94-10-1

SUMMARY OF AGENDA ITEM:

Senate Bill 2330 (Killea, 1990) added Section 43701 (b) to the California Health and Safety Code. This section directs the ARB to consider adopting regulations for reducing emissions from existing heavy-duty diesel vehicles or report to the Legislature why such regulations are not feasible.

The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, Section 219, require the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) to develop regulations that mandate reduced emissions from presently operating urban transit buses. The U.S. EPA responded by adopting regulations, effective May 21, 1993, mandating that urban transit bus operators modify individual buses to meet specific reduced PM emission standards more stringent than required by the original engine certification, or that each operator's fleet average emission level meet a similar reduction.

California Health and Safety Code Section 43701 (b) requires the ARB to consider adopting similar regulations, but applied to all heavy-duty diesel vehicles, not just urban transit buses.

Based on a technical evaluation and on information and comments received at a public workshop, the report concludes that it is not technologically or economically feasible to implement such regulations at this time. The report acknowledges that there are opportunities to reduce emissions from some existing heavy-duty diesel vehicles by retrofitting engines to low-emission configurations, but that such emission reductions will best be achieved through a voluntary, market-based emission reduction credits program, rather than through a regulatory requirement. Therefore, the report recommends that this issue be addressed on a case-by-case basis using the "Guidelines for the Generation of Mobile Source Emission Reduction Credits by Retrofit of Existing Vehicles" approved by the Board on November 18, 1993.

The mobile source credit guidelines based on retrofitting engines to low-emission configurations were developed to provide air districts and businesses with an additional voluntary and flexible meeting requirements for emission reductions. These programs typically provide emission reductions dependent on the offset ratios used. The ARB will continue to evaluate the need for, and the technological and economic practicality of, requiring emission-reducing retrofits for heavy-duty diesel vehicles.

The Board proposed modifications to the report, which included language in the Summary and Conclusions to be more consistent with respect to terms "advisable", "feasible" and "practical", and to include a preamble to the report discussing the issues raised and discussed at the Board hearing but not explicitly included in the draft report.

ORAL TESTIMONY:

Dale McKinnon                         MECA

Kevin Weddle                           Golden State Natural Gas Systems

Gregory E. Vlasek                     California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition

Paul Wuebben                           South Coast Air Quality Management District

Thomas Higgins                         Sr. Consultant
                                                 Senator Lucy Killea

Bonnie Holmes                          V. John White Associates

Bill Volk                                    Econagas Fleet Systems

Janet Hathaway                         NRDC

Gene Glanzer                             Dynodata Inc.

Michael Thomas                         California Trucking Association

Scott Crawford                          Antelope Valley Bus,Inc./California Bus
                                                  Association

FORMAL BOARD ACTION:

Approved Resolution 94-56, with modifications, by a vote of 8-0, and directed the Executive Officer to forward the report to the Legislature.

RESPONSIBLE DIVISION:  MSD

STAFF REPORT:  Yes (51 pages)

SUMMARY OF AGENDA ITEM:

Staff updated the Board on results of research sponsored by the Indoor Air Quality and Personal Exposure Assessment Program in the last two years. Research results show that Californians' actual personal exposures to volatile organic chemicals and to particles (PM10) are often higher than levels measured inside or outside their homes, and that indoor levels of the volatile organic chemicals are generally higher than outdoor levels. Analyses also show that the risk from indoor pollutants is high.

Staff also discussed the many other activities of the program including the indoor exposure assessments prepared for the Toxic Air Contaminants Program and the California Comparative Risk Project; publication of public education documents such as the indoor air quality guideline entitled "Combustion Pollutants in Your Home;" and the many advisory committees and task forces that program staff serve on at both the federal and State levels to help reduce indoor pollution.

ORAL TESTIMONY:  None

FORMAL BOARD ACTION:  None

RESPONSIBLE DIVISION:  RD

STAFF REPORT:  Yes (33 pages)

Resolution 94-57 and 94-58 by a 7-0 vote.