http://resources.ca.gov/salton-sea/ 1

SaltonSeaManagementProgramAirQualityCommitteeMeetingSummaryHeldFebruary6,2018–Imperial,CaliforniaPreparedbytheConsensusBuildingInstitute

MeetinginBriefTheAirQualityCommittee’sprimaryfocuswastolearnaboutexistingandpotentialmeasuresforreducingdustassociatedwiththeSaltonSeaplayatoimproveairqualityintheregion.StafffromtheImperialCountyandSouthCoastAirPollutionControlDistrictsidentifiedconcerns,regulations,andotherresourcestorealizethesegoals.ImperialCountywillholdpublicworkshopsinMayorJunethisyearonitsdraftStateImplementationPlan(knownasSIP).Participantswouldliketocontinueadvancingairqualityimprovementsandjointdatacollection,publiceducation,dustcontrolmeasures,coordinatedpolicies,andpubliceducation.TheCaliforniaAirResourcesControlBoardisreadytoassistbothDistrictsandIIDtodraftprotocolstoassesstheefficiencyofdustcontrolprojectsandtore-writepartsoftheBACMthatwillthenfitwiththeneedsandactivitiesgoingonattheplayaandwiththeSaltonSea.TheSouthCoastandImperialCountyAirPollutionControlDistrictswouldliketodevelopcommonlanguageandrulesfortheSaltonSeaincooperationwithCARB.CARBcouldalsohelpwithmeasurementtoolsontheplaya.Followup

Ø TheCommitteewouldliketoidentifyairqualitygoalsfortheSaltonSea.Ø TheCommitteecouldworkwithCARBandAirDistrictstosharerulesanddevelopcommon

languageandcoordinateonmeasurementtoolsandBACMdevelopment.Ø IIDwillshareitsdustcontrolworkplanwhenready.Ø IIDwillsharevalidateddataquarterlywiththeTorresMartinezbeginningthisyearandis

workingtopostthevalidateddataonline.Ø Publicaccesscancreateemissivesoils.Projectswillhavetoconsiderconcernsrelatedto

accessandpublicsafety.Presentationsarelocatedat:http://resources.ca.gov/salton-sea/

AirDistrictsonDustControlRulesforOpenSpacesSpeakers:MattDesertandReyesRomero,ImperialCountyAirPollutionControlDistrictandKevinDurkee,SouthCoastAirPollutionControlDistrict

ImperialCountyAPCDMattDesertandReyesRomerofromtheImperialCountyAirPollutionControlDistrictspoketothegroup.TheDistrictisfocusingonthe10-YearPlanandRedHillBaybeyondSaltonCityareafromImperialtoRiverside.TheexposedshorelineisaconcernfortheCountyDistrict.Fragmentationofthesoilcrustandthefollow-onwindcreatesairqualityconcerns.Anothersignificantsourceisoff-roadingintheAnzaBorregoandelsewhere.

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TheDistrictisdevelopingaformaldocument,knownasaStateImplementationPlanorSIP,toaddressPM10.TheSIPwillgototheBoardforapprovalinMayorJune2018.TheDistrictwillholdpublicworkshopsonSIPbeforetakingittotheboard.ThisisthethirdattempttohavetheUSEPAapprovetheSIP.TheSIPistryingtodemonstrateimpactsofPM10fromallsources,includinginternationalsourcessuchastransportationfromMexico.TheDistrictseestheopportunitytoapplyinnovativemeasurestotheSaltonSea.TheDistrictamendedtheprocessin2016witharuletoallowdifferententitiestoapplyinnovativesolutions;however,theEPAnowhasconcernswiththerule.TheEPAwantstohaveauthoritytoadoptandreviewthosecontrolmeasuresbeforetheyapplytotheSaltonSea.SouthCoastAQMDKevinDurkee,theQualityAssuranceManagerfromSouthCoast,spoketothegroup.TheSouthCoastDistricthasjurisdictionintheRiversideCountyportionoftheSaltonSeaAirBasin,inadditiontothenon-desertportionsofRiverside,SanBernardino,LosAngelesandOrangeCounty.TheDistrictactivelymonitorsairqualityandhasthreemonitoringstationsintheCoachellaValley,includingMecca,IndioandPalmSprings.Kevinshoweddifferentmonitoringdatabytown.PalmSpringshaslowerPM10levelsthanIndio.MeccahashigherlevelsthanbothIndioandPalmSprings,whichmightbeanindicatorofSaltonSeaemissionsbutisalsoduetotheincreasedagricultureinthatpartoftheValley.TheDistrictmeasuresthenumberofdaysthatexceedPM10levelsformorethan24hours.From1995-2007,theDistrictdidn’tcountasmuchdatatowardfederalstandards.In2008,real-time,continuousmeasurementswereappliedinadditiontothe24-hourfiltermeasurementsthatarenotcollectedeveryday.In2013andforward,theDistrictaddedastationatMeccaandexpectedtoseemorePM10exceedances.TheCoachellaValleystationshaveexceededthefederalstandardbetween7and10daysperyearsince2013.InthesoutheastportionoftheCoachellaValley,themonitorsdemonstrateahigherincidenceofexceedingstandardsthaninthenorthwesternportionoftheCoachellaValley.SCAQMDRule403identifiesbestavailablecontrolmeasures(BACM)forfugitivedust.Rule403.1isintendedtodealwiththefugitivedustandwindissuesspecifictotheCoachellaValley.Rule403and403.1willapplytotheexposedplayafromtheshrinkingSaltonSea,whenitisdisturbed,butitisnotclearthattheyapplytoundisturbed,naturalopenlands.QuestionsandDiscussionThegoalsandmeasuresofsuccessarenotclearinthe10-YearPlan.Whatarewelookingfor,basinwidereductioninPM10?FromtheAirDistrict’sperspective,there’snocontrolmeasureotherthanwatercoveringthefullplayaagainthatwouldguaranteeeliminatingemissions.Nomeasuresare100%.FromtheregulatoryperspectiveandRule404,anyexposedplayathatisconsideredemissiveisrequiredtomeetcertainrequirements.TheDistrictsmanagethemonitoringstations.Themonitoringstationsareaveragingoverlongperiodsoftime.Onekeypointisdeterminingwhatallowsthecrusttoformontheplayasoeveryonecanusethatinformationelsewhere.TheSouthCoastandtheCountyAirDistricts’requirementsmirroroneanother.

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RecentlegislationfromAssemblymanEduardoGarciasupportsneighborhoodmonitoringincooperationwithenvironmentaljusticeorganizations.TheCountyAPCDisworkingwithcommunitymonitoringprogramsandpublichealthdepartmentsonoutreachinlocalcommunities.Asthmaispredominantintheareabecauseofthedesert,theSaltonSea,agriculture,andoff-roading.TheImperialIrrigationDistrict(IID)planisrequiredasmitigationfortheQSA.Thefirstgoalwastocharacterizetheplayathroughtimeandspace,andunderstandingwhat’sdrivingemission.Thegoaloftheprogramistopreventtheplayafrombecomingasource.IIDisdevelopingthemethodologywithinthiscontext.IIDhasbeenusingwoodchipsonroadstoreducedust.Withthemodeling,on-playaandoff-playa,howdoyouknowifyouaregettingclose?IIDhasanetworkofweatherresearchstations:checkinginputsandmeasuringwind.IIDisdoingdispersionmodeling.TheIIDAirQualityPlanfrom2016isaworkplan.IIDisusingitsowndataforgeomorphicsurfaces.Thestationdatawerenotinputstothemodel.Thestationdataareusedforvalidation.TheTorresMartinezwouldliketogetregulardatafromthe6-stationmonitoringnetwork.CARBisworkingonaframework.IIDofferedtosharethe5-yeardataset,whichisabitdated.IIDhasanagreementwiththeTorresMartineztodeliverdataquarterlythatwillbeginthisyear.IIDisalsoworkingtogetvalidateddataontothewebsoon.EarlWhitcombattheCaliforniaAirResourcesBoardisworkingonanthropogenicdetermination.Thisisaquestionthateveryoneisinterestedinaddressing.Thedefinitionofanthropogeniccontinuestoevolvebasedonresearchandscience.TheregulatoryshorelineatOwensLakeistheresultofsettlementagreements.TheGreatBasinAirDistrictthereofferedtodefinetheshorelineassomethingthatwasclosetotheshorelinein1907.LADWPlaterarguedthatshoreline.ThishasnotyethappenedattheSaltonSea.Itcouldcomeaboutastheresultoflitigation.OpenDiscussionCommunityInformationSharingandAwarenessImmediatenotificationsareveryimportantforthecommunity.TheDistrictshavetalkedabouttheneedfor“cleanrooms”forpeoplewhohavehealthproblemstovisitondayswithpoorairquality.Somehavethoughtofprovidingdustmasksandotheralerts.LuisOlmedofromComitetalkedaboutthelargeeducationprocessintheImperialValleyandplanstoincreaseeducationintheCoachellaValley.Thesemonitorsprovideimmediatealerts.Comitealsohasstaffgoingintotheschoolstoexpandeducation.Itisarainy-dayapproach,helpingschoolsunderstandwhennottogooutside.Theschoolsadoptpoliciesregardingtheairqualitylevels.Asthmalinkageisanotherprogram.Thewebsite,saltonseaCOEE.org,isfocusedoninformingthepublicandlocalcommunitiesaboutairqualityconditions.FundedviaNaturalResources,ithelpsgetthewordoutabouttheseprograms.Educationandrealtimedatahelppeoplemakedecisionsabouttheiractivitieswiththedataandinformation.

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TheSouthCoastDistrictrepresentativeobservedthatlocalcommunityinitiativesaresomuchmoreeffectivethantheAQMDadvisoriesalone.TheDistrictputout146ozoneadvisorieslastyearthroughoutitsjurisdiction-somanythatpeoplestoppayingattentioninsomeareas.Thecommunityinvolvementmakespeoplemoreaware.AB617fundingiscomingsoonandwillprovidealotofbenefitforeducatingthecommunities.OnepersonsuggestedthatAB617fundingcouldhelptoreplicatetheImperialValley’sprogramintheCoachellaValley.FutureRoleofCARBCARBisreadytoassistbothDistrictsandIIDtodraftprotocolstoassesstheefficiencyofdustcontrolprojectsandtore-writepartsoftheBACMthatwillthenfitwiththeneedsandactivitiesgoingonattheplayaandwiththeSaltonSea.SinceEarlisinSacramento,itishardforhimtobepresent.WhatexpectationsdotheDistrictshaveandhowcantheARBbesthelpthedistricts?TheImperialCountyAPCDreportsthatCARBhasbeenveryhelpfuldevelopingthe3SIPSandconductingthemodelingandreviewingdraftsrelatedtoPM10.WhenevertheDistricthascomeoutwithanewrule,CARBhasbeenhelpful.TheCountyAirDistrictisverysmall,oneofthesmallestinthestate.Itmanagesruralandurbanconditions.ThetwoAirDistrictsneedtocometogetheranddevelopcommonlanguageandrules.CARBcouldhelpfacilitatethiscoordination.TheSouthCoastAQMDmayneedtoupdateitsSIPsoon.TheCountymightwanttoadoptsomeoftheSouthCoastAQMDrulesandviceversa.CARBcouldhelpwithmeasurementtoolsontheplaya.Rightnowtherearedifferentmeasurementtools.Theyarenotveryscientificallyaccurate.IIDistryingtousethesetools.ItwouldbehelpfulforCARBtoweighinandbringthisintoconsistencyacrossthedistricts.PublicAccessandActivitiesDisturbanceontheplayaisproblematic.Signageandothercorrectiveenforcementareimportant.Recreationoccursthroughoutthearea.Dustcontrolprojectsmightwanttohaveanaccesscomponent.Memberofthepublic:IIDmanagedmarshprojectisagreatopportunityforthecommunitytohavepublicaccess.FutureDiscussionsBrucewouldliketorelyontheScienceCommitteetoreviewtheIIDAirQualityWorkPlantoadvisethestateonhowthestatemightmoveforward.TheCommitteewouldliketodiscussgoalsforairqualityandpotentiallyfacilitatecommonlanguageandrulesacrosstheairpollutioncontroldistricts.FormalPublicCommentNoFormalPublicComment.Thepresentersansweredquestionsthroughoutthemeeting.