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Community Air Protection (AB 617)Announcements
On April 14, 2020 the Ventura County Air Pollution Control Board will consider 6 grant awards through the AB 617 Community Air Protection (CAP) Program. The proposed grants would award up to $2.06 million in AB 617 Community Air Protection funds and local AB 923 $2 DMV fees to the Moorpark Unified School District, Ocean View School District, and Ventura Unified School District to replace old diesel school buses with electric school buses and install the required charging stations to power them. The projects will reduce ozone-forming air pollution in disadvantaged and low-income communities 0.8 tons per year, reduce student exposure to toxic diesel particulate emissions, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 83.4 tons per year.
The public will be invited to attend the Air Pollution Control Board meeting where the Board will decide if the above projects should be approved for funding. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in the interest of public safety, however, the previously scheduled April board meeting has been cancelled. Currently we do not know when this meeting will be rescheduled, but once it is safe to do so, we will present the above projects to the Board for approval and the public will once again be notified and invited to attend.
VCAPCD hosted a community public meeting from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM at the Oxnard Public Library on June 11, 2019 to discuss opportunities to improve local air pollution with incentive programs in the community. This meeting was an important first step in establishing this new air quality incentive program and laying the foundation for this new working relationship with the community of Oxnard. VCAPCD will continue to engage with the community including providing presentations entirely in Spanish to reach more community members. Written materials are currently being translated into Spanish as well.
If you would like to be on an email list to receive notifications when public input is requested and when public workshops are being hosted, please email Tyler Harris at tyler@vcapcd.org with your preferred contact information.
We are requesting that interested community members fill out the Air Quality Questionnaire posted in the Documents box below. To submit this document, please email the file to Tyler Harris at tyler@vcapcd.org or mail to the following address:
ATTN: Air Quality Incentives
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Background
The first two years of these incentive funds allow for immediate actions to improve the air quality of the most impacted communities across the state, while the other aspects of AB 617 are developed and implemented. Partnering with communities is essential to the success of these incentives, and both CARB and air districts are looking to local community members and groups to help identify funding priorities.
Please see the CARB’s Community Air Protection Incentives page for further information.
District CAP Participation History
On April 27, 2018, the VCAPCD submitted to CARB a technical assessment to develop an initial list of candidate communities for Ventura County. Please see “Initial VCAPCD AB 617 Submittal” in downloads box.
On June 20, 2018 the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District (VCAPCD) staff conducted a second public workshop to outline the AB 617 legislation and take public comment on possible communities for inclusion in the program. The workshop was held at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center. This workshop also solicited public input on prioritizing areas to be recommended for inclusion in this program by CARB. Please see “Staff Workshop Presentation” in downloads box below.
The legislation sets out an ambitious implementation schedule. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) must set the overall direction of the program by October 1, 2018. This includes identifying impacted communities, establishing the criteria for air monitoring and local emissions reduction programs, and developing statewide strategies for reducing emissions. The local air districts also have specific roles and responsibilities.
VCAPCD First Year Recommendation to the California Air Resources Board
On July 31, 2018 the Ventura County Air Pollution Control Board approved the District staff’s recommendation that the greater Oxnard/Port Hueneme area be the highest priority region in Ventura County for inclusion in CARB’s Community Air Protection Program. District staff’s recommendation is based on our assessment that we have not identified a single or multiple sources of significant air emissions that would lead us to identify a smaller region adjacent to these source(s). This is in part based on our review of our permitted sources in the area. The greater Oxnard/Port Hueneme area is also home to several agricultural operations and these operations generally utilize pesticides and diesel equipment. In addition, the Port of Hueneme and several warehouse type distribution centers are located in the area. Heavy-duty trucks associated with these goods movement facilities move throughout the area. In summary, we are looking at a diffuse inventory of air pollution sources in this area. This will likely require additional research including community level air monitoring in several locations to identify any sources of concern. In addition, by having a larger area, the VCAPCD will have flexibility to target our incentive funds within the area as we learn more about potential issues with air pollutant sources in and adjacent to the area.
VCAPCD Proposed Schedule for Implementation of Best Available Retrofit Technology
As amended by Assembly Bill 617 (C. Garcia, Chapter 136, Statutes of 2017), Health and Safety Code section 40920.6(c) requires that on or before January 1, 2019, each local air district that is a nonattainment area for one or more air pollutants must adopt an expedited schedule for the implementation of BARCT by the earliest feasible date, but in any event not later than December 31, 2023.
District staff has created a BARCT rule development schedule to comply with this statutory requirement. CARB has identified four affected facilities that are subject to AB 617 BARCT requirements; the facilities are operated by Procter and Gamble, New Indy Container, California Resources (Santa Clara Valley Gas Plant), and Trinity ESC. District staff then evaluated which District rules are applicable to these facilities that may not meet BARCT requirements including Rule 74.23, Stationary Gas Turbines; Rule 74.15, Boilers, Steam Generators and Process Heaters; Rule 71.3, Transfer of Reactive Organic Compound Liquids; and Rule 74.10, Components at Crude Oil and Natural Gas Production and Processing Facilities. In addition, District development of a new rule is proposed to regulate the ozone precursor emissions from oilfield flares to address emissions from a nonemergency flare at the Santa Clara Valley Gas Plant.
A public meeting was held on October 30, 2018 by the District to provide the participants with the list of affected facilities and rules, rule adoption schedules and deadline to submit the written comments. No significant concerns with the proposed rule schedules were expressed by the meeting participants.
On December 11, 2018, the Ventura County Air Pollution Control Board will consider approval of District staff’s proposed schedule for implementation of Best Available Retrofit Technology (BARCT) to fulfill this mandate under AB 617.
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