GCC: Clean-air plan for San Joaquin Valley first to meet all federal standards for fine particle pollution; $5B in incen

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GRA

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Clean-air plan for San Joaquin Valley first to meet all federal standards for fine particle pollution; $5B in incentive funding required
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2019/01/20190125-arbsjv.html

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has adopted a plan that demonstrates to the US Environmental Protection Agency how the San Joaquin Valley air basin will attain each of four federal standards for fine particulate matter by regulatory deadlines.

Meeting standards for fine particle pollution, or PM2.5, is the San Joaquin Valley’s most critical air quality challenge. The San Joaquin Valley has the worst particulate matter pollution in California—and the worst in the nation for annual federal standards. The newly adopted 2018 Valley PM2.5 Plan is expected to result in significant improvement in air quality by 2024. . . .

Particulate matter, which can be made up of soot, soil, dust and sulfate particles, comes from a variety of sources, but primarily from the burning of carbon-based fuels, such as gasoline, diesel and wood. In the San Joaquin Valley, car and truck emissions make up about half of measured airborne PM2.5, and local sources, such as wood smoke and dust, make up the other half.

Despite progress—existing CARB strategies such as engine and fuels standards have reduced Valley NOx emissions by 60% and Valley Air District programs have reduced PM2.5 emissions by nearly 40%—PM2.5 emissions are expected to rise as the population grows.

Currently, the Valley is designated non-attainment for the following federal health-based standards for PM2.5: the 1997 24-hour (65 micrograms per cubic meter) and annual (15 ug/m3) standards, and the 2006 24-hour (35 ug/m3) and 2012 annual (12 ug/m3) standards. Deadlines for attaining these standards are 2020, 2024 and 2025, respectively. (The 2020 deadline is for both 1997 standards.)

Measures for reducing emissions include:

  • New regulations targeting emissions from heavy-duty trucks, including an inspection and maintenance program, a low-NOx engine standard and a low-emission diesel fuel requirement.

    Tightened controls on residential wood-burning stoves and fireplaces, and enhanced incentives for cleaner-burning alternatives.

    Enhanced incentives for purchase of cleaner agricultural equipment and commercial underfired charbroilers.

    A suite of measures to reduce emissions of NOx from flares, including flares at refineries, oil fields and landfills, internal combustion engines and boilers, among other sources.

CARB expects significant benefits from the plan. For example, the city of Fresno is predicted to see a 40% improvement in air quality between 2013 (the base year of the plan) and 2024, when the Valley is expected to attain the 35 ug/m3 standard). The Valley Air District has committed to an aggregate reduction of 1.3 tons per day of directly emitted PM2.5 emissions and 1.9 tons per day of NNOxOx emissions in 2024.
 
Oilpan4 said:
I wouldn't hold my breath.
The people that live there, especially kids, don't have that option, and the Valley has the worst pollution in the state, as well as having a childhood asthma rate of 1 in 6: http://cencalasthma.org/resources/c...s/AQ_Ozone_2004_Adopted/Chapter2-ARBFinal.pdf
 
If they can fix it that would be great.
I hope it works.
I was there (LA) in 2004 or 2005 and the news said the air pollution was worse than it had been in years. I would have rather been back in Afghanistan down wind of the burn pits.
 
We descended off the grape vine this afternoon. We were stunned at the thickness of the smog. Our eyes and throat were soar within 20 minutes. Tonight we are in Harris Ranch and it is a little better. We have seen much of the world but this level of pollution compares to some of the worst in the world. Glad we are driving thru. I would never live in such an area.
 
It sounds like they are heading in the right direction, targeting the diesel engines and stoves that produce the majority of the pollution. Kind of amazing that CA let the diesels and stoves pollute so heavily until now. They should be held to a performance standard of SULEV and NG emissions, respectively.

As for the increase in dust, it is related to drought, itself related to AGW.
 
I saw a study from the American Heart and lung association saying that places with elevated M2.5 particle matter have increased levels of stroke and shorter life expectancy.

Poster number WMP57

From what I remember from my biological weapons training said that M2.5 is the perfect particle size to weaponize a bio agent.
M1 size you breath it in and back out, anything much bigger than M3 your body's defenses can stop a lot of it.
Not only does M2.5 blow right through your body's natural defenses, it tends to stay in you, it can actually get into your blood stream through lungs and mucus membranes.
So if you inhale say weaponized anthrax or dirt, it's not only in your lungs, it can go anywhere in your body, then if it's a bio agent it will become re-animated and bad things happen. I saw the pictures, trust me you don't want to see the pictures.
 
Oilpan4 said:
If they can fix it that would be great.
I hope it works.
I was there (LA) in 2004 or 2005 and the news said the air pollution was worse than it had been in years.
As was already shown to you, the air in Los Angeles was markedly better in 2004 and 2005 than it had been in the prior decades. Please do not repeat this misinformation when you know it is not correct. Go back and study the figures on page 7 of the thread "ABG: U.S. carbon emissions spike in 2018 after years of falling". If you like, you can have the article link as well.

Oilpan4 said:
I would have rather been back in Afghanistan down wind of the burn pits.
That would be a poor choice. The air quality around Kabul was typically worse than the worst big cities in India and China. Even a bit further away, around the burn pits in Bagram where you may have been stationed, PM2.5 and PM10 constantly averaged in the unhealthy range and was substantially worse than Los Angeles.
 
Oilpan4 said:
I saw a study from the American Heart and lung association saying that places with elevated M2.5 particle matter have increased levels of stroke and shorter life expectancy. <snip>
There's any number of studies, including the one you mention, pointing out the risks of PM 2.5 for various illnesses/conditions. Here's a place where you can find many of them gathered together: https://www.greencarcongress.com/health/
 
I'd normally put this is the AFV commercial vehicle topic, but as it's an indication of the steps CARB is taking to clean up the Central Valley's air, decided to put it here. GCC:
Motiv Power Systems delivering 7 electric walk-in vans to USPS as part of CARB program; deployment in Central Valley
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2019/02/20190205-motiv.html

The pilot program of seven Motiv-powered vans is slated for deployment in California’s Central Valley. The first vehicle now serves routes in Fresno with the balance of the vehicles to be deployed in Fresno and Stockton as part of a year-long program. Most of the immediate project benefits will accrue in the San Joaquin Valley, an economically disadvantaged area with some of the highest pollution burdens in the country, as evidenced by CalEnviroScreen scores within the worst five percent in the state.

Motiv’s electric step vans have a range of up to 90 miles with a top speed of 60 mph; battery packs are available in 106 kWh or 127 kWh configurations. . . .

The USPS’ acquisition of the Motiv chassis-powered vans was developed as a partnership by CALSTART and the San Joaquin Clean Transportation Center and funded through a California Air Resources Board (CARB) award to the San Joaquin Air Quality Control. It represents a historic project. The funds are meant to provide an incentive to Californian fleets to adopt the cleanest emerging technologies and continue to advance California's Air Quality and Climate goals.

The USPS’ acquisition of the vans was made possible by the California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of cap-and-trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environment, particularly in disadvantaged communities. The cap-and-trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution. California Climate Investment projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture, recycling and much more. At least 35% of these investments are made in disadvantaged and low-income communities. . . .
 
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