wood-smoke areas. www.baaqmd.gov/woodsmokegrant
Coming soon!
Light- and Heavy-Duty Zero-Emissions Vehicle Program – This program will begin accepting applications in early 2018 and up to $5 million will be available for projects sponsored by public and non-public entities who purchase qualifying new zero-emissions heavy-duty trucks and buses and/or three or more qualifying new zero-emissions light-duty cars and trucks. www.baaqmd.gov/HDZEV
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