SR 05:022 - Laserfiche WebLink

Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council: BACKGROUND In 1998, the California Air Resource Board (CARB) declared diesel Particulate Matter (PM) a toxic air contaminant. Following that finding, CARB embarked on a process of developing regulations to reduce the exposure of California's residents to these emissions. In September 2003, CARB adopted the first diesel PM regulation affecting privately owned diesel vehicles. The regulation requires SWCVs to reduce diesel particulates emissions and was chartered into law in July 2004. One consideration is that this regulation helps to reduce one harmful emission from diesel engines, but it does not have any requirements to reduce Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx), another harmful emission. This emission is a colorless and odorless gas that is one of the primary components of ozone. Should Bay Area haulers meet only the minimum requirements of the regulation, there will be no NOx reductions resulting from the efforts of retrofitting the in- service vehicles. The Bay Area has met federal attainment for ozone, yet is still above the maximum allowable state standard. In addition, the Bay Area is cooperating with the California Air Resources Board, representatives from the Sacramento Federal Ozone Non-Attainment Area, and the San Joaquin Valley to reduce the levels of both NOx and ozone that are transported to the east into the Valley by prevailing winds. Refuse companies can choose from a range of strategies to bring their in-use vehicles into compliance with the regulation. Refuse fleets choosing to achieve the highest level of both NOx and PM reductions will need to spend approximately $19,000 per truck. The portion of this cost that is allocated to reducing NOx emissions is approximately $10,000 to $12,000. Refuse fleets may also be able to achieve a portion of their compliance by retiring older vehicles and purchasing new natural gas SWCVs if the engines are certified to an optional low-emission standard. DISCUSSION Significant NOx reduction can occur if the refuse tracks in the Bay Area choose to comply with the regulation using technologies that reduce both NOx and PM. However, due to the limitation of the regulation as well as funding availability, fleet operators may not choose the more expensive technologies. In recognition of the substantial costs associated with the additional retrofit, the Bay Area Air Management District (BAAQMD) has created a $1.5 million fund to help refuse fleet operators offset the additional cost of using a technology that reduces both PM and NOx. Any public agency that operates its own fleet of refuse collection vehicles or that has a contract with a private refuse collection fleet may apply to the BAAQMD for funds to offset the cost of NOx control technology. Public agencies may apply directly, or they may apply on behalf of private companies that are providing an essential public service (refuse collection has been SR:05:022