Title
HEARING: Acting as the Board of Directors for the El Dorado County Air Quality Management District:
Air Quality Management District (AQMD) recommending the Board adopt Resolution 185-2013 to:
1) Determine that the PM2.5 Implementation/Maintenance Plan and Re-Designation Request (Plan) for El Dorado County is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA);
2) Approve the PM2.5 Implementation/Maintenance Plan and Re-designation Request for the Sacramento Federal Nonattainment Area (SFNA); and
3) Authorize staff to forward the PM2.5 Implementation/Maintenance Plan and Re-designation Request for the Sacramento Region and all necessary supporting documents to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for submittal to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a revision to the California State Implementation Plan (SIP), to make minor corrections to the Plan and take other actions necessary to fulfill the intent of this Resolution.
Body
Fiscal Impact/Change to Net County Cost
No impact to Net County Cost.
Background
Particulate matter is (PM) is a significant form of pollution which stems from the mixture of solid and liquid particles in the ambient air. Particles originate from a variety of activities and processes, including the chemical reaction of atmospheric gases, fuel combustion, smoke, road dust, and vehicle exhaust. Studies have linked PM exposure to a variety of significant health problems. As a result, the EPA establishes acceptable PM standards, and determines when cities and counties in particular regions have attained those standards.
Based on air quality data from 2006 to 2008, the EPA officially designated Sacramento County, Solano County, and portions of Yolo, Placer, and El Dorado Counties as “non-attainment” for the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) on December 14, 2009 creating the Sacramento Federal Nonattainment Area (SFNA).
The four air districts within the SFNA, along with CARB a...
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