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Chapter 10. District Plans To Attain State Ambient Air Quality Standards of California Health And Safety Code >> Division 26. >> Part 3. >> Chapter 10.

It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this chapter that districts shall endeavor to achieve and maintain state ambient air quality standards for ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide by the earliest practicable date. In developing attainment plans and regulations to achieve this objective, districts shall consider the full spectrum of emission sources and focus particular attention on reducing the emissions from transportation and areawide emission sources. Districts shall also consider the cost-effectiveness of their air quality programs, rules, regulations, and enforcement practices in addition to other relevant factors, and shall strive to achieve the most efficient methods of air pollution control. However, priority shall be placed upon expeditious progress toward the goal of healthful air. It is also the intent of the Legislature that redundant work shall be avoided.
(a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), each district which has been designated a nonattainment area for state ambient air quality standards for ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, or nitrogen dioxide shall prepare and submit a plan for attaining and maintaining the standards to the state board not later than December 31, 1990.
  (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), any district which is a receptor or contributor of transported air pollutants, as determined by the state board pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 39610, shall prepare and submit its plan to the state board not later than June 30, 1991.
The plans for districts responsible for or affected by air pollutant transport shall provide for attainment and maintenance of the state and federal standards in both the upwind and downwind district. Each upwind district's plan shall contain, at a minimum, all mitigation requirements established by the state board pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 39610. Each downwind district's plan shall contain sufficient measures to reduce emissions originating in the district below the level at which violations of state ambient air quality standards would occur in the absence of the transport contribution.
(a) Each district plan shall be designed to achieve and maintain the state standards by the earliest practicable date, as determined by the district and subject to the approval of the state board, and in consideration of all relevant factors, including, but not limited to, the following:
  (1) Present and projected maximum ambient pollutant concentration.
  (2) Distribution and frequency of violations.
  (3) Transport contributions.
  (4) Projected emission increases based on industrial, vehicular, or population growth.
  (5) Emission inventory characteristics.
  (6) Anticipated effectiveness of available and potential control measures.
  (7) Emission reductions occurring in, or expected to occur in, the district.
  (8) In districts where military bases have closed or are scheduled for closure, the reuse plans for the closing base.
  (b) Each district plan shall be based upon a determination by the district board that the plan is a cost-effective strategy to achieve attainment of the state standards by the earliest practicable date.
(a) Each district plan shall be designed to achieve a reduction in districtwide emissions of 5 percent or more per year for each nonattainment pollutant or its precursors, averaged every consecutive three-year period, unless an alternative measure of progress is approved pursuant to Section 39607.
  (b) A district may use an alternative emission reduction strategy which achieves less than an average of 5 percent per year reduction in districtwide emissions if the district demonstrates to the state board, and the state board concurs in, either of the following:
  (1) That the alternative emission reduction strategy is equal to or more effective than districtwide emission reductions in improving air quality.
  (2) That despite the inclusion of every feasible measure in the plan, and an expeditious adoption schedule, the district is unable to achieve at least a 5-percent annual reduction in districtwide emissions.
  (c) For purposes of this section and Section 41503.1, for each district that is designated nonattainment for a state ambient air quality standard but is designated attainment for the federal air quality standard for the same pollutant, reductions in emissions shall be calculated with respect to the actual level of emissions that exist in each district during 1990, as determined by the state board. All reductions in emissions occurring after December 31, 1990, including, but not limited to, reductions in emissions resulting from measures adopted prior to December 31, 1990, shall be included in this calculation. For each district that is designated nonattainment for both state and federal ambient air quality standards for a single pollutant, reductions in emissions shall be calculated with respect to the actual level of emissions that exist in each district during the baseline year used in the state implementation plan required by the federal Clean Air Act. All reductions in emissions occurring after December 31 of the baseline year, including, but not necessarily limited to, reductions in emissions resulting from measures adopted prior to December 31 of the baseline year, shall be included in this calculation.
Each district plan shall contain contingency measures to be implemented upon a finding by the state board, pursuant to Section 41503.3, that the district is failing to achieve interim goals or maintain adequate progress toward attainment. Any regulations necessary to implement the contingency measures shall be adopted by the district within 180 days following the state board's determination of inadequate progress.
(a) The state board shall make technical assistance available to a district, at the district's request, to support attainment planning and air pollutant transport planning and associated analyses. If the state board lacks sufficient resources to make technical assistance available to each district that requests assistance, the state board shall give priority to those districts that have limited financial or technical capabilities.
  (b) The state board shall develop guidelines for use by the districts to prepare emission inventories, develop monitoring networks, and develop methods for the validation of air quality models.
  (c) The state board shall develop and periodically update guidelines for use by the districts to establish equivalent emission reductions for mobile source emission control strategies and transportation control measures.
  (d) (1) The state board may recommend a suggested control measure for adoption by a district to meet the requirements of the district's plan adopted pursuant to this chapter for any architectural paint or coating, if the state board determines all of the following:
  (A) The control measure will achieve a feasible reduction in volatile organic compounds emitted by the architectural paint or coating. For purposes of this paragraph, "feasible reduction in volatile organic compounds emitted" means an emission limitation that is achievable, taking into account environmental, energy, and economic impacts.
  (B) Adequate data exist to establish that the control measure is necessary to attain state and federal ambient air quality standards.
  (C) The control measure is commercially and technologically feasible and necessary.
  (2) Nothing in this subdivision shall limit or affect the ability of a district to adopt or enforce rules related to architectural paint or coatings. Every rule adopted by a district regarding architectural paint or coatings shall be adopted by the governing board of the district in accordance with existing law, and shall include at least one public workshop.
Two or more districts within the same air basin shall cooperate to the extent reasonable and appropriate in developing plan elements of mutual concern. These elements may include, but are not limited to, emission inventories, air quality models, and growth projections.
(a) Each district with moderate air pollution shall, to the extent necessary to meet the requirements of the plan developed pursuant to Section 40913, include the following measures in its attainment plan:
  (1) A stationary source control program designed to achieve no net increase in emissions of nonattainment pollutants or their precursors from new or modified stationary sources which emit or have the potential to emit 25 tons per year or more of nonattainment pollutants or their precursors. The program shall require the use of best available control technology for any new or modified stationary source which has the potential to emit 25 pounds per day or more of any nonattainment pollutant or its precursors.
  (2) The use of reasonably available control technology for all existing stationary sources, except that stationary sources permitted to emit five tons or more per day or 250 tons or more per year shall be equipped with the best available retrofit control technology.
  (3) Reasonably available transportation control measures sufficient to substantially reduce the rate of increase in passenger vehicle trips and miles traveled per trip if the district contains an urbanized area with a population of 50,000 or more.
  (4) Provisions to develop areawide source and indirect source control programs.
  (5) Provisions to develop and maintain an emissions inventory system to enable analysis and progress reporting and a commitment to develop other analytical techniques to carry out its responsibilities pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 40924.
  (6) Provisions for public education programs to promote actions to reduce emissions from transportation and areawide sources.
  (b) Any district with moderate air pollution that is not below the pollutant concentrations for a moderate classification pursuant to Sections 40921 and 40921.5 by December 31, 1997, shall comply with Section 40919 if the state board demonstrates that the additional requirements of Section 40919 will substantially expedite the district's attainment of the state ambient air quality standards. Any actions taken by the state board pursuant to this subdivision are subject to Section 41503.4.
(a) Notwithstanding Sections 40918, 40919, and 40920, a district that does not have extreme air pollution may elect to not include a no-net-increase permitting program in its attainment plan if all of the following actions are taken:
  (1) The governing board of the district finds, at a public hearing, that the no-net-increase permitting program is not necessary to achieve and maintain the state ambient air quality standards by the earliest practicable date.
  (2) Prior to making the finding specified in paragraph (1), the governing board does both of the following:
  (A) Reviews an estimate of the growth in emissions, if any, that is likely to occur as a result of the elimination of a no-net-increase permitting program.
  (B) Complies with Section 40914 either by having adopted, or having scheduled for adoption, all feasible measures to achieve and maintain state ambient air quality standards, or by the use of an alternative emission reduction strategy.
  (3) The governing board of the district submits its finding to the state board, and, within 60 days from the date of the submittal of the finding, the state board makes a determination based on quantifiable and substantial evidence that a no-net-increase permitting program is not necessary to comply with the mitigation requirements established pursuant to Section 39610 and that the no-net-increase permitting program is not necessary to achieve and maintain the state ambient air quality standards by the earliest practicable date. If the state board does not make any determination within that 60-day period, and the district does not agree to an extension of that time period, the district may make the election authorized by this subdivision.
  (b) Nothing in this section shall relieve a district from the obligation to require the use of the best available control technology pursuant to Section 40918, 40919, or 40920.
Following the implementation of Section 40918.5, both of the following shall occur:
  (1) The district governing board's finding pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 40918.5 shall, by operation of law, become part of the district's attainment plan.
  (2) The state board shall, during any subsequent review of the district's attainment plan pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 41500, determine based on quantifiable and substantial evidence whether or not a no-net-increase permitting program is necessary to comply with mitigation requirements established pursuant to Section 39610 or to achieve and maintain state ambient air quality standards by the earliest practicable date. If the state board determines that a no-net-increase permitting program is necessary to comply with those requirements, the district shall then adopt and implement a no-net-increase permitting program pursuant to Section 40918, 40919, or 40920.
(a) Emission reduction offset credits created pursuant to subdivision (p) of Section 41865 shall be approved for use by a stationary source in another district if all of the following conditions are met:
  (1) The district containing the source providing the offset credits does not have a no-net-increase permitting program in its attainment plan.
  (2) The district where the offset credits are to be used is designated as having moderate air pollution.
  (3) The district where the offset credits are to be used is located within the same air basin as, or within an air basin that is contiguous to, the air basin in which the district containing the source providing the offsets is located.
  (4) The site where the offset credits will be used is located within 200 linear air miles from the source providing the offset credits.
  (b) If all of the conditions specified in subdivision (a) are met, the district receiving the offset credit shall do both of the following:
  (1) Determine the type and quantity of the emission reductions to be credited.
  (2) Adopt a rule or regulation to discount the emission reductions credited to the stationary source. The discount shall not be less than the emission reduction for offsets from comparable sources located within the district boundaries.
(a) Each district with serious air pollution shall, to the extent necessary to meet the requirements of the plan adopted pursuant to Section 40913, include the following measures in its attainment plan:
  (1) All measures required for moderate nonattainment areas, as specified in Section 40918.
  (2) A stationary source control program designed to achieve no net increase in emissions of nonattainment pollutants or their precursors from all new or modified stationary sources which emit, or have the potential to emit, 15 tons or more per year. The program shall require the use of best available control technology for any new or modified stationary source which has the potential to emit 10 pounds per day or more of any nonattainment pollutant or its precursors.
  (3) The use of the best available retrofit control technology, as defined in Section 40406, for all existing permitted stationary sources.
  (4) Measures to achieve the use of a significant number of low-emission motor vehicles by operators of motor vehicle fleets.
  (b) Any district with serious air pollution that has not met the criteria for a moderate classification by December 31, 1997, shall comply with Section 40920 if the state board demonstrates that the additional requirements of Section 40920 will substantially expedite the district's attainment of the state ambient air quality standards. Any actions taken by the state board pursuant to this subdivision are subject to Section 41503.4.
Each district with severe air pollution shall, to the extent necessary to meet the requirements of Section 40913, include the following measures in its attainment plan:
  (a) All measures required for moderate and serious nonattainment areas, as specified in Sections 40918 and 40919.
  (b) A stationary source control program designed to achieve no net increase in emissions of nonattainment pollutants or their precursors from all new or modified stationary sources which emit, or have the potential to emit, 10 tons or more per year.
  (c) Measures sufficient to reduce overall population exposure to ambient pollutant levels in excess of the standard by at least 25 percent by December 31, 1994, 40 percent by December 31, 1997, and 50 percent by December 31, 2000, based on average per capita exposure and the severity of the exposure, so as to minimize health impacts, using the average level of exposure experienced during 1986 through 1988 as the baseline.
Each district with extreme air pollution shall, to the extent necessary to meet the requirements of the plan developed pursuant to Section 40913, include the following measures in its attainment plan:
  (a) All measures required for moderate, serious, and severe areas.
  (b) A stationary source control program designed to achieve no net increase in emissions from new or modified stationary sources of nonattainment pollutants or their precursors.
  (c) Any other feasible controls that can be implemented, or for which implementation can begin, within 10 years of the adoption date of the most recent air quality plan.
(a) Prior to adopting rules or regulations to meet the requirement for best available retrofit control technology pursuant to Sections 40918, 40919, 40920, and 40920.5, or for a feasible measure pursuant to Section 40914, districts shall, in addition to other requirements of this division, do all of the following:
  (1) Identify one or more potential control options which achieves the emission reduction objectives for the regulation.
  (2) Review the information developed to assess the cost-effectiveness of the potential control option. For purposes of this paragraph, "cost-effectiveness" means the cost, in dollars, of the potential control option divided by emission reduction potential, in tons, of the potential control option.
  (3) Calculate the incremental cost-effectiveness for the potential control options identified in paragraph (1). To determine the incremental cost-effectiveness under this paragraph, the district shall calculate the difference in the dollar costs divided by the difference in the emission reduction potentials between each progressively more stringent potential control option as compared to the next less expensive control option.
  (4) Consider, and review in a public meeting, all of the following:
  (A) The effectiveness of the proposed control option in meeting the requirements of this chapter and the requirements adopted by the state board pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 39610.
  (B) The cost-effectiveness of each potential control option as assessed pursuant to paragraph (2).
  (C) The incremental cost-effectiveness between the potential control options as calculated pursuant to paragraph (3).
  (5) Make findings at the public hearing at which the regulation is adopted stating the reasons for the district's adoption of the proposed control option or options.
  (b) A district may establish its own best available retrofit control technology requirement based upon consideration of the factors specified in subdivision (a) and Section 40406 if the requirement complies with subdivision (d) of Section 40001 and is consistent with this chapter, other state law, and federal law, including, but not limited to, the applicable state implementation plan.
  (c) A district shall allow the retirement of marketable emission reduction credits under a program which complies with all of the requirements of Section 39616, or emission reduction credits which meet all of the requirements of state and federal law, including, but not limited to, the requirements that those emission reduction credits be permanent, enforceable, quantifiable, and surplus, in lieu of any requirement for best available retrofit control technology, if the credit also complies with all district rules and regulations affecting those credits.
  (d) After a district has established the cost-effectiveness, in a dollar amount, for any rule or regulation adopted pursuant to this section or Section 40406, 40703, 40914, 40918, 40919, 40920, 40920.6, or 40922, the district, consistent with subdivision (d) of Section 40001, shall allow alternative means of producing equivalent emission reductions at an equal or lesser dollar amount per ton reduced, including the use of emission reduction credits, for any stationary source that has a demonstrated compliance cost exceeding that established dollar amount.
For the purposes of Sections 40918, 40919, 40920, and 40920.5, the designation of a district's air pollution as "moderate," "serious," "severe," or "extreme" for an area which is a receptor of transported air pollutants shall be based on violations of state ambient air quality standards which would occur without regard to the transport contribution.
(a) For purposes of classifying ozone nonattainment areas pursuant to Sections 40918, 40919, 40920, and 40920.5, the terms moderate, serious, severe, and extreme shall be defined as follows:
greater than 0.09 to not (1) Moderate ............... more than 0.12 parts per million, inclusive. 0.13 to 0.15 parts (2) Serious ................ per mil- lion, inclusive. 0.16 to 0.20 parts (3) Severe ................. per mil- lion, inclusive. greater than 0.20 (4) Extreme ................ parts per million.
(b) For the purposes of classifying carbon monoxide nonattainment areas under Sections 40918 and 40919, the terms moderate and serious shall be defined as follows:
greater than 9.0 to 12.7 parts (1) Moderate ............... per million, inclusive. greater than 12.7 (2) Serious ................ parts per million.
(c) The state board shall determine the ambient concentration of each nonattainment area consistent with the designation criteria established pursuant to subdivision (e) of Section 39607. Classifications for ozone shall be based upon the calendar years 1989 to 1991, inclusive. Classifications for carbon monoxide shall be based upon the 1989-90 and 1990-91 winter seasons.
(a) Each plan prepared pursuant to this chapter shall include an assessment of the cost effectiveness of available and proposed control measures and shall contain a list which ranks the control measures from the least cost-effective to the most cost-effective.
  (b) In developing an adoption and implementation schedule for a specific control measure, the district shall consider the relative cost effectiveness of the measure, as determined under subdivision (a), as well as other factors including, but not limited to, technological feasibility, total emission reduction potential, the rate of reduction, public acceptability, and enforceability.
(a) Upon the state board's approval of a district's attainment plan, and each January 1 thereafter, the district shall publish a list of regulatory measures scheduled or tentatively scheduled for consideration during the following year. The district shall not propose a regulatory measure for consideration during any year that is not contained in the district's most recently published list of proposed regulatory measures unless earlier consideration is necessary to satisfy federal requirements, to abate a substantial endangerment to public health or welfare, or to comply with Section 39666 or 40915.
  (b) Subdivision (a) does not apply to any modification of existing rules that the district finds and determines is necessary to do either of the following:
  (1) Preserve the original intent of the rules, as stated upon their adoption.
  (2) Increase opportunities for alternative compliance methodology pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 40001.
(a) On or before December 31 of each year following the state board's approval of a district's attainment plan, the district shall prepare and submit a report to the state board summarizing its progress in meeting the schedules for developing, adopting, and implementing the air pollution control measures contained in the district's plan. Those annual reports shall contain, at a minimum, the proposed and actual dates for the adoption and implementation of each measure.
  (b) On or before December 31, 1994, and once every three years thereafter, the district shall assess its progress toward attainment of the state ambient air quality standards. Each triennial assessment shall be incorporated into the district's triennial plan revision prepared pursuant to Section 40925. Each triennial assessment shall contain, at a minimum, both of the following:
  (1) The extent of air quality improvement achieved during the preceding three years, based upon ambient pollutant measurements, best available modeling techniques, and air quality indicators identified by the state board for that purpose under subdivision (f) of Section 39607.
  (2) The expected and revised emission reductions for each measure scheduled for adoption in the preceding three-year period.
(a) On or before December 31, 1994, and at least once every three years thereafter, every district shall review and revise its attainment plan to correct for deficiencies in meeting the interim measures of progress incorporated into the plan pursuant to Section 40914, and to incorporate new data or projections into the plan, including, but not limited to, the quantity of emission reductions expected from the control measures adopted in the preceding three-year period and the dates that those emission reductions will be achieved, and the rates of population-related, industry-related, and vehicle-related emissions growth actually experienced in the district and projected for the future. This data shall be compared to the rate of emission reductions and growth projected in the previous triennial plan revision. Upon adoption of each triennial plan revision at a public hearing, the district board shall submit the revision to the state board.
  (b) A district may modify the emission reduction strategy or alternative measure of progress for subsequent years based on this assessment if the district demonstrates to the state board, and the state board finds, that the modified strategy is at least as effective in improving air quality as the strategy which is being replaced.
  (c) Each district which cannot demonstrate attainment by December 31, 1999, shall prepare and submit a comprehensive update of its plan to the state board not later than December 31, 1997, unless the state board determines, by not later than February 1, 1997, that a comprehensive plan update is unnecessary. The revised plan shall include an interim air quality improvement goal or an equivalent emission reduction strategy, subject to review and approval by the state board, to be achieved in the subsequent five-year period.
(a) The state board shall publish on a quarterly basis, or on a more frequent basis if determined necessary by the state board, a list of each district's rules or rule amendments that are submitted during that quarter to the United States Environmental Protection Agency as revisions to the state implementation plan. The list shall include the following dates and information, if available:
  (1) The date the district adopted the revision.
  (2) The date the revision was submitted to the state board.
  (3) The date the state board submitted the revision to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
  (4) The date the United States Environmental Protection Agency published notice of a proposed action on the revision in the Federal Register and the nature of that proposed final action.
  (5) The date the United States Environmental Protection Agency took final action of the revision and the nature of that final action.
  (b) The state board may remove a revision from the list published pursuant to subdivision (a) 30 days after the United States Environmental Protection Agency takes final action on the revision.
  (c) For the purposes of this section, "publish" means to post the information on the state board's Internet website, or to make the information available to any party in writing upon request.
(a) A district which is nonattainment for the state ozone standard shall be designated "nonattainment-transitional" by operation of law if, during a single calendar year, the state standard is not exceeded more than three times at any monitoring location within the district.
  (b) Any district which is designated nonattainment-transitional under subdivision (a) shall review its plan for attaining the state ozone standard and shall determine whether the stationary source control measures scheduled for adoption or implementation within the next three years by the district are needed to accomplish expeditious attainment or to maintain the state standard following the projected attainment date. In making that determination, the district shall consider air quality trends, the effect of the state's adopted and proposed motor vehicle and area source control programs, turnover of the vehicle fleet, the impact of measures previously adopted by the district, the state board, and the Environmental Protection Agency which are in the process of being implemented, and other significant factors influencing emissions trends.
  (c) If a nonattainment-transitional district determines that one or more of the stationary source control measures scheduled for adoption or implementation within the next three years are no longer necessary to accomplish expeditious attainment or to maintain the state standard, the district shall shift those measures to the contingency category.
  (d) If a nonattainment-transitional district determines that delaying one or more stationary source control measures will not retard the achievement of the state ozone standard, it may delay that measure.
  (e) Subdivisions (c) and (d) shall not apply to any stationary source control measures required by Section 39610. In addition, subdivisions (c) and (d) shall be suspended at any time that the district ceases to qualify for a nonattainment-transitional designation under subdivision (a).
  (f) Actions of any district pursuant to this section are effective immediately. The state board may disapprove any action of the district pursuant to this section within 90 days of the action. The state board shall not disapprove district actions pursuant to this section unless it finds that the actions will delay expeditious attainment of the state ozone standard. Actions taken by the state board pursuant to this subdivision are subject to Section 41503.4.
  (g) Actions of any district pursuant to subdivisions (c) or (d) shall be reviewed by the district in connection with its next review and revision of its attainment plan pursuant to Section 40925.
Nothing in this chapter restricts the authority of the state board or a district to adopt regulations to control suspended particulate matter, visibility reducing particles, lead, hydrogen sulfide, or sulfates, or their precursors.
(a) Each district that has adopted a plan pursuant to this chapter shall, on or before January 31 of each year, prepare and submit to the state board a report identifying the number of days during the preceding calendar year that air quality in the district violated each state ambient air quality standard for which the district's status is nonattainment.
  (b) For any pollutant for which the report indicates that the applicable state ambient air quality standard was not violated during more than three days during the calendar year at any one or more monitoring locations within the district, the district shall not adopt any new or more stringent control measure until after preparation, and approval by the district board, of an analysis that does all of the following:
  (1) Assesses the costs and benefits of all additional district, state, and federal regulatory actions that would be necessary to achieve attainment of the applicable state ambient air quality standard, taking into account only the additional costs and benefits attributable to achieving the state standard for the remaining three or fewer days each year.
  (2) Includes consideration of all of the socioeconomic impacts specified in Section 40728.5.
  (3) Identifies, if the district is an upwind district, the benefits of the additional regulatory actions in the district on the air quality in any downwind district, and identifies the costs attributable to those regulatory actions.
  (c) The state board shall review the district analyses prepared pursuant to subdivision (b) to ensure expeditious progress towards attainment in both the district that prepared the analysis and any downwind district and to ensure that any resulting action of the district that prepared the analysis does not adversely affect any downwind district.