RES 221270 - Laserfiche WebLink

City of Pleasanton Pleasanton Climate Action Plan 2.0 32 The Bay Area 2017 Clean Air Plan provides a plan to improve Bay Area air quality and protect public health as well as the climate. The legal impetus for the Clean Air Plan is to update the most recent ozone plan, the 2010 Clean Air Plan, to comply with State air quality planning requirements as codified in the California Health and Safety Code. Although steady progress has been made toward reducing ozone levels in the Bay Area, the region continues to be designated as non-attainment for both the one-hour and eight-hour State ozone standards as noted previously. In addition, emissions of ozone precursors in the Bay Area contribute to air quality problems in neighboring air basins. Under these circumstances, State law requires the Clean Air Plan to include all feasible measures to reduce emissions of ozone precursors and reduce transport of ozone precursors to neighboring air basins.28 The Federal Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) mandate that states submit and implement a State Implementation Plan (SIP) for areas not meeting air quality standards. The SIP includes pollution control measures to demonstrate how the standards will be met through those measures. The SIP is established by incorporating measures established during the preparation of Air Quality Management Plans (AQMP) and adopted rules and regulations by each local Air Pollution Control District (APCD) and AQMD, which are submitted for approval to CARB and the U.S. EPA.29 The goal of an AQMP is to reduce pollutant concentrations below the NAAQS through the implementation of air pollutant emissions controls. The CAP 2.0 would not involve land use or zoning changes but would rather promote sustainable infrastructure development and redevelopment. CAP 2.0 strategies and policies focus on decarbonization of buildings and sustainable development, increasing local renewable energy infrastructure, improving active transportation, zero emission vehicle and public transit infrastructure, and increasing urban trees. Implementation of CAP 2.0 actions, such as those aimed at reducing VMT, electrifying vehicles, and reducing natural gas use through building electrification, would have co-benefits to air quality within the Air Basin, would help BAAQMD meet applicable air quality plan goals, and would generally reduce sensitive receptor exposure to pollutant concentrations. Although the purpose and intended effect of the CAP 2.0 is to reduce GHG emissions generated in Pleasanton to help reduce the effects of climate change, many of its actions would also reduce criteria pollutant (i.e., air quality) emissions. CAP 2.0 Strategies BE-1 and BE-2 involve increased energy efficiency and building electrification as part of residential, non-residential, and municipal land uses, and Strategy BE-3 and Action S3 seek to increase the generation of local renewable energy. In addition, CAP 2.0 Strategy TLU-2 seeks to reduce VMT in the City by improving active transportation and public transit facilities, while Strategy TLU-1 would encourage the adoption of ZEVs and low-emissions off-road vehicles and equipment by enhancing EV infrastructure, replacing the municipal fleet of off-road equipment with low- or zero-emissions equipment, and providing incentives for community members to purchase zero-emissions, all electric equipment such as lawnmowers and leaf blowers. These energy- and transportation-related strategies would reduce air quality emissions as well as GHG emissions. Therefore, the CAP 2.0 is consistent with the 2017 Clean Air Plan and would have no impact related to a conflict with or obstruction of the applicable air quality plan. 28BAAQMD. 2017. Final Clean Air Plan: Spare the Air Cool the Climate: A Blueprint for Clean Air and Climate Protection in the Bay Area. Final 2017 Clean Air Plan. Available: <http://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/files/planning-and-research/plans/2017-clean-air- plan/attachment-a_-proposed-final-cap-vol-1-pdf.pdf?la=en>. Accessed October 7, 2021. 29 CARB. 2017. 2016 State Strategy for the State Implementation Plan. Available: <https://ww3.arb.ca.gov/planning/sip/2016sip/2016sip.htm>. Accessed October 7, 2021.