CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS

CSA1 Bill Id:AB 661

Author:(McCarty)

As Amended Ver:August 30, 2019

Majority vote

SUMMARY:

Requires the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (District) to prepare a wildfire smoke air pollution emergency plan (plan) to serve as an informational source for local agencies and the public during an air pollution emergency caused by wildfire smoke. Specifically, this bill:

1. Requires the District to develop the plan in coordination with its county health officer and in consultation with local offices of emergency management or emergency services, school districts, the Air Resources Board (ARB), and regional planning agencies.
2. Requires the ARB to approve the plan, particularly the short-term air quality metric that is advisory and provides details of the health effects of the wildfire smoke that occur on a time scale of less than 24 hours.
3. Requires the plan to include, but not be limited to:
4. Specified recommendations and guidelines during a wildfire smoke air pollution emergency that will be health protective, as specified.
5. An identification of the local agency statutorily responsible to take action at different thresholds of air pollution.
6. Recommendations and best practices for private business and public agencies to reduce or modify activities that contribute to worsening air pollution during a wildfire smoke air pollution emergency.
7. Specific strategies to address vulnerable populations, as specified.
8. Requires the District to adopt the wildfire smoke air pollution emergency plan to be eligible for any available funding to implement the plan.
9. Allows the District to work with local agencies to implement plan recommendations.
10. Allows the District to conduct necessary outreach, research and evaluation programs or projects with respect to wildfire smoke impact control measures.
11. Requires the District, on or before January 1, 2022, to submit a report to the Legislature providing specified information about the district’s experience developing the plan.
12. Requires ARB, on or before January 1, 2022, to submit a report to the Legislature regarding expanding similar requirements for a plan to other air districts. Requires the report to include specified information.

The Senate Amendments:

1. Require the District to coordinate with the ARB in developing the plan.
2. Require the District, on or before January 1, 2022, to submit a report to the Legislature providing specified information about the district’s experience developing the plan.
3. Require ARB, on or before January 1, 2022, to submit a report to the Legislature regarding expanding similar requirements for a plan to other air districts. Require the report to include specified information.

COMMENTS:

Wildfires expose people to smoke and the byproducts of combustion of wood, plastics and other chemicals released from burning structures and furnishings. Particulate matter (PM) exposure is the principal public health threat from short-term exposures to wildfire smoke.

The effects of smoke range from eye and respiratory irritation to more serious disorders, including reduced lung function, bronchitis, and exacerbation of asthma, heart failure and premature death. Studies show short-term exposures to fine particles, a major component of smoke, are linked with increased premature mortality and aggravation of preexisting respiratory and cardiovascular disease.

Children, pregnant women and the elderly are especially vulnerable to smoke exposure. Exposures to fine particles can affect healthy people, causing respiratory symptoms, transient reductions in lung function and pulmonary inflammation.

The health impacts of exposure to elevated PM levels have only been studied for exposures over a 24-hour time scale. The impact of exposure to PM air pollution on shorter time scales has not been researched sufficiently for public health officials to be able to make recommendations or provide appropriate details.

According to the Author:

The Camp Fire, which devastated Butte County during November of 2018, also caused air quality emergencies in most of Northern and Central California. During the fire, Sacramento had the worst air quality on earth (over 300 PM2.5) and San Francisco was forced to cancel schools and area colleges.

It also had the effect of causing confusion among residents of what was the right thing to do in response: Do they keep their children home from school? Should they go to work? Given this new threat wildfires and air quality emergencies, there is a very real need for coordination and cooperation among different agencies so that residents know what to expect and how to best protect themselves and their families from adverse health effects.

Arguments in Support:

According to the City of Sacramento this bill would allow the District and the Sacramento region to better plan for their new normal of persistent drought conditions and a higher number of wildfires.

Arguments in Opposition:

None received

FISCAL COMMENTS:

According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, the ARB estimates it would cost about $500,000 annually (Air Pollution Control Fund) to implement this bill.

VOTES:

ASM NATURAL RESOURCES: 10-0-1

YES: Friedman, Flora, Chau, Eggman, Cristina Garcia, Limón, Mathis, McCarty, Muratsuchi, Mark Stone

ABS, ABST OR NV: Melendez

ASM APPROPRIATIONS: 18-0-0

YES: Gonzalez, Bigelow, Bloom, Bonta, Brough, Calderon, Carrillo, Chau, Diep, Eggman, Fong, Gabriel, Eduardo Garcia, Maienschein, Obernolte, Petrie-Norris, Quirk, Robert Rivas

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 76-0-4

YES: Aguiar-Curry, Arambula, Bauer-Kahan, Berman, Bigelow, Bloom, Boerner Horvath, Bonta, Brough, Burke, Calderon, Carrillo, Cervantes, Chau, Chen, Chiu, Choi, Chu, Cooper, Cunningham, Dahle, Daly, Diep, Eggman, Flora, Fong, Frazier, Friedman, Gabriel, Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Gipson, Gloria, Gonzalez, Grayson, Holden, Irwin, Jones-Sawyer, Kalra, Kamlager-Dove, Kiley, Lackey, Levine, Limón, Low, Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes, McCarty, Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, O'Donnell, Obernolte, Patterson, Petrie‑Norris, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Ramos, Reyes, Luz Rivas, Robert Rivas, Rodriguez, Blanca Rubio, Salas, Santiago, Smith, Mark Stone, Voepel, Waldron, Weber, Wicks, Wood, Rendon

ABS, ABST OR NV: Cooley, Eduardo Garcia, Gray, Ting

SENATE FLOOR: 40-0-0

YES: Allen, Archuleta, Atkins, Bates, Beall, Borgeas, Bradford, Caballero, Chang, Dahle, Dodd, Durazo, Galgiani, Glazer, Lena Gonzalez, Grove, Hertzberg, Hill, Hueso, Hurtado, Jackson, Jones, Leyva, McGuire, Mitchell, Monning, Moorlach, Morrell, Nielsen, Pan, Portantino, Roth, Rubio, Skinner, Stern, Stone, Umberg, Wieckowski, Wiener, Wilk

UPDATED:

VERSION: August 30, 2019

CONSULTANT: Achintya Madduri / NAT. RES. / (916) 319-2092 FN: 0001955

 THIRD READING  

Bill No: AB 661

Author: McCarty (D)

Amended: 8/30/19 in Senate

Vote: 21

SENATE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE: 7-0, 6/19/19

AYES: Allen, Bates, Dahle, Hill, Skinner, Stern, Wieckowski

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: 7-0, 8/30/19

AYES: Portantino, Bates, Bradford, Durazo, Hill, Jones, Wieckowski

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 76-0, 5/28/19 - See last page for vote

SUBJECT: Wildfire Smoke Air Pollution Emergency Plan: Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District

SOURCE: Author

DIGEST:

This bill requires the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD) to prepare a wildfire smoke air pollution emergency plan as an informational source for local agencies and the public during a wildfire smoke air pollution emergency.

ANALYSIS:

Existing federal law:

1. Sets, through the Federal Clean Air Act (FCAA) and its implementing regulations, National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for six criteria pollutants, designates air basins that do not achieve NAAQS as nonattainment, allows only California to set vehicular emissions standards stricter than the federal government, and allows other states to adopt either the federal or California vehicular emissions standards. (42 U.S.C. §7401 et seq.)

Existing state law:

1. Establishes the Air Resources Board (ARB) as the air pollution control agency in California and requires ARB, among other things, to control emissions from a wide array of mobile sources and implement the FCAA. (Health and Safety Code (HSC) §39500 et seq.)
2. Establishes SMAQMD with the primary responsibility for the development, implementation, monitoring, and enforcement of air pollution control strategies, among others, in the County of Sacramento. (HSC §40960 et seq.)

This bill:

1. Requires SMAQMD to prepare a wildfire smoke air pollution emergency plan that will serve as an informational source for local agencies and the public during an air pollution emergency caused by wildfire smoke.
2. Requires SMAQMD to coordinate with the county health officer and consult with ARB, local offices of emergency management/services, school districts, and regional planning agencies in order to develop the plan.
3. Requires the plan to include, but not be limited to:
   1. Specified recommendations and guidelines during a wildfire smoke air pollution emergency that will be health protective.
   2. An identification of the local agency statutorily responsible to take action at different thresholds of air pollution from wildfire smoke.
   3. Recommendations and best practices for private business and public agencies to reduce or modify activities that contribute to worsening air pollution during a wildfire smoke air pollution emergency.
   4. Specific strategies to address vulnerable populations.
4. Requires SMAQMD to adopt the wildfire smoke air pollution emergency plan to be eligible for any available funding to implement the plan.
5. Allows SMAQMD to work with local agencies to implement plan recommendations.
6. Requires SMAQMD, on or before January 1, 2022, to submit a report to the Legislature containing updates from the process of developing and implementing the above plan.
7. Requires ARB, subsequent to the SMAQMD report, to report to the Legislature on the relevant information needed to expand this emergency plan to other pertinent air districts.

Background

1. Air quality regulatory jurisdiction. State law assigns the ARB with primary responsibility for control of mobile-source air pollution, including adoption of rules for reducing vehicle emissions and the specification of vehicular fuel composition. Stationary sources of air pollution, such as factories and refineries, are under the jurisdiction of local air districts. ARB and the local air districts share jurisdiction over emissions of toxics from stationary sources.
   
2. Health impacts of air pollution. Poor air quality causes the lungs to constrict, resulting in wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness, especially during exercise or physical activity. It is well known that air pollution causes asthma. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nationwide 7.4% of adults and 8.6% of children have been diagnosed with asthma. In California, the numbers are significantly higher: 13.1% of adults and 12.5% of children have been diagnosed with asthma. Lower income and minority groups are disproportionately affected by asthma due to their increased exposure to air pollution.
   
   Depending on exposure, air pollution alone can cause an increased risk of cardiovascular and respiratory illness, lung disease, cancerous tumors, birth defects, premature births, developmental disorders, central nervous system damage, intellectual disability, persistent memory impairments, epilepsy, dementia, and premature death.
3. Air pollution from wildfires. Wildfires expose populations to a number of air pollution hazards including smoke and the byproducts of combustion chemicals that can be released from burning structures and furnishings. Particulate matter (PM) exposure is the principal public health threat from short-term exposures to wildfire smoke.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a nationally uniform index used by the US EPA for reporting and forecasting daily air quality across the country. It is used to report information about the most common ambient air pollutants, including PM. The AQI describes air quality using standard descriptors (Good, Moderate, Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, Unhealthy, Very Unhealthy, and Hazardous). The index converts ambient concentrations of pollutants, averaged over 24 hours, into an AQI category and number that can be more easily understood by the public. The AQI uses a normalized scale from 0 to 500 and provides associated health-based descriptors for each category.

The 2018 California wildfire season was the most destructive on record, with some 8,000 fires burning an area of more than 1.8 million acres, resulting in unprecedented poor air quality. For example, the November 2018 Camp Fire caused AQI scores ranging from 239 (very unhealthy) to 314 (hazardous) in Sacramento County. According to SMAQMD, over the last 10 years, the highest observed PM concentrations in Sacramento County have been due to wildfires.

Comments

1. Purpose of bill. According to the author, “Air quality emergences caused by wildfires have become the new normal in California. AB 661 will create a pilot program in the Sacramento region that will develop a plan on what to do during an air quality emergency. This will help communities understand how to protect themselves and their families when the air is filled with smoke.”
   
2. Protecting and informing impacted communities. Residents should be well informed about strategies to protect themselves from any negative health impacts when communities are affected by smoke from wildfires. Should homeowners close up their houses and turn their ventilation fans on or off? What types of filtration systems have been shown to be most effective in reducing PM 2.5 exposure? How often should filters in K–12 schools be changed? Providing publicly available information to answer these types of questions is important for the protection of communities. However, information and technologies to protect indoor air quality from smoke impacts is typically not readily available, and it is not clear whether the development of a plan required in this bill will provide that type of information to the public either.

Currently, only 11 of the state’s 35 local air quality districts provide educational resources for mitigating either indoor or outdoor health impacts from smoke on their websites. Many district web pages that do provide this information contain links to external educational resources such as the US EPA or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ARB provides an educational video to help protect people from smoke impacts, although most local air districts do not provide a link to this resource. Overall, information to help the public understand technologies and strategies to protect indoor air quality from smoke impacts appears to be scattered, at times overly technical, and generally difficult to find.

FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes Local: Yes

According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, the ARB estimates it would cost about $500,000 annually (Air Pollution Control Fund) to implement this bill.

SUPPORT: (Verified 8/31/19)

City of Sacramento

Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District

OPPOSITION: (Verified 8/31/19)

None received

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 76-0, 5/28/19

AYES: Aguiar-Curry, Arambula, Bauer-Kahan, Berman, Bigelow, Bloom, Boerner Horvath, Bonta, Brough, Burke, Calderon, Carrillo, Cervantes, Chau, Chen, Chiu, Choi, Chu, Cooper, Cunningham, Dahle, Daly, Diep, Eggman, Flora, Fong, Frazier, Friedman, Gabriel, Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Gipson, Gloria, Gonzalez, Grayson, Holden, Irwin, Jones-Sawyer, Kalra, Kamlager-Dove, Kiley, Lackey, Levine, Limón, Low, Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes, McCarty, Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Obernolte, O'Donnell, Patterson, Petrie-Norris, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Ramos, Reyes, Luz Rivas, Robert Rivas, Rodriguez, Blanca Rubio, Salas, Santiago, Smith, Mark Stone, Voepel, Waldron, Weber, Wicks, Wood, Rendon

NO VOTE RECORDED: Cooley, Eduardo Garcia, Gray, Ting

Prepared by: Eric Walters / E.Q. / (916) 651-4108

9/3/19 11:03:07

**** END ****

SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Senator Anthony Portantino, Chair

2019 - 2020 Regular Session

AB 661 (McCarty) - Wildfire Smoke Air Pollution Emergency Plan: Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District

Bill Summary:

This bill would require the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District to prepare a wildfire smoke air pollution emergency plan to serve as an informational source for local agencies and the public during an air pollution emergency caused by wildfire smoke.

*********** ANALYSIS ADDENDUM – SUSPENSE FILE ***********

The following information is revised to reflect amendments

adopted by the committee on August 30, 2019

Fiscal Impact:

• The ARB estimates it would cost about $500,000 annually (Air Pollution Control Fund) to implement this bill.

Author Amendments:

Amend per author to address concerns regarding other air quality control districts. In lieu of consultation with local districts, amendments would:

• Require coordination with district.
• Require a summary of existing wildfire smoke air pollution emergency response, including best practices.

-- END --

SENATE COMMITTEE ON

Senator Anthony Portantino, Chair

2019 - 2020 Regular Session

AB 661 (McCarty) - Wildfire Smoke Air Pollution Emergency Plan: Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District

Bill Summary:

This bill would require the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (Sacramento district) to prepare a wildfire smoke air pollution emergency plan to serve as an informational source for local agencies and the public during an air pollution emergency caused by wildfire smoke. It would also require the State Air Resources Board (ARB), in consultation with the Sacramento district and other air districts, to submit to the Legislature a report on information relevant to the expansion of the above requirements to other air districts.

Fiscal Impact:

• The ARB estimates it would cost about $500,000 annually (Air Pollution Control Fund) to implement this bill.

Background:

Air quality regulatory jurisdiction. State law assigns the ARB with primary responsibility for control of mobile-source air pollution, including adoption of rules for reducing vehicle emissions and the specification of vehicular fuel composition. Stationary sources of air pollution, such as factories and refineries, are under the jurisdiction of local air districts. ARB and the local air districts share jurisdiction over emissions of toxics from stationary sources.

Air pollution from wildfires. Wildfires expose populations to a number of air pollution hazards including smoke and the byproducts of combustion chemicals that can be released from burning structures and furnishings. Particulate matter (PM) exposure is the principal public health threat from short-term exposures to wildfire smoke.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a nationally uniform index used by the US EPA for reporting and forecasting daily air quality across the country. It is used to report information about the most common ambient air pollutants, including PM. The AQI describes air quality using standard descriptors (Good, Moderate, Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, Unhealthy, Very Unhealthy, and Hazardous). The index converts ambient concentrations of pollutants, averaged over 24 hours, into an AQI category and number that can be more easily understood by the public. The AQI uses a normalized scale from 0 to 500 and provides associated health-based descriptors for each category.

The 2018 California wildfire season was the most destructive on record, with some 8,000 fires burning an area of more than 1.8 million acres, resulting in unprecedented poor air quality. For example, the November 2018 Camp Fire caused AQI scores ranging from 239 (very unhealthy) to 314 (hazardous) in Sacramento County. According to the Sacramento district, over the last 10 years, the highest observed PM concentrations in Sacramento County have been due to wildfires.

Proposed Law:

This bill would:

• Require the Sacramento district to prepare a wildfire smoke air pollution emergency plan that will serve as an informational source for local agencies and the public during an air pollution emergency caused by wildfire smoke.
• Require the Sacramento district to coordinate with the county health officer and consult with local offices of emergency management/services, school districts, and regional planning agencies in order to develop the plan.
• Require the plan to include, but not be limited to:
  • Specified recommendations and guidelines during a wildfire smoke air pollution emergency that will be health protective.
  • An identification of the local agency statutorily responsible to take action at different thresholds of air pollution from wildfire smoke.
  • Recommendations and best practices for private business and public agencies to reduce or modify activities that contribute to worsening air pollution during a wildfire smoke air pollution emergency.
  • Specific strategies to address vulnerable populations.
• Require SMAQMD to adopt the wildfire smoke air pollution emergency plan to be eligible for any available funding to implement the plan.
• Require the ARB, in consultation with the Sacramento district and other air districts, to submit to the Legislature a report on information relevant to the expansion of the above requirements to other air districts.

Related Legislation:

AB 836 (Wicks, 2019) would establish a grant program to retrofit ventilation systems to create a network of clean air centers in order to mitigate the adverse public health impacts due to wildfires and other smoke events. This bill is pending referral in the Senate Rules Committee.

-- END --

SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

Senator Allen, Chair

2019 - 2020 Regular

Bill No: AB 661

SUBJECT: Wildfire Smoke Air Pollution Emergency Plan: Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District

DIGEST: This bill would require the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD) to prepare a wildfire smoke air pollution emergency plan as an informational source for local agencies and the public during a wildfire smoke air pollution emergency.

ANALYSIS:

Existing federal law:

1. Sets, through the Federal Clean Air Act (FCAA) and its implementing regulations, National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for six criteria pollutants, designates air basins that do not achieve NAAQS as nonattainment, allows only California to set vehicular emissions standards stricter than the federal government, and allows other states to adopt either the federal or California vehicular emissions standards. (42 U.S.C. §7401 et seq.)

Existing state law:

1. Establishes the Air Resources Board (ARB) as the air pollution control agency in California and requires ARB, among other things, to control emissions from a wide array of mobile sources and implement the FCAA. (Health and Safety Code (HSC) §39500 et seq.)
2. Establishes SMAQMD with the primary responsibility for the development, implementation, monitoring, and enforcement of air pollution control strategies, among others, in the County of Sacramento. (HSC §40960 et seq.)
   

This bill:

1. Requires SMAQMD to prepare a wildfire smoke air pollution emergency plan that will serve as an informational source for local agencies and the public during an air pollution emergency caused by wildfire smoke.
2. Requires SMAQMD to coordinate with the county health officer and consult with local offices of emergency management/services, school districts, and regional planning agencies in order to develop the plan.
3. Requires the plan to include, but not be limited to:
   1. Specified recommendations and guidelines during a wildfire smoke air pollution emergency that will be health protective.
   2. An identification of the local agency statutorily responsible to take action at different thresholds of air pollution from wildfire smoke.
   3. Recommendations and best practices for private business and public agencies to reduce or modify activities that contribute to worsening air pollution during a wildfire smoke air pollution emergency.
   4. Specific strategies to address vulnerable populations.
4. Requires SMAQMD to adopt the wildfire smoke air pollution emergency plan to be eligible for any available funding to implement the plan.
5. Allows SMAQMD to work with local agencies to implement plan recommendations.
6. Allows SMAQMD to conduct necessary outreach, research, and evaluation programs or projects with respect to wildfire smoke impact control measures.
   

Background

1. Air quality regulatory jurisdiction. State law assigns the ARB with primary responsibility for control of mobile-source air pollution, including adoption of rules for reducing vehicle emissions and the specification of vehicular fuel composition. Stationary sources of air pollution, such as factories and refineries, are under the jurisdiction of local air districts (e.g., SMAQMD, South Coast Air Quality Management District, San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District). ARB and the local air districts share jurisdiction over emissions of toxics from stationary sources.
2. Air quality standards. The FCAA and its implementing regulations are intended to protect public health and environmental quality by limiting and reducing pollution from various sources. Under the FCAA, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) establishes NAAQS that apply to outdoor air throughout the country.
   
   In 1969 and 1971, ARB set the first air quality standards for ozone, Particulate Matter (PM), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), oxides of sulfur (SOx), and carbon monoxide due to their negative impacts on public health above specified concentrations. The federal government followed suit and set NAAQS for six “criteria pollutants.” These included ground-level ozone, PM, NOx, SOx, and carbon monoxide, and added lead. Now, the US EPA reviews each NAAQS at five-year intervals to ensure that the standards are based on the most recent scientific information.
   
   Regions that do not meet the national standards for any one of the standards are designated “nonattainment areas.” The FCAA sets deadlines for attainment based on the severity of nonattainment and requires states to develop comprehensive plans, known as the state implementation plan (SIP), to attain and maintain air-quality standards for each area designated nonattainment for an NAAQS.
   
   Notably, emissions from wildfires and other natural disasters do not count against air basins with regard to their attainment status.
   
3. Health impacts of air pollution. Poor air quality causes the lungs to constrict, resulting in wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness, especially during exercise or physical activity. It is well known that air pollution causes asthma. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nationwide 7.4% of adults and 8.6% of children have been diagnosed with asthma. In California, the numbers are significantly higher: 13.1% of adults and 12.5% of children have been diagnosed with asthma. Lower income and minority groups are disproportionately affected by asthma due to their increased exposure to air pollution.
   
   Depending on exposure, air pollution alone can cause an increased risk of cardiovascular and respiratory illness, lung disease, cancerous tumors, birth defects, premature births, developmental disorders, central nervous system damage, intellectual disability, persistent memory impairments, epilepsy, dementia, and premature death.
4. Air pollution from wildfires. Wildfires expose populations to a number of air pollution hazards including smoke and the byproducts of combustion chemicals that can be released from burning structures and furnishings. Particulate matter (PM) exposure is the principal public health threat from short-term exposures to wildfire smoke.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a nationally uniform index used by the US EPA for reporting and forecasting daily air quality across the country. It is used to report information about the most common ambient air pollutants, including PM. The AQI describes air quality using standard descriptors (Good, Moderate, Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, Unhealthy, Very Unhealthy, and Hazardous). The index converts ambient concentrations of pollutants, averaged over 24 hours, into an AQI category and number that can be more easily understood by the public. The AQI uses a normalized scale from 0 to 500 and provides associated health-based descriptors for each category.

The 2018 California wildfire season was the most destructive on record, with some 8,000 fires burning an area of more than 1.8 million acres, resulting in unprecedented poor air quality. For example, the November 2018 Camp Fire caused AQI scores ranging from 239 (very unhealthy) to 314 (hazardous) in Sacramento County. According to SMAQMD, over the last 10 years, the highest observed PM concentrations in Sacramento County have been due to wildfires.

Comments

1. Purpose of bill. According to the author, “Air quality emergences caused by wildfires have become the new normal in California. AB 661 will create a pilot program in the Sacramento region that will develop a plan on what to do during an air quality emergency. This will help communities understand how to protect themselves and their families when the air is filled with smoke.”
   
2. Protecting and informing impacted communities. Residents should be well informed about strategies to protect themselves from any negative health impacts when communities are affected by smoke from wildfires. Should homeowners close up their houses and turn their ventilation fans on or off? What types of filtration systems have been shown to be most effective in reducing PM 2.5 exposure? How often should filters in K–12 schools be changed? Providing publicly available information to answer these types of questions is important for the protection of communities. However, information and technologies to protect indoor air quality from smoke impacts is typically not readily available, and it is not clear whether the development of a plan required in this bill will provide that type of information to the public either.

The complex and continually evolving strategies and technologies to avoid the indoor impacts of smoke, particularly strategies to protect those vulnerable to small increases of pollutants, are not always clear or necessarily well understood by the public. Some research entities, such as the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), focus on determining which strategies and technologies are best for protecting indoor air quality. For instance, LBNL recently found wildfire smoke exposures inside homes can be reduced by 50 percent to 90 percent or more using appropriately sized portable air cleaners or by operating central forced air heating or cooling systems with high performance filters. In response to the extremely poor air quality resulting from the November 2018 fires, LBNL created an informational question-and-answer web page: “How to Protect Yourself and Your Family from Wildfire Smoke.”

Currently, only 11 of the state’s 35 local air quality districts provide educational resources for mitigating either indoor or outdoor health impacts from smoke on their websites. Many district web pages that do provide this information contain links to external educational resources such as the US EPA or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ARB provides an educational video to help protect people from smoke impacts, although most local air districts do not provide a link to this resource. Overall, information to help the public understand technologies and strategies to protect indoor air quality from smoke impacts appears to be scattered, at times overly technical, and generally difficult to find.

Communities affected by smoke from wildfires (whether within Sacramento County or not) should be provided with the essential educational and technical resources required to protect indoor air quality. Due to the complex and technical nature of some of this information, providing these types of educational resources might best be handled by state agencies that have the resources and technical expertise such as ARB or the California Department of Public Health (DPH).

As this bill moves forward, the author may wish to consider requiring state agencies such as ARB and/or DPH to provide a centralized, updated and comprehensive educational web page on indoor smoke mitigation technology and strategies for all local air districts to refer to.

1. Protecting communities in other air districts. The increased frequency and intensity of wildfires, in addition to the planned increased use of prescribed fires, will likely result in more communities throughout California being adversely impacted by smoke. While this bill is a pilot program for SMAQMD to develop a wildfire smoke air pollution emergency plan, the Legislature might want to consider revisiting this issue more comprehensively across all communities frequently impacted by smoke in the state. However, requiring all air districts to develop a plan similar to the one in the bill might not be feasible due to a lack of resources at some smaller air districts, while other districts might not be significantly impacted by smoke in their geographic region. Before expanding similar requirements in this bill to other air districts, the Legislature may require additional information to consider various challenges and the feasibility of doing so. For example, the Legislature might find the following information valuable when deliberating the possibility of expanding similar requirements in this bill to other districts:
   1. Lessons learned from SMAQMD’s experience with developing the plan.
   2. Identifying local air districts that are not significantly affected by smoke from wildfires.
   3. Identifying local air districts that are significantly impacted by wildfire smoke but have limited resources to develop an emergency plan.

The Committee may wish to amend the bill to add a reporting requirement for SMAQMD to provide lessons learned from their pilot program and for ARB to provide information on the other air districts for the Legislature to consider when thinking more comprehensively about protecting communities impacted by smoke across the state.

1. Include ARB consultation. This bill would currently require SMAQMD to coordinate with the county health officer and consult with local offices of emergency management/services, school districts, and regional planning agencies in order to develop the plan. In addition to these entities, ARB could add beneficial consultation value as they share jurisdiction over stationary sources of air pollution and could provide statewide consistency across other air districts developing similar plans.

The Committee may wish to amend the bill to add ARB to the list of required agencies SMAQMD needs to consult with when developing the plan.

1. Technical correction.

The Committee may wish to amend the bill to make a technical correction to ensure the language of this bill applies only to SMAQMD and not all air districts.

Related/Prior Legislation

AB 836 (Wicks, 2019) would establish a grant program to retrofit ventilation systems to create a network of clean air centers in order to mitigate the adverse public health impacts due to wildfires and other smoke events. This bill is pending referral in the Senate Rules Committee.

SOURCE:

Author

SUPPORT:

Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District

City of Sacramento

OPPOSITION:

None received

-- END --

ASSEMBLY THIRD READING

ATR Bill Id:AB 661

Author:(McCarty)

As Amended Ver:April 10, 2019

Majority vote

SUMMARY:

Requires the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (District) to prepare a wildfire smoke air pollution emergency plan to serve as an informational source for local agencies and the public during an air pollution emergency caused by wildfire smoke.

Major Provisions

1. Requires the District to develop the plan in coordination with its county health officer and in consultation with local offices of emergency management or emergency services, school districts and regional planning agencies.
2. Requires the Air Resources Board (ARB) to approve the plan, particularly the short-term air quality metric that is advisory and provides details of the health effects of the wildfire smoke that occur on a time scale of less than 24 hours.
3. Requires the plan to include, but not be limited to:
4. Specified recommendations and guidelines during a wildfire smoke air pollution emergency that will be health protective, as specified.
5. An identification of the local agency statutorily responsible to take action at different thresholds of air pollution.
6. Recommendations and best practices for private business and public agencies to reduce or modify activities that contribute to worsening air pollution during a wildfire smoke air pollution emergency.
7. Specific strategies to address vulnerable populations, as specified.
8. Requires the District to adopt the wildfire smoke air pollution emergency plan to be eligible for any available funding to implement the plan.
9. Allows the District to work with local agencies to implement plan recommendations.
10. Allows the District to conduct necessary outreach, research and evaluation programs or projects with respect to wildfire smoke impact control measures.

COMMENTS:

Wildfires expose people to smoke and the byproducts of combustion of wood, plastics and other chemicals released from burning structures and furnishings. Particulate matter (PM) exposure is the principal public health threat from short-term exposures to wildfire smoke.

The effects of smoke range from eye and respiratory irritation to more serious disorders, including reduced lung function, bronchitis, and exacerbation of asthma, heart failure and premature death. Studies show short-term exposures to fine particles, a major component of smoke, are linked with increased premature mortality and aggravation of preexisting respiratory and cardiovascular disease.

Children, pregnant women and the elderly are especially vulnerable to smoke exposure. Exposures to fine particles can affect healthy people, causing respiratory symptoms, transient reductions in lung function and pulmonary inflammation.

The health impacts of exposure to elevated PM levels have only been studied for exposures over a 24-hour time scale. The impact of exposure to PM air pollution on shorter time scales has not been researched sufficiently for public health officials to be able to make recommendations or provide appropriate details.

According to the Author:

The Camp Fire, which devastated Butte County during November of 2018, also caused air quality emergencies in most of Northern and Central California. During the fire, Sacramento had the worst air quality on earth (over 300 PM2.5) and San Francisco was forced to cancel schools and area colleges.

It also had the effect of causing confusion among residents of what was the right thing to do in response: Do they keep their children home from school? Should they go to work? Given this new threat wildfires and air quality emergencies, there is a very real need for coordination and cooperation among different agencies so that residents know what to expect and how to best protect themselves and their families from adverse health effects.

Arguments in Support:

According to the City of Sacramento this bill would allow the District and the Sacramento region to better plan for their new normal of persistent drought conditions and a higher number of wildfires.

Arguments in Opposition:

None received

FISCAL COMMENTS:

According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee

1. One-time ARB contract costs of $300,000 per year for three years to assist in the development of a short-term air quality metric that currently does not exist, using epidemiological, toxicological and modeling approaches (Air Pollution Control Fund).
2. One-time reimbursable local costs of approximately $250,000 to develop the emergency plan. Ongoing annual reimbursable local costs of approximately $65,000 for implementation during events and for updates to the emergency plan (General Fund).
3. Reimbursable local costs of approximately $250,000 every two or three years to deploy monitoring equipment to provide the necessary air pollution data for jurisdictions to determine when emergency plan actions are triggered (General Fund).

VOTES:

ASM NATURAL RESOURCES: 10-0-1

YES: Friedman, Flora, Chau, Eggman, Cristina Garcia, Limón, Mathis, McCarty, Muratsuchi, Mark Stone

ABS, ABST OR NV: Melendez

ASM APPROPRIATIONS: 18-0-0

YES: Gonzalez, Bigelow, Bloom, Bonta, Brough, Calderon, Carrillo, Chau, Diep, Eggman, Fong, Gabriel, Eduardo Garcia, Maienschein, Obernolte, Petrie-Norris, Quirk, Robert Rivas

UPDATED:

VERSION: April 10, 2019

CONSULTANT: Achintya Madduri / NAT. RES. / (916) 319-2092 FN: 0000612

Date of Hearing: May 1, 2019

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Lorena Gonzalez, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 661

Author:(McCarty) – As Amended Ver:April 10, 2019

Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: Yes Reimbursable: Yes

SUMMARY:

This bill requires the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (District) to prepare a wildfire smoke air pollution emergency plan to serve as an informational source for local agencies and the public during an air pollution emergency caused by wildfire smoke. Specifically, this bill:

1. Requires the District to develop the plan in coordination with its county health officer and in consultation with local offices of emergency management or emergency services, school districts and regional planning agencies.
2. Requires the Air Resources Board (ARB) to approve the plan, particularly the short-term air quality metric that is advisory and provides details of the health effects of the wildfire smoke that occur on a time scale of less than 24 hours.
3. Requires the plan to include, but not be limited to:
4. Specified recommendations and guidelines during a wildfire smoke air pollution emergency that will be health protective, as specified.
5. An identification of the local agency statutorily responsible to take action at different thresholds of air pollution.
6. Recommendations and best practices for private business and public agencies to reduce or modify activities that contribute to worsening air pollution during a wildfire smoke air pollution emergency.
7. Specific strategies to address vulnerable populations, as specified.
8. Requires the District to adopt the wildfire smoke air pollution emergency plan to be eligible for any available funding to implement the plan.
9. Allows the District to work with local agencies to implement plan recommendations.
10. Allows the District to conduct necessary outreach, research and evaluation programs or projects with respect to wildfire smoke impact control measures.

FISCAL EFFECT:

1. One-time ARB contract costs of $300,000 per year for three years to assist in the development of a short-term air quality metric that currently does not exist, using epidemiological, toxicological and modeling approaches (Air Pollution Control Fund).
2. One-time reimbursable local costs of approximately $250,000 to develop the emergency plan. Ongoing annual reimbursable local costs of approximately $65,000 for implementation during events and for updates to the emergency plan (General Fund).
3. Reimbursable local costs of approximately $250,000 every two or three years to deploy monitoring equipment to provide the necessary air pollution data for jurisdictions to determine when emergency plan actions are triggered (General Fund).

COMMENTS:

1. Background. Wildfires expose people to smoke and the byproducts of combustion of wood, plastics and other chemicals released from burning structures and furnishings. Particulate matter (PM) exposure is the principal public health threat from short-term exposures to wildfire smoke.

The effects of smoke range from eye and respiratory irritation to more serious disorders, including reduced lung function, bronchitis, exacerbation of asthma, heart failure and premature death. Studies show short-term exposures to fine particles, a major component of smoke, are linked with increased premature mortality and aggravation of preexisting respiratory and cardiovascular disease.

Children, pregnant women and the elderly are especially vulnerable to smoke exposure. Exposures to fine particles can affect healthy people, causing respiratory symptoms, transient reductions in lung function and pulmonary inflamation.

The health impacts of exposure to elevated PM levels have only been studied for exposures over a 24-hour time scale. The impact of exposure to PM air pollution on shorter time scales has not been researched sufficiently for public health officials to be able to make recommendations or provide appropriate details.

1. Purpose. In describing the problem, the author states:

The Camp Fire, which devastated Butte County during November of 2018, also caused air quality emergencies in most of Northern and Central California. During the fire, Sacramento had the worst air quality on earth (over 300 PM2.5) and San Francisco was forced to cancel schools and area colleges.

It also had the effect of causing confusion among residents of what was the right thing to do in response: Do they keep their children home from school? Should they go to work? Given this new threat wildfires and air quality emergencies, there is a very real need for coordination and cooperation among different agencies so that residents know what to expect and how to best protect themselves and their families from adverse health effects.

This bill requires the District, in consultation with numerous city, county and school districts, to develop a wildfire smoke air pollution emergency plan as an informational item and a new tool to help prepare a collective response against the smoke impacts from future wild fires in the region.

Analysis Prepared by: Jennifer Galehouse / APPR. / (916) 319-2081

Date of Hearing: April 8, 2019

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES

Laura Friedman, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 661 (

Author:McCarty) – As Amended Ver:March 19, 2019

SUBJECT: Wildfire Smoke Air Pollution Emergency Plan

SUMMARY: Requires all air districts to prepare a wildfire smoke air pollution emergency plan as an informational source for local agencies and the public during an air pollution emergency caused by wildfire smoke.

EXISTING LAW:

1. The federal Clean Air Act (CAA) and its implementing regulations set National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for six criteria pollutants, designate air basins that do not achieve NAAQS as nonattainment, and require states with nonattainment areas to submit a State Implementation Plan (SIP) detailing how they will achieve compliance with NAAQS.
2. Establishes the Air Resources Board (ARB) as the air pollution control agency in California and requires the ARB, among other things, to control emissions from a wide array of mobile sources and coordinate with local air districts to control emissions from stationary sources in order to implement the CAA.
3. Requires, subject to the powers and duties of the ARB, the local air districts to adopt and enforce rules and regulations to achieve and maintain the state and federal ambient air quality standards in all areas affected by emission sources under their jurisdiction, and to enforce all applicable provisions of state and federal law.
4. Requires air districts to develop plans, as specified, and submit those plans to ARB detailing how they will achieve state air quality standards.
5. Allows air districts to sponsor, coordinate, and promote projects that will lead to the prevention, mitigation, or cure of the adverse effects of air pollution, including the adverse health effects of air pollution.

THIS BILL:

1. Requires all air districts to prepare a wildfire smoke air pollution emergency plan that will serve as an informational source for local agencies and the public during an air pollution emergency caused by wildfire smoke.
2. Requires air districts to coordinate with the county health officer and consult with local offices of emergency management/services, school districts, and regional planning agencies in order to develop the plan.
3. Requires the plan to include, but not be limited to:
4. Specified recommendations and guidelines during a wildfire smoke air pollution emergency that will be health protective.
5. An identification of the local agency statutorily responsible to take action at different thresholds of air pollution from wildfire smoke.
6. Recommendations and best practices for private business and public agencies to reduce or modify activities that contribute to worsening air pollution during a wildfire smoke air pollution emergency.
7. Specific strategies to address vulnerable populations.
8. Requires the air district boards to adopt the wildfire smoke air pollution emergency plan to be eligible for any available funding to implement the plan.
9. Allows air districts to work with local agencies to implement plan recommendations.
10. Allows air districts to conduct necessary outreach, research, and evaluation programs or projects with respect to wildfire smoke impact control measures.

FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown

COMMENTS:

1. Author’s statement.

Due to our changing climate, our forests are experiencing a higher number of wildfires, and persistent drought conditions have created an environment where wildfires occur throughout the year…

The Camp Fire, which devastated Butte County during November of 2018, also caused air quality emergencies in most of Northern and Central California. During the fire, Sacramento had the worst air quality on earth (over 300 PM2.5) and San Francisco was forced to cancel schools and area colleges.

It also had the effect of causing confusion among residents of what was the right thing to do in response: Do they keep their children home from school? Should they go to work? Given this new threat wildfires and air quality emergencies, there is a very real need for coordination and cooperation among different agencies so that residents know what to expect and how to best protect themselves and their families from adverse health effects.

Local air quality management agencies have developed experience, protocols, and planning efforts to protect public health during periods of poor air quality due to vehicular pollution. At the same time, these districts have limited authority to engage in planning and education to address events that significantly impact indoor air quality, or create hazardous conditions that persist for days, as our state experienced during the fires of late 2018.

1. Public health impacts of wildfire smoke exposure. Wildfires expose populations to a number of environmental hazards, e.g., fire, smoke, and the byproducts of combustion of wood, as well as plastics and other chemicals that can be released from burning structures and furnishings. Particulate matter (PM) exposure is the principal public health threat from short-term exposures to wildfire smoke. The effects of smoke range from eye and respiratory tract irritation to more serious disorders, including reduced lung function, bronchitis, exacerbation of asthma and heart failure, and premature death. Studies have found that short-term exposures (i.e., days to weeks) to fine particles, a major component of smoke, are linked with increased premature mortality and aggravation of preexisting respiratory and cardiovascular disease. Children, pregnant women, and elderly are also especially vulnerable to smoke exposure. In addition, fine particles are respiratory irritants. Exposures to fine particles can also affect healthy people, causing respiratory symptoms, transient reductions in lung function, and pulmonary inflammation.

The health impacts of exposure to elevated PM levels have only been studied and understood for exposure over a 24-hour time scale. The impact of exposure to PM air pollution on shorter time scales has not been researched sufficiently for public health officials to be able to make recommendations or provide appropriate details. This bill would require the air districts to provide details about health effects of wildfire smoke on time scales of less than 24 hours, which would not be appropriate without approval from the ARB, who is actively involved in this field of research.

1. PM levels. PM measurements during a fire are used to relay information to the public in a timely manner so people can make decisions about how to protect their health when smoke levels are high. PM levels are measured as micrograms (µg) of particles per cubic meter (m³) of air. Most particle monitors measure either PM₁₀ or PM_2.5 (fine particles). Smoke particles show up in both PM measurements. Continuous PM monitors give an instant reading of particulate matter concentrations, usually averaged in time periods such as one hour or a running 24-hour average. Areas without continuous monitors may be able to get temporary, portable continuous monitors through their federal, state, tribal, or local air quality agencies or the Forest Service.
2. Air Quality Index (AQI). AQI is a nationally uniform index used by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for reporting and forecasting daily air quality across the country. It is used to report information about the most common ambient air pollutants, including particulate matter. The AQI describes air quality using standard descriptors (Good, Moderate, Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, Unhealthy, Very Unhealthy, and Hazardous). The index converts ambient concentrations of pollutants, averaged over 24 hours, into an AQI category and number that can be more easily understood by the public. The AQI uses a normalized scale from 0 to 500 and provides associated health-based descriptors for each category. An AQI value of 100 corresponds to the level of the short-term NAAQS for a given pollutant. An advantage of using the AQI value over the concentrations for particulate matter is that the AQI value of 100 represents a clear demarcation between satisfactory and unhealthy air quality with reference to the national standard, which is established at a level that will protect public health, including the health of at-risk groups. When AQI values exceed 100, air quality is considered to be unhealthy for members of at-risk (or sensitive) groups. Higher AQI values are considered health risks for the general population.

This bill requires the air districts to prepare their own short-term air quality metric for time scales of less than 24 hours. The AQI uses concentration measurements averaged over 24 hours and this new short-term metric would be based on measurements averaged over a smaller time scale. This requirement raises the concern that the air quality metrics developed by the air districts would be different from the nationally uniform AQI, the most widely used and understood air quality metric for the public. There are some established practices for estimating the AQI based on less than 24 hours of data, certain forecasts use a predictive approach to model an estimate of the AQI within a few hours of an air quality event and are revised after 24 hours of data has been collected. Some air districts have already been using forecast data in reporting on the air quality in their districts.

1. AirNow. The AirNow website, at www.airnow.gov, is a multi-agency web site run by EPA that reports air quality using the AQI. The AirNow program accepts, stores, and displays data provided by air quality agencies. Agencies submit continuous PM data to AirNow from over 1200 PM_2.5 monitors and 500 PM₁₀ monitors, plus temporary monitors, on an hourly basis. These data are available to the public through a variety of means including national, regional, and local maps at the AirNow website. AirNow also has a listing of air quality agencies that provide service in affected areas. In addition AirNow provides the AQI health recommendations. Many states and communities across the country have referred affected public to the website during air pollution emergencies through public advisories.
2. Spare the Air. The spare the air program was initially established by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District in 1991 to reduce air pollution and provide advance notice when a "Spare the Air Alert" is in effect. The Air District declares Spare the Air Alerts on days when air quality is forecast to be unhealthy.  In the summer, the Spare the Air program notifies residents when air quality is forecast to be unhealthy, and urges residents to drive less and reduce activities that contribute to smog. The Winter Spare the Air program notifies residents when soot levels are anticipated to be high. 

The Sacramento region air districts (Sacramento Metro, El Dorado, Feather River, Placer and Yolo-Solano Air Districts) have created a Spare the Air program for the Sacramento Region, at www.sparetheair.com, that lists information including current condition, health effects and an air alert notification system to notify Sacramento region residents during periods of poor air quality.

1. “Low-cost” air quality sensors. The federal CAA requires every state to establish a network of air monitoring stations to monitor criteria air pollutants that must meet NAAQS. Not all criteria pollutions are measured at all stations. The measurement instruments and methods used at the regulatory monitoring stations are called Federal Reference Methods (FRM) or Federal Equivalent Methods (FEM). The FRM/FEM instruments (reference monitors) must meet rigorous standards for accuracy and reliability. The typical cost range for reference monitors is from $15,000 to $50,000 and require highly trained technical staff to operate. The data quality from reference monitors is of known and consistent quality in a variety of conditions. The reference monitors have an operating lifetime of more than 10 years; these monitors have to be calibrated and operated to maintain their accuracy.

“Low-cost” air quality sensors have become an attractive means for local environmental groups and individuals to independently evaluate air quality. These sensors typically cost $100 to $2,500, are portable and require little or no training to operate. However, the data quality of the sensors is highly variable and can differ from sensor to sensor and in different weather conditions. In an effort to inform the general public and evaluate the actual performance of commercially available “low-cost” air quality sensors, various air quality entities have established evaluation programs for these sensors. The EPA established the Air Sensor Toolbox for Citizen Scientists, Researchers and Developers, a website that provides information on how to select and use low-cost, portable air sensors. The EPA Sensor Toolbox also lists evaluations of air sensors that were tested by EPA researchers. The South Coast Air Quality Management District has established the Air Quality Sensor Performance Evaluation Center (AQ-SPEC) program. The AQ-SPEC program aims at performing a thorough characterization of currently available “low-cost” sensors under ambient (field) and controlled (laboratory) conditions.

1. Indoor air quality. Unlike outdoor air, indoor air quality is largely unregulated. There have been recent academic research projects to understand the types of activities that impact indoor air quality. House Observations of Microbial and Environmental Chemistry (HOMEChem) is an ongoing project that uses highly detailed measurements to identify the most important aspects of the chemistry that controls the indoor environment. Recent studies from HOMEChem show that PM emissions from cooking can reach the levels that the AQI declares as “very unhealthy”. Monitoring indoor air quality also has significant challenges due to the complexity of indoor environments. Air quality sensors have to be recalibrated to deal with the higher concentrations of indoor emission buildups. Establishing a usable baseline for indoor environments has been a major technical hurdle for indoor air quality research.

In general, monitoring indoor air quality is an emerging field of research with no guidelines or regulations. It would not be feasible or appropriate for an air district to establish thresholds on indoor air quality as there is a significant lack of available knowledge about indoor air quality measurements and how to interpret them.

1. Author amendments. The author intends to amend the bill to be restricted to the Sacramento Metro Air Quality Management District (Sac Metro Air District). Only the Sac Metro Air District will be required to prepare the Wildfire Smoke Emergency Plan.
2. Suggested amendments. The committee may wish to amend the bill as follows:
   1. Remove the language relating to “indoor air quality” from Section 42730(b)(1)(A) (page 3, lines 4-5). Indoor air quality has no existing guidelines or regulations. Amend the subsection to “Specific recommendations based on different tiers of air quality during a wildfire smoke event.”
   2. In Section 42730(b)(1)(C) (page 3, lines 9-11), add language that subjects the requirement for the plan to provide details of health effects of wildfire smoke on a time scale of less than 24 hours to the approval of the ARB.
   3. Remove Section 42730(b)(1)(D) (page 3, lines 12-13). This subsection is redundant with the suggested amendment to Section 42370(b)(1)(A).

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:

Support

None on file

Opposition

None on file

Analysis Prepared by: Achintya Madduri / NAT. RES. /