Documented by Matthew Macias-Carnero
Here’s what you need to know
- The board approved the proposed structural and resource enhancements that consolidate federal, state and local government functions in the Department of Policy and Government Affairs and add additional supervisorial capacity to the Grants and Incentives Department. It is a cost-saving and efficiency measure.
- The board accepted a $56 million award, and approved the construction of the Valley Electric Freight Corridor Project (Valley EFC) that will bring new EV charging networks to Taft and Gustine, promoting clean air initiatives and providing pathways for green economies and clean energy vehicles.
- The cost-benefit analysis was the crux of the attainment planning efforts to address a federal standards discussion. Despite meeting some Federal Clean Air Act requirements, the district still needs to make colossal improvements, in part because the Central Valley’s air quality presents extraordinary and unique challenges and California’s standards and regulations for clean air and emission reductions are vastly harder to achieve than other states.
Follow-up questions
- Are board members seeking out information and data from Valley Air staff that would help them make educated decisions?
- What initiatives is the district taking to address this electric vehicle tire pollution?
- Is it fair that the district is accountable for air emissions that are generated by prescribed burns and natural wildfires?
- What other pollutants and emissions could be removed from monitoring and recording that could help the district and state meet new standards?
Notes
The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District Governing Board met for a regular meeting on Feb. 15, 2024, to discuss various agenda items that included approving and appropriating $56 million in federal funding for EV charging networks in Taft and Gustine, hearing updates on attainment progress of federal air quality standards and address organizational structure and resource opportunities.
The district was established to address the Central Valley’s air quality and quality of life. Eight counties comprise the district: San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kern.
Its governing body is a 15-member board that consists of eight county supervisors from each of the eight Valley counties, one health and science member who is appointed by the governor, one physician who is appointed by the governor and five city council representatives.
Todd DeYoung, the district’s grants program director, presented the recommendation to accept and appropriate about $56 million in federal funding for the development of an electric vehicle charging network in the San Joaquin Valley.
He informed the board that mobile source emissions account for the majority of the NOx and ozone issues in the Valley.
“Reducing emissions from mobile sources, heavy-duty and light-duty vehicles, (is a) critical component of strategy to attain stringent health-based federal air quality standards,” according to the presentation. “With 45% of California truck traffic occurring in the Valley, projects that reduce mobile source emissions are critical in improving regional air quality.”
DeYoung said that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law granted the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Program the opportunity to allocate $2.5 billion over five years “to deploy EV charging/fueling infrastructure, particularly in underserved and disadvantaged communities.”
The district submitted its proposal on June 13, 2023. It outlined a plan for constructing two EV charging sites in Taft (Kern County) and Gustine (Merced County) along Interstate 5 along the National Freight Corridor.
On Jan. 11, the FHWA announced that the district received the $56 million award for the Valley Electric Freight Corridor Project (Valley EFC), marking the largest award in California and the third-largest in the U.S.— among 47 applicants.
“I-5 connects to a series of east-west highways, connecting (the) Valley’s farming communities to the majority of port-accessible trucking routes in California,” according to the presentation.
The district’s primary project partner is WattEV. They are responsible for project deliverables including site design, engineering, procurement, infrastructure development, construction and ongoing operations and maintenance.
Valley EFC costs more than nearly $73.5 million. WattEV is matching more than $19 million.
Grid integration and stability is one component of the Valley EFC. The project includes the construction of 63 acres of solar panels and 5.5MW of battery storage in Taft and Gustine. Combined, they are capable of charging 121,176 Class 8 electric trucks annually.
The district estimates that all construction for both stations will be completed in the second quarter of 2025. Construction is set to begin in the second quarter of this year.
Chair Vito Chiesa asked if there would be hydrogen expansion opportunities at the two sites.
DeYoung replied that there is enough land for co-locating hydrogen refueling systems but is not currently planned.
Board Member Deborah Lewis asked if energy utility companies like PG&E would be providing energy to the sites.
DeYoung replied it is his understanding that if the on-site solar power system does not generate enough power for the EV charging stations, electricity will be provided by the local energy utility providers.
Board Member Rusty Robinson asked what the projected lifespan is of the mega-watt chargers that will be servicing truck fleets. DeYoung replied that the technology is new, and current mega-watt chargers are still early in their lifespan.
The board moved to accept and appropriate $56 million in federal funding for the development of Valley EFC with conditions, which is the requirement of the construction of two on-site offices.
Valley air quality standards and planning projects underway were presented by Program Manager Emily Kneeland and Director of Air Quality Services Jon Klassen.
Kneeland explained that Valley conditions require greater emission =-reduction efforts than elsewhere in the state or nationally.
Specifically, the Valley is faced with a variety of challenges that include its role as a major goods movement corridor, high population growth, pollution transported from other areas, wildfire, and consistent drought and PM (particulate matter) 2.5 solid particles and liquid droplets in the air that are 2.5 microns and smaller in diameter.
PM2.5 health impacts are extraordinary. Kneeland and Klassen outlined the health effects, including premature death in people with heart or lung disease, aggravated asthma, decreased lung function, chronic bronchitis and lung cancer among others.
“(The) governing board has adopted numerous attainment plans and air quality control strategies to address federal standards,” according to the presentation. “While significant improvements have been made, more reductions are needed.”
Kneeland updated the board on the progress of the 2012 PM2.5 Plan. In October 2023, the board took action on initial elements of the 2018 PM2.5 Plan that aims to meet federal Clean Air Act requirements.
“We are currently conducting extensive analysis with (the) Clean Air Resources Board to identify additional emission reductions to bring us into attainment of the 2012 annual PM2.5 Standard by 2030,” Kneeland said.
District measures under evaluation are the continued implementation of recent district regulatory actions, residential wood burning, evaluation of emission reductions from fallow lands and reductions from stationary sources identified through control measure evaluation.
Kneeland said district staff members are working to identify potential emission reduction opportunities, and plan to take the proposed plan to the board in the second quarter of 2024.
She announced that staff are working on a contingency package for the 2008 and 2015 8-Hour Ozone Standards to be submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Kneeland announced several San Joaquin Valley jurisdictions have attained several federal air quality standards that include 1-hour CO, 8-hour CO, 1-hour NO2 and annual NO2, SO2, lead, 1-hour ozone, PM10 and 1997 24-hour PM2.5.
Klassen informed the board that the EPA issued a final rule on Feb. 7 that lowers the PM2.5 annual standard from 12.0 to 9 micrograms. He noted that the EPA updated the Air Quality Index (AQI) scale and monitoring requirements as well.
“In one year from now, by February 2025, states can submit a Designation Request,” Klassen said.
As part of the attainment plan and timeline, Klassen provided key dates to the B=board.
In February 2025, state and local air districts will look at data to determine if they’re above or below 9 micrograms, the new PM2.5 standard, and make a recommendation to the EPA on whether or not they should be designated attainment or nonattainment status.
A moderate plan is due to the EPA in 2027, and the attainment date is 2032.
Klassen said the EPA projects that more than 99% of U.S. counties would meet the revised fine particle pollution standard.
“Ongoing implementation of current district/CARB air quality improvement strategies will assist (the) Valley in making progress and building towards strategy development for new standards,” according to the presentation.
“It is going to be very challenging to meet this 9-microgram standard,” Klassen said.
The district’s partnership with CARB is vital to air quality improvement strategies that will assist with achieving the new annual PM2.5 standards, or 9 micrograms.
“I think we all want to improve the air quality but there are a few concerns,” Robinson said. “I would like them to provide us with a pathway on how to get here.”
Board Member Robert Macaulay said he shared Robinson’s concerns.
“If we know the state is going to go out there and burn 400,000 acres, and that is going to be a public health defect, why are we ignoring that?” he said. “It just seems like EPA, CARB and the state of California are not on the same page around how we keep our mountain communities safe.”
Board Member Lloyd Pareira said he would be ecstatic if forest fire emissions were voided and were considered ineligible for air monitoring.
“The emissions that come out of natural causes, in our case most notably forest fires, (was) pulled out of the requirements so that we are not held accountable for those emissions I think would help us immensely in meeting our goals,” Pereira said.
Board Member Dr. Alexander Sherriffs, appointed by the governor to serve as the physician to provide a health science perspective and expertise, responded by informing the board of the notable health defects caused by particulate matter.
“It’s frustrating for all of us because we work so hard to achieve what we achieve, and then we’re told sorry the goal post had moved, well that’s the nature of science,” Sheriffs said. “The data could have proved that in fact, this wasn’t as dangerous as we thought it was, but in fact, the developing literature tells us PM2.5 is even more dangerous than what we thought it was.”
During the public comment on the attainment planning efforts to address federal standards discussion, Cynthia Pinto-Cabrera, policy coordinator at the Central Valley Air Quality Coalition, addressed board member comments about unfair and irrational regulations.
She explained that the exceptional events clause in the Clean Air Act is one mechanism that works in favor of reaching attainment.
Executive Director Samir Sheikh presented proposals to address organizational and resource opportunities. The proposed recommendations address staff changes and a reorganization of the Government Affair Activities Department.
Sheikh told the board that consolidating the district’s federal, state and local government affairs activities into a single department will “increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the district’s interactions with governmental entities and provide opportunities for succession planning.”
Sheikh told the board that adding additional supervisorial capacity to the Grants and Incentives Department is necessary because it has grown in scale and complexity. With the proposed staff changes, the district can continue to maintain its high level of customer service, productivity and accountability goals. It establishes a proper supervisor-to-staff ratio as well.
The board approved the recommendations to amend the district’s Position Control List effective Feb. 24, to reclassify senior policy advisor to (1) director of policy and government affairs and to reclassify supervising air quality engineer to supervising air quality specialist.
Several board members said the recommended staff changes should have been made sooner.
Actions/discussions/public comment
- The first and only public speaker to address the board during the public comment portion of the meeting was a Fresno County resident whose name was not readily apparent. He said the district’s rebate program for plug-in hybrid, hybrid and electric vehicles is a good incentive.
- “I hope you guys continue it, because I think it gives incentives for people to buy a vehicle that is electric.”
- “Why don’t you also give the rebate to used vehicles?”
- SJVAPCD Executive Director Samir Sheikh informed the board there were high demands for the Drive Clean in the San Joaquin Rebate Program.
- “We do plan on funding that program in the next fiscal year,” he said.
- He added that the other components of the program that help underserved and disadvantaged communities replace and repair gas and diesel-powered vehicles are still active and have funding.
- The board approved the consent calendar as presented, which included seven items:
- Approve the Action Summary Minutes for the governing board meeting held Jan. 18, receive and file list of scheduled meetings for 2024, receive and file Summary of Rules and Plans for January 2024, receive and file Operations Statistics Summary for January 2024, receive and file Budget Status Reports as of Jan. 31, approve reappointment of hearing board members and appoint a new member to the district’s Environmental Justice Advisory Group.
- Board members appointed members to the Budget Ad Hoc Committee. Lewis, Preciado, Escutia-Braaton, Wynn, Sheriffs, and Reyna are to serve on the Budget Ad Hoc Committee. Sheikh announced the budget process starts now. In May there will be a public hearing on the budget. In June, the board will consider the budget.
Conversation highlight
- “This is outstanding,” said one speaker during the presentation of Valley EFC. “This is the chicken and the egg, only in this case we can recognize what really needed to come first.”
- “I know a lot of local colleges have been starting to ramp up their electrical vehicle maintenance training programs,” said Cynthia Pinto-Cabrera, policy coordinator at the Central Valley Air Quality Coalition in response to Valley EFC. “So thanks to the Valley Air District efforts for boosting a new kind of workforce here in the Valley.”
- “It is going to be very challenging to meet this 9-microgram standard,” said Director of Air Quality Science Jon Klassen.
- “I think we all want to improve the air quality but there are a few concerns,” said Board Member Rusty Robinson. “I would like them to provide us with a pathway on how to get here.”
- “If we know the state is going to go out there and burn 400,000 acres and that is going to be a public health defect, why are we ignoring that?” said Board Member Robert Macaulay. “It just seems like EPA, CARB and the state of California are not on the same page around how we keep our mountain communities safe.”
- “If the emissions that come out of natural causes, in our case most notably forest fires, (was) pulled out of the requirements so that we are not held accountable for those emissions, I just think would help us immensely in meeting our goals,” said Board Member Lloyd Pareira.
- “It’s frustrating for all of us because we work so hard to achieve what we achieve and then we’re told sorry the goal post had moved, well that’s the nature of science,” said Board Member Dr. Alexander Sherriffs. “The data could have proved that in fact, this wasn’t as dangerous as we thought it was but in fact, the developing literature tells us PM2.5 is even more dangerous than what we thought it was.”
- “We do have an exceptional events clause under the Clean Air Act,” Pinto-Cabrera said. “They’re analyzing, as we speak, all of those exceptional events.”
- “A number of you have mentioned wildfires and exogenous emissions coming from China and the Bay Area,” said one public speaker. “The truth is, compare wildfire emissions to residential wood burning – which you can control – is 17 times greater, in terms of tons per day, than wildfire emissions.” “Look at the executive summary of what EPA has done. You have that available to you. You’re curious about it, you raise these objections to it, actually look into it, it’s available, it’s there. The internet is your friend – you can find this stuff.”
- “We have been taking a look recently at our organizational structure and looking at it with an eye toward the future,” said Executive Director Samir Sheikh. “Succession planning is a very important component, as well, of how we structure ourselves, and we’re constantly looking for ways to make sure that we have the strong workforce, that we have good training programs and planning in place.”
If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at fresnodocs@fresnoland.org with “Correction Request” in the subject line.
