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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAir Quality Advisory Board - Minutes - 09/20/2021 AIR QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR September 20, 2021 5:30 – 8:00 pm via Zoom 9 /20/21 – MINUTES Page 1 1. CALL TO ORDER 5:30pm 2. ROLL CALL • List of Board Members Present − Matt Tribby - chair − Karen Artell − Emily Bitler − Wayne Chuang − Dan Welsh − Jason Miller − Greg Clark • List of Board Members Absent − Jim Dennison • List of Staff Members Present − Cassie Archuleta, Staff Liaison − Selina Lujan de Albers, Sr. Specialist, Environmental Sustainability − Jason Komes, Specialist, Environmental Sustainability − Carolyn Conant, Utilities Project Manager, Energy Services, Utilities Department • Public - Vicky McLane 3. AGENDA REVIEW 4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION • Vicky McLane addressed the board and asked them to recommend that Council increase the funding of more comprehensive air emissions monitoring to $200,000 to protect public health and welfare. Broomfield and Erie are currently using canister monitors to measure gases from oil and gas production that are analyzed by CSU. - Discussion - Cassie explained that staff is working to find a way to fund this type of monitoring outside the budget such as regional contributions and grant proposals. AIR QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 9 /20/21 – MINUTES Page 2 - Larimer county's Environment and Science Advisory Board met recently and seemed interested in funding regional air quality monitoring. - There would probably need to be additional funds over the $200,000 to maintain the monitors, once placed. - CSU has developed a scope for a 2-year monitoring study to get VOC and canister monitors placed to determine what kind of monitoring would be appropriate. - CDPHE put out some temporary ozone monitors last summer and this summer in the eastern part of the city, including the City's Fossil Creek natural areas. Ozone readings were higher than expected. More permanent monitors would give a better picture of ozone in the City, but funding is an issue right now. − Matt asked the board to discuss how the AQAB could effectively advocate for funding this project, or if it should not advocate for it. - It was suggested the board advocate for additional monitoring, but not specify where the funds would come from. Matt is hesitant to advocate for the plan if funding is not in place. - Was also suggested that the Board determine how the data will be used before advocating for a specific project. - There was general discussion about the best use of funds to help air quality in the region because it is a complicated issue, and whether additional NOX or VOC data would tell us anything new. 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. Emily moved and Greg seconded a motion to approve the August minutes as amended - Motion passed unanimously. 7-0-0 6. PREVIOUS BUSINESS a. Budget Updates - Cassie Archuleta − The City and county are working to develop a way to conduct future community-based discussions about air quality monitoring. Those discussions could be helpful when applying for grants for air quality monitoring. b. Oil and Gas Updates - Cassie Archuleta − The October Council work session to discuss concept of oil and gas regulations was cancelled. Instead, staff has been instructed to begin developing code for Council to consider in March. − Discussion AIR QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 9 /20/21 – MINUTES Page 3 − Q - Will this code include a chart that compares Fort Collins' code to the county and state codes? A - Yes. An informational memo will be provided to Council later in September. − Q - Have you had discussions with the county and state and sole oil and gas operator in the city regarding reworking their wells? A - The city, state and county have plans to meet with them soon. There is a question about whether the current permit will meet State standards. 7. NEW BUSINESS a. Indoor Air quality and Energy Efficiency Programs - Selina Lujan de Albers and Carolyn Conant − Healthy Homes program overview - Selina Lujan de Albers − The Healthy Homes program's goals are to create a healthier community by improving indoor air quality and promoting a safe home environment through volunteer-based education and action. − The program has citizen volunteers that are trained to do in-home assessment. Volunteers also give out free radon test kits and smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. However, even though on-site assessments have been paused due to Covid, we do have no-contact options such as an on-line do-it-yourself option and an over-the-phone option for citizens to assess their homes for things that can impact respiratory health. The ultimate goal is to empower people with three to five recommendations they can do themselves that will positively affect their respiratory health. − Nationally - indoor air quality is a health issue because indoor air quality is up to 5 times worse than outdoor air and is rated as one of the top five environmental risks to health by the EPA. However, indoor air quality can be controlled by the homeowner. − Locally - 24% of homes in Fort Collins has a family member with a respiratory ailment. Colorado is in Zone 1 for Radon, and under- served communities are more susceptible to asthma and other home health hazards. − Selina announced that the Healthy Homes program partnered in May with Meals on Wheels, La Familia and the Boys and girls club to distribute 400 Healthy Homes cares box with various Healthy Homes cleaning and safety items. − Epic Homes programs overview - Carolyn Conant AIR QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 9 /20/21 – MINUTES Page 4 − This program's overall goals - are to improve home comfort and the health of the indoor environment, create more durable and resilient housing, and help to reduce energy bills. − Strategic objectives - are to improve the quality of affordable housing, provide accessibility of city programs for low- and moderate-income residents, and alignment with City air quality, climate action and energy goals. Programs have helped citizens, businesses and local buildings. − Project goal areas - are to upgrade energy efficiency in renter- and owner-occupied homes, document connections between energy efficiency and improved health/well being, track reductions in energy use and utility bills, and remove financial barriers to energy efficiency upgrades. − How to get an Epic Certificate - Do one of 3 types of home assessments that help residents choose which upgrades they want to complete, give access to streamlined loans for upgrades, and ask if they want to be contacted to participate in an indoor environmental quality study. Because of Covid, home assessments have been paused, but there are virtual assessments available. − There is an effort by staff to align these two overlapping programs into a better and more integrated community experience to incentivize them to actually do upgrades that better affect homes and the environment. The City was awarded EPA grant money for projects like these. Issues being reviewed are: − What are the barriers to participation in the current programs? − Where are the current programs aligned? − Current focus is on residential home environments − Where are there gaps in current programs? − What are the opportunities for integration and alignment in the future to better serve community members? − The project's objectives and timeline are: − October 2021 - April 2022 - Identify residential air quality and energy use needed − October 2021 - May 2022 - Assess existing program capabilities, caps, barriers and best practices − June - September 2022 - Update existing implementation plans AIR QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 9 /20/21 – MINUTES Page 5 − October 2022 - September 2023 - Develop and pilot new home assessment tool. − Next steps − Establish inter-departmental core team − Begin work with consultants on task 1 − Conduct an EPA grant "roadshow" for partners − Continue to review/leverage current programs − Discussion - How do the City's goals around the EPA grant align with the AQAB's work plan goals? − Q - Is there a list in your remote monitoring program of the items you are monitoring? A - There are 5 monitors in several homes, in various locations. − Q - Is there a way to use the EPA grant money for better community impact? Can you involve commercial customers also? Perhaps find a few strategic partners. A - Focusing on residential homes first, especially since people are currently working/school at home, is part of Covid recovery grant's purpose. This program can translate well into how City programs can help in a broader sense, but not from the beginning. − Q - Are apartment buildings too hard to measure before and after upgrades? A - Epic homes has recently expanded to serve not only single family dwellings but also multiple family dwellings However, it is difficult to measure differences in them. Primary focus has been on helping people do upgrades. Cassie - this is also included in the scope for the grant. − Q - As a result of the assessments, what is the most common opportunity for an upgrade and what are the challenges? A - Air sealing and insulation for older homes is the most common upgrade. Approximately 25% of customers choose to do the upgrade, but most do not because of the expense and increased materials cost. − Q - Are there any conversations about changing behavior regarding time of day rates to help stabilize load? A - Currently behavior change outreach is limited to a partnership with Healthy Homes' educational information and leave behind flyers. The EPA grant will help us provide more education. − Q - Is there an effort to encourage people to transition heating sources of the home away from gas to electric and other things not reliant on fossil fuels? A - Yes. Initial contact with customers do include educating people to alternative heating sources and more efficient appliances. AIR QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 9 /20/21 – MINUTES Page 6 b. Work Planning Update − After hearing tonight's Epic Homes presentation, Matt would like part of the AQAB's deliverables to include air sealing of homes and better insulation for energy efficiency and reduction of energy. The work plan around issues of oil and gas and electric vehicles still needs to be finalized regarding metrics − Matt pointed out the work plan is still a work in progress and invited board members to visit it on their shared drive for input. − Cassie suggested if the Board wants Council to be informed of their recommendations, that they directly send City Council memos with recommendations, because Cassie is not in direct communication with Council. − The Board discussed logistics and participation for the AQAB's presentation of their work plan to their Council liaison Pignataro. Matt suggested they do the presentation in early December. Cassie will help coordinate and finalize a date. 8. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS a. Greg - CDOT is working on a carbon assessment rule and long term strategies. He is monitoring this to see if the strategies would be of use to the board. He will attend their listening sessions and report back to the AQAB. Wayne reported that CDOT is holding a public session in Fort Collins on September 30. He will send the group an email with the details. 9. OTHER BUSINESS a. 6-Month Calendar − October - oil and gas discussion to review memo and comparison chart of codes, meet new climate program manager, finalize work plan. Finalize presentation to Councilperson Pignataro. 10. ADJOURNMENT − The meeting was adjourned at 8:00 pm.