| October 10, 2006
Plan Shows Smog-Forming Emissions Must be Cut by 50 Percent by 2020
to Reach Clean Air Standards
Southland air quality officials today released a road map for achieving
new and more stringent federal clean air standards including dozens of
aggressive pollution control measures on sources from consumer products to
ocean-going ships.
“We need a no-holds-barred campaign to meet the formidable challenge of
achieving clean air,” said Barry Wallerstein, executive officer of the South
Coast Air Quality Management District.
“Health studies conducted in our very own region show that residents are
suffering significant health effects from today’s air pollution levels. This
is a wake-up call to move ahead urgently and use all feasible measures to
reduce emissions as quickly as possible.”
AQMD’s draft 2007 Air Quality Management Plan lays out a detailed strategy
for meeting the federal fine particulate PM2.5 standard by 2015 and the
federal 8-hour ozone standard by 2021.
In spite of rapid population and economic growth, Southern California’s
air quality has improved dramatically in recent decades thanks to some of
the strictest pollution control requirements in the world. In 1977, the
region exceeded the 8-hour ozone standard on 223 days; this year, as of
early October, the standard had been exceeded on 86 days. In spite of this
progress, the region still has the worst overall air quality in the nation.
In addition, since the late 1990s, further progress in air quality
improvement has been much slower than in previous decades.
AQMD’s Air Quality Management Plan uses complex computer models to
predict the amount of emissions reductions needed to achieve federal
standards, factoring in existing pollution control programs and projected
growth. The plan shows that emissions of smog-forming nitrogen oxides and
volatile organic compounds will have to be cut beyond the requirements in
existing programs by an additional 50 percent by 2020 to meet the 8-hour
ozone standard.
Since most air pollution is generated by so-called mobile sources –
including everything from cars and trucks to ships, trains and planes – much
of the plan focuses on proposed measures to reduce mobile source emissions
through tougher emission standards for both new and existing vehicles;
dramatically accelerated turnover of existing fleets and incentive programs
to help fund the replacement of aging, dirty diesel equipment. In addition
to mobile source controls, significant reformulation of consumer products
and continued emission reductions from businesses and industry will be
needed to reach clean air goals.
Some of the nearly 60 proposed control measures in the plan include:
- Modernization of industrial/commercial facilities;
- Multiple measures for emission reductions at the ports, including
clean-fuel requirements for ocean-going ships; further emission reductions
from ships at berth and cargo handling equipment; and vessel speed
reduction;
- Further emission reductions from gasoline service stations;
- Further emission reductions from consumer products and a consumer
product labeling program;
- Emission reductions from wood-burning fireplaces and woodstoves;
- Emission reductions from new or redevelopment projects;
- Smog Check improvements;
- Expanded vehicle retirement and mandatory parts replacement;
- Further emission reductions from out-of-state/internationally
registered heavy-duty trucks;
- Further emission reductions from locomotives;
- More stringent motorcycle emission standards;
- Enhanced emissions inspection for heavy-duty trucks;
- More stringent exhaust standards for off-road recreational vehicles;
- Evaporative emission standards for recreational vehicles and marine
pleasure craft;
- Emission reductions from aircraft; and
- Stricter exhaust and evaporative emission standards for lawn and
garden equipment.
Although AQMD has the overall responsibility for drafting the plan, the
California Air Resources Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
have most of the authority over existing emissions. The Southern California
Association of Governments is responsible for developing the plan’s
transportation control measures. In 2014, AQMD’s authority will cover only
11 percent of all nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, 24 percent of volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) and 24 percent of sulfur oxides (SOx).
“While AQMD exceeded its commitment to emission reductions in the last
air quality plan, CARB and EPA fell short by a wide margin,” Wallerstein
said. “Once again, we are calling on CARB and EPA to substantially
accelerate their emission reduction programs to help us achieve healthful
air for the 16 million residents of our region.”
AQMD is the air pollution control agency for Orange County and major
portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
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