AQ and GHG Basics- Sonoma State

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

Trevor Macenski

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

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

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Air Quality

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Regulatory Framework

 Definition
 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.
 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, NO2, SO2, lead,

 Primary

 Secondary

 State Implementation Plans (SIPs)

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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
plans, submitting SIPs to EPA, monitoring, area
designations, setting emission standards

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Regulatory Framework

 Local
 35 local air districts
 Attain and maintain air quality conditions

 Plans
 Adoption and enforcement of rules and regulations
 Permitting
 Inspections
 CEQA guide
 Thresholds of significance
 Analytical methods
 Mitigation strategies

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Impact Assessments
 Construction-Related  Operation-Related Activities
Activities
 Off-Road Mobile Sources
 Off-Road Mobile Sources (e.g., onsite heavy-duty
(e.g., exhaust emissions from equipment)
onsite heavy-duty
equipment)  On-Road Mobile Sources
 On-Road Mobile Sources (e.g., offsite haul truck &
(e.g., exhaust emissions from overall generation of trips
offsite haul truck & worker and vehicle miles traveled)
commute trips)
 Area Sources (e.g., onsite
 Also note sources including landscape maintenance &
fugitive dust and ROG/VOC natural gas usage)
from paints and curing
asphalt.  Stationary Sources

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Tools of the Trade….

 Models
 Urban Emissions Model (URBEMIS)
 California Emissions Estimator Model (CalEEMod)
 California Emissions Factor Models (On- and Off-
Road)

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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

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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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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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Greenhouse Gases

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GHG, GWP, CO….WTF???
 Definition
 Any gas 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

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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

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Regulatory Framework for GHG
 State and Local
 Executive Order S-03-05
 Approved June 1, 2005
 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

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38501. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) Global
Global Climate Solutions Act
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 such emissions to be phased
in, starting in 2012

 ARB to develop regulations and reporting
system to track and monitor emission levels

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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 offsets

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

OPR Guidance 08’

ARB Scoping Plan 08’

Attorney Generals Mit. List 10’

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I haven’t had a CARB since 2008
 Public workshop to discuss CEQA Thresholds of Significance
for GHGs (December 2008)
 Industrial Projects:
 Quantitative standard of 7,000 metric tons CO2e/yr for operational
emissions
 Performance standard for construction

 Residential and Commercial Projects:
 Performance standards for construction, energy, water, waste and
transportation
 Upper limit on project emissions

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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
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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
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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
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

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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%

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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

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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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AQ and GHG Basics- Sonoma State

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