Air Quality Basics

Air Quality and GHG Basics
What the CEQA are you talking about?

Chryss Meier

North America | Europe | Australia | Asia
www.firstcarbonsolutions.com

Outline
 Air Quality

Regulatory framework
 Impact analyses (construction, operational)
 Greenhouse Gases (GHGs)

Regulatory framework

Impact analyses (construction, operational)


Air Quality


Regulatory Framework

Definition
 Criteria Pollutant: An air pollutant for which acceptable levels of exposure have
been determined and documented (in a criteria document), and for which an
ambient air quality standard has been set.
 Other Pollutants: Anything introduced into the air that can cause nuisance,
damage, disease or death to living creatures, or damage to crops or the
environment

Federal

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
 Federal Clean Air Act (FCAA) (1970, Amendments 1990)
 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) (see handout)
 Ozone, PM (10 and 2.5), CO, NO , SO , lead,
2 2
 Attainment Designation and Classification
 State Implementation Plans (SIPs)

4

California's regulatory forays
predate the federal/EPA
Regulatory Framework regulation, that's why we get
special clearance to regulate
(with permission) tailpipe
 State emissions.
 California Air Resources Board (ARB)
 California Clean Air Act (CCAA) (1988)
 California Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS)

Local air district oversight, approving air quality attainment
plans, submitting SIPs to EPA, monitoring, area designations,
 Regulatory Authority
 On-road/Off-Road Emissions Limits, “In Use” Rules, Permits,
ATCMs, Consumer Products, Agricultural


Regulatory Framework

 Local

35 air districts for 15 air basins
 Attain and maintain air quality conditions

Air Quality Attainment Plans
 Adoption and enforcement of rules and regulations

Permitting

Inspections
 CEQA guide

Thresholds of significance
 Screening tools

Analysis methodology

Mitigation strategies


Impact Assessments
 Construction-Related  Operation-Related
Activities Activities
 Off-Road Mobile  Off-Road Mobile
Sources Sources
 On-Road Mobile
Sources

On-Road Mobile
Sources Area Sources
 ROG/VOC from paints
and curing asphalt.  Area Sources
 Stationary Sources


Tools of the Trade….

Models

Urban Emissions Model (URBEMIS)
 California Emissions Estimator Model (CalEEMod)
 California Emissions Factor Models (EMFAC,
OFFROAD)


Answer me this…CEQA Appendix G

A) Conflict with or obstruct implementation of the
applicable air quality plan
 B) Violate any air quality standard or contribute
substantially to an existing or projected air quality
violation
 C) Result in a cumulatively considerable net increase of
any Criteria Air Pollutants for which the project region is
non-attainment under an CAAQS or NAAQS
 D) Expose sensitive receptors to substantial pollutant
concentrations

E) Create objectionable odors affecting a substantial
number of people


Now you have an impact…..
 Thresholds of significance
 Mitigation (on- and off-site)
 Fees
 Construction (e.g., watering, new equipment fleet)

Operational (e.g., trip reduction)

Modified Activity
 Buffer Zones
 Proving Reduction effectiveness

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Greenhouse Gases


GHG, GWP, CO….WTF???
 Definition
 Any gas or particulate that absorbs infrared
radiation in the atmosphere : CO2, CH4, N2O

Global Warming Potential (GWP)
 Used to normalize GHGs to units of CO2 equivalent (CO2e)
 Example:
1 ton CH4 * 21 GWP = 21 tons CO2e


Regulatory Framework for GHG
 Federal
 Mandatory GHG reporting rule
 National program to cut GHG emissions and improve fuel
economy for cars and trucks

Endangerment and cause or contribute findings (2009)

States EPA should regulate and develop standards for emissions of
any pollution from any class(es) of new motor vehicles (or
engines), which in judgment cause, or contribute to, air pollution,
which may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or
welfare
 Climate change adaptation


Regulatory Framework for GHG
 State and Local
 Executive Order S-03-05

Established GHG emissions targets for California:
 By 2010, Reduce to 2000 Levels
 By 2020, Reduce to 1990 Levels
 By 2050, Reduce to 80% below 1990

Oversight by Secretary of CalEPA with other state departments,
Climate Action Team

Biennial report on progress, impacts of global warming on
California, and mitigation and adaptation plans to combat impacts

No action for implementation to date


Health and Safety Code 38501. The Legislature finds and declares all of the
Global Climate Solutions Act
following: (a) Global warming poses a serious threat to the economic
well-being, public health, natural resources, and the environment of
California.
 Required that GHG emissions be reduced to
1990 levels by 2020
 Statewide cap on certain emissions to be
phased in, starting in 2012

ARB to develop regulations and reporting
system to track and monitor emission levels


So what does this all mean?

Small incremental emissions can be cumulatively
considerable….e.g. SJVAPCD

Can’t dance around it you have to assess significance and
recommend feasible, enforceable mitigation/alternatives

Absence of State thresholds is not an excuse to avoid
determining significance

Highest priority is securing feasible mitigation and/or
alternatives to reduce carbon emissions, including use of
offsets


Sources of Information and Guidance
CAPCOA Guidance 08’ & 10’

OPR Guidance 08’

ARB Scoping Plan 08’

Attorney Generals Mit. List 10’


ARB’s Scoping Plan
 Strategies to achieve reduction includes ARB-
recommended GHG reductions for each emissions
sector of the state’s GHG inventory

Improved emission standards for light-duty vehicles
 Low-Carbon Fuel Standard
 Energy efficiency measures in buildings and appliances
and the widespread development of combined heat and
power systems

Renewable portfolio standard for electricity production
 Reapproved in August 2011

Climate Change, GHG, CEQA….Oh My!
 CEQA Guidelines were revised effective March 10,
2010
 Key contents:
 Determining significance


Use of existing streamlining tools
 Appendix F – Energy Conservation

 Appendix G – Checklist


Not there: quantified GHG threshold, vulnerability
provisions

Take it District by District

SCAQMD 
SJVAPCD
 GHG CEQA Significance Threshold  Basis: Performance based
Working Group  All projects that would result in an
 Draft Guidance document - Interim increase in GHG emissions would be
CEQA GHG Significance Threshold subject to San Joaquin Valley APCD’s
(October 2008) Best Performance Standards (BPS)
 Significance Threshold (5-Tier  Projects implementing BPS would
Approach) be determined to have a less than

Tier 1: Applicable exemptions significant individual and cumulative

Tier 2: GHG emissions within GHG impact on climate change
budgets in approved  ? Where are the BPSs
regional plans
 Tier 3: GHG emissions incremental
increase below, or
mitigated to less than the
significance screening level

Tier 4: Performance standards

Tier 5: Offsets


Best Performance Standards
 BPS Stationary Source Projects
 Most stringent GHG emission reductions
technology

Achieved-in-Practice

Pre-quantified GHG emission reductions


BPS Development Projects

Any combination of approved measures
 Achieved-In-Practice
 Reducing GHG emissions by at least a 29%

Analytical Tools
 Urban Emissions Model (URBEMIS) (http://www.urbemis.com/) (On- and Off-Road Mobile, Area)
 BAAQMD’s GHG Model Add-on (BGM) (All) (http://www.urbemis.com/) (All)
 SCAQMD’s CalEEMod (http://www.aqmd.gov/caleemod/download.htm) (All)
 ARB On-Road Emission Factors Model (EMFAC 2011) (http://www.arb.ca.gov/msei/modeling.htm)
 ARB Off-Road Emission Factors Model (OFFROAD 2007)
(http://www.arb.ca.gov/msei/offroad/offroad.htm)

EPA Climate Leaders GHG Inventory Guidance (http://www.epa.gov/climateleaders/resources/inventory-
guidance.html) (On- and Off-Road Mobile, Area, Stationary, and Indirect)

California Climate Action Registry (CCAR) General Reporting Protocol
(http://www.climateregistry.org/tools/protocols/general-reporting-protocol.html) (On- and Off-Road
Mobile, Area, Stationary, and Indirect)
 World Resources Institute (WRI) GHG Protocol (http://pdf.wri.org/ghg_protocol_2004.pdf) (On- and Off-
Road Mobile, Area, Stationary, and Indirect)
 ARB Regulation Order (http://www.arb.ca.gov/regact/2007/ghg2007/isor.pdf) (On- and Off-Road Mobile,
Area, Stationary, and Indirect)

ARB/CCAR/ICLEI/TCR Local Government Operations Protocol
(http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/protocols/localgov/pubs/final_lgo_protocol_2008-09-25.pdf)
(On- and Off-Road Mobile, Area, Stationary, and Indirect


Sample Projects

Bell Village Project- City of Santa Rosa
 Chik-Fa-La Project- City of Santa Rosa

Shore Power Project- Port of Oakland
 SunPower Solar Project-County of Kings

Elk Grove SOI Expansion- Sacramento LAFCO


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