Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAir Quality Advisory Board - Minutes - 02/05/1998• q -a/-13 MINUTES CITY OF FORT COLLINS AIR QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD SPECIAL MEETING NEIGHBORHOOD RESOURCES CENTER 405 CANYON AVE. FEBRUARY 5,1998 For Reference: John Fooks, AQAB Chair - 229-5225 Scott Mason, Council Liaison- 226-4824 Tom Shoemaker, Staff Liaison - 221-6263 Board Members Present: John Fooks, John Scanlon (until 8:30 p.m.), Dave Gallup, John Schroeer, Ray Sons Board Members Absent Harry Edwards, Nancy York, Eric Levine, Mandar Sunthankar Staff Present Natural Resources Department: Brian Woodruff, Lucinda Smith Guests None The special meeting was convened to complete unfinished agenda items from the January 27, 1998 regular meeting. The meeting was called to order at 7:05 p.m. T-Board Renort, Nancy York. The report was not made because Nancy York was not present. Benchmark. Lucinda Smith Smith reviewed progress to date on the benchmark project. She stated the mission and goals of the benchmark project. She stated that "traffic signalization" had been selected from three potential benchmark projects because it had the greatest response on the citizens' air quality survey, it can result in quantified air quality improvements, and it was supported by the city's Transportation Department. She reviewed information learned by the benchmark committee about the City's existing traffic control system, then distributed a draft benchmark survey. Smith stated that she has begun contacting potential benchmark partners by phone. John Fooks said there is no universal way for traffic engineers to communicate various solutions with one another, so the benchmark project could be very useful to traffic engineers. Woodruff stated that it has long been a goal of Transportation Dept. to upgrade the signal system. Many agreed that this benchmark project has a high potential for success and that it is important to work closely with the Transportation Dept., who are the experts on this issue. The project should assist the transportation engineers in gathering needed data, rather than dictate a solution. Smith briefly discussed the results of the Institute of Traffic Engineers (ITE) signalization survey and it's relationship to the benhmark effort. She said potential partners would be identified from those communites who retuend the ITE survey having a population between 50,000-150,000. Fooks stated the importance of moving ahead quickly with this project. Smith responded that the survey will likely be mailed out within a week. State Implementation Plan, Brian Woodruff Brian Woodruff reviewed a handout summarizing the pros and cons of Fort Collins re -designating to attainment for carbon monoxide. If we re -designate, certain industrial sources will have different air pollution control requirements, conformity determinations may become more difficult and hinder the flow of transportation dollars, and we may lose access to CMAQ dollars, which currently funds the VanGo program. When considering mobile sources, there were concerns about the effect on redesignating on SIP contingency measures. Woodruff explained that a contingency measure is required to deal with an unexpected violation, regardless of whether an area is an attainment or non -attainment, and that "enhanced I/M" does not mean exclusively IM240. EPA has prescribed some flexibility in defining enhanced I/M. Fooks pointed out that it has been one of AQAB's goals to evaluate alternatives for the SIP contingency measure and make recommendations. Fooks suggested a clarification of the following comment (from the handout), "State law forbids the SIP from including any strategy that is not federally required", by adding that "these programs can still exist under state law, outside of the SIP." Although new CO sources would be regulated differently under attaintment, large CO sources are very rare and some (municipal incinerators) are explicitly excluded under City Plan's industrial zoning regulations. Woodruff stated that the Transportation Department was not in favor of redesignating. He said the draft NRD staff position is also to advise Council not to apply for redesignation at this time. We are not in violation of the standard at this time, which we can celebrate, and we have local programs in place that are designed to allow for continued progress. Redesignation gains nothing with respect to air quality and consumes a great deal of staff resources. NRD's draft position is to hold off on applying for re -designation now, and to revisit this issue every two years, in sync with the AQAP update cycle. When considerig this issue, Woodruff suggested there are questions to ponder, such as how effective are the strategies in the Air Quality Action Plan? Will we be able to regulate ourselves, or do should we chose to invite federal sanctions against not meeting our own stringent goals? The Board's's SIP committee will be convened to study this issue further. • AOAP. Brian Woodruff The changes made to the draft 1999 AQAP (in January's packet) were briefly discussed by Woodruff. The Board will discuss the AQAP at the next meeting and make a recommendation to Council. Other Smith conveyed a request from Linda Devocelle„ asking for two members to serve on the Indoor Air Quality committee. It was decided to discuss this at the next regular Board meeting, with more members present. Smith invited Board members to attend two presentations on February 13; one on Mobile5a model and the other on conformity. New Action LogItems: ems: * Convene SIP committee * Check with Advanced Planning on the Status of the City Plan Indicators Report. Agenda items for the next meeting * review AQAP. ACTION: Make recommendation to Council * Indoor Air Quality Committee: ACTION: identify 2 members to serve * Ambient Air Quality report * Cities for Climate Protection update * brief (5 minute) summary of the Mobile5a presentation * Presentation of City Plan Indicators Report IF available Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m.