AB 617 Community Emission Reduction Plan (CERP)

10/21/2019

After a year-long effort, South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD, District) has published the draft Community Emission Reduction Plan (CERP) for the three “Year 1” communities within the District that were chosen as part of California Air Resources Board (CARB) Assembly Bill 617 (AB 617). The Year 1 communities are:

Wilmington, Carson, West Long Beach
San Bernardino, Muscoy
East Los Angeles, Boyle Heights, West Commerce

As required by CARB, and as part of the public process for developing emission reduction plans, Community Steering Committees (CSC) consisting of a variety of stakeholders (i.e. active residents, business owners, public agencies, and environmental justice groups) were formed in each community. Throughout the 27 meetings held with the CSCs in Year 1 communities, members of public, SCAQMD staff and CARB representatives, the main contributors to pollution in each community and the priorities for emission and exposure reduction were determined.

Arguably the most polluted area of the three Year 1 communities within SCAQMD, the Wilmington, Carson, West Long Beach community is surrounded by two major marine ports (Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach), major truck transit corridors, railyards, as well as oil drilling and production operations. Diesel particulate matter emissions from mobile sources contribute significantly to the cancer risk in this community, which includes our own Alta Long Beach office. In the upcoming years, and with the existing CARB and SCAQMD rules and regulations, some of the criteria and toxic pollutant emissions to decrease. However, in order to achieve meaningful emission reduction and public health benefits, the following actions are proposed to further reduce emission of criteria and toxic pollutants of concern, as well as exposure to said pollutants.

Refinery and Oil Drilling: SCAQMD aims to reduce emissions from this industry through rulemaking. Proposed Rule 1109.1 (Refinery Equipment), and amendments to Rules 1118 (Control of Emissions from Refinery Flares), 1178 (Further Reductions of VOC Emissions from Storage Tanks at Petroleum Facilities), 1148 (Oil and Gas Wells), and 1173 (Control of VOC Leaks and Releases from Components at Petroleum Facilities and Chemical Plants) are being developed to achieve emission reductions from refinery flares, equipment, storage tanks and require additional monitoring at these facilities. Per the request of CSC members, SCAQMD is also working on improving the notification process for refinery flaring events.
Mobile Sources: a major contributor to this community’s pollution, this category of sources consists of trucks, off-road equipment, ocean going vessels, and trains. The emissions from these sources are planned to be reduced through statewide mobile source measures spearheaded by CARB, such as shore power for OGVs, advanced clean truck regulation, heavy-duty low-NOx rule and heavy-duty vehicle inspection and maintenance. SCAQMD is also planning to offer more targeted mobile source incentives to assist with bringing new and cleaner technology to the community.
Schools, Children Centers, and Home-Exposure Reduction: Along with measures to reduce air pollution in the community, CSC members voiced their concerns about the exposure levels, especially for the more sensitive receptors including children and seniors. To address these concerns, SCAQMD will continue their efforts to install air filtration systems at schools near truck routes and railyards, as well as identify funding sources to provide air filtration systems for homes, increase green space areas, and other public outreach programs.

Along with the measures detailed in Wilmington, Carson, West Long Beach CERP and additional monitoring efforts [as explained in more detail in the Community Air Monitoring Plan (CAMP) published earlier this year https://www.altaenviron.com/news--media/ab617-community-air-monitoring-plans-released], SCAQMD is aiming to achieve the following emission reduction targets for the criteria and toxic pollutants of concern in this community:

Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx): 2,832 to 3,207 tons per year
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC): 64 tons per year
Oxides of Sulfur (SOx): 11 tons per year
Diesel Particulate Matter (DPM): 20 tons per year

After a successful year of planning for the Year 1 communities, CARB and air districts throughout the state of California are in the process of choosing second year communities for the AB 617 program. Our air team at Alta Environmental will be following these efforts, as well as the outcome of the implementation of the Community Emission Reduction Plan in our local communities.

For any questions or guidance on air quality regulations, please contact Chris Waller at Chris.Waller@altaenviron.com or (562) 495-5777.