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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAir Quality Advisory Board - Minutes - 05/17/2021 AIR QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR May 17, 2021 5:30 – 8:00 pm via Zoom 5/17/21 – MINUTES Page 1 1. CALL TO ORDER 5:30pm 2. ROLL CALL • List of Board Members Present − Matt Tribby − Karen Artell − Jim Dennison − Emily Bitler − Wayne Chuang − Dan Welsh • List of Board Members Absent – Excused or Unexcused; if no contact with Chair has been made − Jason Miller − Greg Clark • List of Staff Members Present − Cassie Archuleta, Staff Liaison − Matt Parker, Sr. Natural Areas Supervisor − Jason Komes, Air Quality Specialist • List of Guests − David Rojas 3. AGENDA REVIEW 4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. Emily moved and Wayne seconded a motion to approve the minutes. Motion passed unanimously 6-0-0 6. PREVIOUS BUSINESS a. Oil and gas update - Cassie Archuleta − Because the local oil and gas developer is requesting recompletion, the City of Fort Collins will be starting some conversations with them and also with Larimer County. − The City is currently monitoring Larimer County's progress with rule setting and is formulating draft concepts of rules, which City Council will review in late summer. The AQAB will be consulted on these concepts before Council considers them. AIR QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 5/17/21 – MINUTES Page 2 b. The Environmental Services Department is currently interviewing candidates for the Director position of the department and will make a final decision in June. c. Matt reported he reached out to the Transportation Board chair, Nathalie Rachline, to tell her the AQAB would like to collaborate with her board regarding electric vehicles in the city. She will get back to the AQAB how the collaboration would work with them. 7. NEW BUSINESS a. West Nile Update - Matt Parker, Sr. Natural Areas Supervisor and Jason Komes, Air Quality Specialist − Background − Jason has been working with Matt in the Natural Areas regarding the air quality aspects of integrated pest management in the City. They were present to provide background information on the City's West Nile Virus (WNV) program ahead of this year's West Nile Virus season. − WNV is generally present in our area and is transmitted from mosquitoes to hosts. General impacts to humans vary from asymptomatic to death. There are 12+ species of mosquitoes in the Fort Collins area, 2 of which transmit WNV, and only the female mosquitoes bite and transmit WNV. − During the last 5 years, infections in Larimer county have ranged from 152 to 1061 resulting in 1 or 2 deaths. − Agencies that collaborate to track and manage WNV are Centers for Disease Control, EPA, Larimer County Health Department, and CSU. − Guiding Principles of WNV Program − The program's goal is to reduce the risk of West Nile Virus (WNV) infection while limiting adverse human health and environmental impacts. It also supports the City's strategic plan to preserve the quality of life in neighborhoods − Integrated Pest Management (IPM) focuses on prevention, identifying and monitoring, control, and setting pre-determined thresholds. It includes data-guided management actions, ongoing communication, and quick and effective adult mosquito application, but only when and where necessary to mitigate mosquito reproduction. − The WNV program budget ($370,000) includes mostly larval control, and then trapping, testing, education and program management. Spraying events are funded out of the City Manager's emergency funds. - Q - Has this budget been adversely affected by Covid? A - Yes, it was reduced $39,000, by removing most of the education efforts. The 2022 budget offer is requesting full funds. − The educational message is to encourage people to drain standing water, dress appropriately, use insect repellant and be aware that mosquitoes are most active AIR QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 5/17/21 – MINUTES Page 3 from dusk to dawn. − Competing values within public health − There are 3 mosquito traps in town that calculate mosquito abundance and rate of WNV infection weekly, using a vector index developed by CSU and the CDC. If adulticide spraying is indicated it is done early, quickly, in the smallest area of mosquito concentration, and roughly every other year. It is a two-application process − There is a lag time of intervention vs. public notice so efforts are to detect and treat as quickly as possible. Larvicide operations begin April/May. Trapping and testing begin late June. − Discussion − Q - How much spraying actually happens, because I understand there are private spraying companies in addition to what the City does, and who are they? A - Some individuals do choose to hire private companies to spray but the City has very little control over that. Some HOAs choose to spray their neighborhoods and the City does coordinate with those spraying companies to not overspray certain areas. − Q - How big is the radius around the 5 traps you are spraying? - A - It can vary because of weather and geography but generally 4 square miles, and always as small as possible. The City works closely with the Larimer County Health Department who is the entity that recommends an application be made. − Q - How much time does it take to determine when the vector index changes A - The vectors generally do not jump wildly. We pay more attention to the trends in the traps. − Q - Does the chemical composition of what is sprayed change year by year and what is the VOC content of that product? A - I don't know the VOC content without checking, but It is a standard regulated pesticide. We have not considered that in our program. − Q - How are the spraying routes planned to keep to the smallest area possible? A - The data determines the area but we try to maximize coverage without inappropriate overlap. The spraying companies try to get the coverage they need as quickly as possible to keep vehicle miles traveled to a minimum. − Q - Are the vehicles used City vehicles? A - No. They are standard gas run contractor vehicles. Q - Would the city lean towards hiring a company with electric vehicles? A - Perhaps b. Air Quality Data Webpage - Cassie Archuleta, Air Quality Program Manager − The City is updating a landing page that shows the EPA air quality index, and links to more localized data. Cassie asked the group to give input on what should be on our web page to help citizens better understand air quality conditions in Fort Collins. Cassie will share this input with staff. AIR QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 5/17/21 – MINUTES Page 4 − Discussion - It would be helpful to spell out the name of the pollutants instead of using abbreviations, i.e. PM2.5. It would also be helpful to see where the rating lies within the spectrum and to be able to click on the data for a quick explanation of what it is. - The information as presented is very technical but not engaging. It might be helpful to show how the day's air quality has been and where it might go. A third party phone app can be misleading, depending on which tower it is reading. - A sliding scale is very helpful and also to tell the public what they should do - i.e., stay indoors, or go outside, etc. It would also be helpful to indicate how recent the data is. Can there be a link to the Coloradoan air quality data? - It would be helpful to have an explanation of any delay in the visible data listed compared to what is seen outside. - Suggested there be a way to sign up for air quality advisories that come from the City, rather than the state. - EPA Action Days indicate that the EPA expects things to exceed the healthy range of a pollutant, but only in the front range and are issued daily at 4 pm. It usually also carries a suggestion - i.e. don't mow. The EPA Air Quality Health Advisory alerts the public for potential dangerous air quality conditions for when and where it is needed in the state, and specific to an area. - The CDPHE air quality page differentiates between current conditions and forecast conditions. It might be helpful if the Fort Collins page could also give forecast conditions and suggestions for curtailing certain activities going forward. The EPA and CDPHE have slightly different calculation methods so it matters where you get your data. There is a fine line with informing and overwhelming people with information. - Suggested breaking out each data point that is part of a summary, as well as an average. - Suggested describing the time period for each data point - i.e. over the last hour (24 hours) these are the data points. He also suggested noting the city has monitors over the ones that are regulated monitors. c. AQAB Work Planning Updates - Matt Tribby − Matt will put an outline of the work plan topics on the AQAB shared website so the group can see their status so they can plan for deliverables on each action item in a timely manner. − Regarding the AQAB's work plan topic of efficiency upgrades to the radon program, Matt suggested that City staff give the board an overview and progress report of the Epic Homes program. Also maybe have a presentation from PRPA regarding their Efficiency Works program. AIR QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 5/17/21 – MINUTES Page 5 − If the AQAB makes a presentation to Council regarding their advocacy for one of the work plan issues, Matt suggested this be an opportunity for other members of the board, rather than himself, to make the presentation. 8. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS a. Wayne is now employed by the Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) and reported that currently they are focusing on the upcoming ozone season. There were 2 days in March with such high ozone that the area in already in ozone non-attainment status for the summer. This summer is when attainment markers will be reevaluated and raised if not met. − Matt asked if there can be any exemptions. Dan stated that it is his understanding that exception reports for uncontrollable events such as wildfires can be submitted, but it is unknown if an exemption will be granted. b. Matt reported there are 2 important bills that are currently being discussed in the Denver legislature: − Senate Bill 21-260 - "Sustainability of the Transportation System" - that seems to strongly support electric vehicles − Senate Bill 21-200 - "Reduce Greenhouse Gases Increase Environmental Justice" - It proposes to create the first ever carbon tax in the state. This is a very controversial bill. 9. OTHER BUSINESS a. 6-month Calendar Review b. Agenda Planning − June − Visit with Council liaison Julie Pignataro regarding the AQAB's work plan. − Electrification of the City's fleet − July − Budget update − Oil and gas discussion, to prepare for an August recommendation 10. ADJOURN - − The meeting was adjourned at 8:00 pm.