San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District December 20, 2012

Executive Summary

2012 PM2.5 Plan 

2012 PM2.5 Plan

SJVUAPCD

Executive 

Summary
San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District December 20, 2012

Executive Summary

2012 PM2.5 Plan 

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San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District December 20, 2012

ES-1 Executive Summary 

2012 PM2.5 Plan 

Executive Summary

The San Joaquin Valley (Valley) faces unique and unprecedented air quality challenges, 

and this plan is a continuation of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District’s 

mission to improve the Valley’s air quality. Building on the 2007 Ozone Plan and 2008 

PM2.5 Plan, this plan utilizes the latest science and best available information to lay out 

a strategy for demonstrating attainment of the newest federal standard for fine 

particulate matter (PM2.5) as expeditiously as possible. This 2012 PM2.5 Plan was 

developed through an extensive public process, and will involve both Valley businesses 

and residents in making the efforts necessary to ultimately achieve clean air in the 

Valley. 

Plan includes comprehensive strategy that builds on existing strategies and 

involves all Valley sectors 

The District’s 2012 PM2.5 Plan is a multifaceted strategy that utilizes a combination of 

conventional and innovative control strategies to reduce emissions of PM2.5 and other 

pollutants that form PM2.5. The Valley’s successes in adopting regulations and other 

strategies that have improved the Valley’s air quality provide the foundation for this plan. 

In developing this plan, the District has left “no stone unturned” in evaluating all sources 

of emissions for potential strategies to reduce emissions (see Appendix D). In addition 

to reducing direct emissions of PM2.5, this plan focuses on reducing oxides of nitrogen 

(NOx) emissions, which is a predominant pollutant not only in the formation of PM2.5 in 

the Valley, but is also the focus of the District’s ozone reduction strategies. This 

overlapping significance and emphasis on reducing NOx emissions helps to address 

both of the Valley’s biggest air quality challenges, PM2.5 and ozone. Along with 

comprehensive efforts at the local level to reduce emissions, reducing mobile source 

emissions that are not under the direct authority of the District are critical to attaining the 

standard, and this plan includes state and federal measures that will provide significant 

new emissions reductions in the coming years. As outlined below, this plan’s 

comprehensive control strategy includes regulatory actions, incentive programs, 

technology advancement, policy and legislative positions, public outreach, participation 

and communication, and additional strategies (see Chapter 10). 

Overview of 2012 PM2.5 Plan Strategy

Local (District) Strategy:

 Wide-ranging regulations that reduce emissions from various Valley industries 

(stationary sources) and the general public. These regulations address 

stationary source emissions from boilers and steam generators, internal 

combustion engines, glass melting furnaces, turbines, and other sources. 

Additionally, the general public, employers, and small businesses are also 

involved in reducing emissions by complying with regulations that focus on 

residential wood burning, employer commuting, commercial cooking, and other 

sources.
San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District December 20, 2012

ES-2 Executive Summary 

2012 PM2.5 Plan 

 Risk-based approach that prioritizes measures that expedite attainment of the 

standard and provide the greatest public health benefits.

 Incentive programs that target cost-effective mobile sources not under the direct 

jurisdiction of the District, including on and off-road vehicles and equipment.

 Technology advancement efforts that assist in the development of new zero and 

near zero-emissions technologies critical to addressing increasingly difficult air 

quality standards.

 Research/Further studies that will continue to develop policy-relevant air quality 

science and additional potential opportunities for clean air strategies.

 Policy and legislative efforts that assist in shaping new legislation and policies at 

the local, state, and federal levels that promote emission reduction efforts.

 Outreach efforts that assist in educating and empowering the public in getting 

involved in efforts to reduce emissions and improve the Valley’s air quality.

State/Federal Strategy:

 Regulations that reduce emissions from the variety of mobile and other sources 

under state and federal jurisdiction, including on-road sources such as passenger 

vehicles and heavy duty trucks, and off-road sources such as construction 

equipment. 

 Incentive funding and programs that assist the District in our effort to accelerate 

reductions from mobile sources.

 Technology advancement efforts including funding and collaborative support in 

the development of new zero and near zero-emissions technologies.

Through this comprehensive attainment strategy, the Valley will achieve attainment of

the federal PM2.5 standard by 2019 (see Figure ES-1), reducing NOx emissions, the 

predominant pollutant leading to the formation of PM2.5, by 55% over this period. In 

addition to these much-needed NOx reductions, the District’s strategy also reduces 

direct PM2.5 emissions that not only assist the Valley in attaining the standard as fast 

as possible, but also reduce the PM2.5 emissions that pose the greatest health impacts 

to Valley residents. These strategies, including new measures to further reduce 

emissions from residential wood burning and commercial charbroilers, reduce highly 

health-impactful PM2.5 emissions where and when they matter most in Valley 

neighborhoods, and provide health benefits beyond simply attaining the federal 

standard. 
San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District December 20, 2012

ES-3 Executive Summary 

2012 PM2.5 Plan 

Figure ES-1 San Joaquin Valley Emissions Reductions, 2012 PM2.5 Plan

Plan builds on successful strategies that have improved the Valley’s air quality 

The Valley’s success in reducing its emissions through decades of clean-air efforts 

provides the foundation for this plan. This success provides assurance that similar 

strategies employed in the future will provide the desired results in helping to improve 

the Valley’s air quality. This plan includes a comprehensive control strategy that builds 

on this past success, and identifies opportunities for reducing emissions from all Valley 

sectors, including the Valley’s diverse range of businesses as well as the general public. 

The District has a history of success in reducing particulate and ozone-forming 

emissions through a variety of ground-breaking rules and strategies. These innovative 

strategies, such as the first-of-its-kind Indirect Source Review regulation that addresses 

emissions from residential and commercial development, have proven to be highly 

effective, as evidenced by the steady rate of improvement in the Valley’s air quality. 

The District’s incentive program has become an increasingly important and effective 

strategy for reducing mobile source emissions that the District does not have direct 

regulatory authority over, with an expenditure of $481 million reducing over 94,000 tons 

of emissions since 1992. The District’s landmark Conservation Management Practice 

rule proved critical in assisting the Valley to eliminate exceedances of the federal PM10 

standard and reach attainment of the standard in 2005 (based on 2003-2005 data; see 

Figure ES-2). In addition to reducing emissions from the Valley’s various industries and 

businesses, significant reductions in emissions have also been achieved by the general 

public, such as through the residential wood burning curtailment efforts that have been 

critical in helping to reduce PM2.5 concentrations. Based on the California Air 

Resources Board (ARB) 2006 almanac of emissions, from 1990 through 2005, the 

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Emissions (tons per day)

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San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District December 20, 2012

ES-4 Executive Summary 

2012 PM2.5 Plan 

Valley saw NOx emissions reduced by 41%, VOC emissions reduced by 38%, and SOx

emissions reduced by 75% (see Figure ES-3). 

Figure ES-2 Exceedances of PM10 Standard Eliminated

Figure ES-3 San Joaquin Valley Emissions Reductions, 1990 – 2005

These efforts to reduce emissions in the Valley have resulted in real and significant 

improvements in the Valley’s air quality. The Valley’s 24-hour PM2.5 “design values” 

used to measure progress relative to the federal standard have dropped by 40% since 

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Percent Decrease

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San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District December 20, 2012

ES-5 Executive Summary 

2012 PM2.5 Plan 

2001, and are now below the 1997 federal 24-hour PM2.5 standard of 65 μg/m3(see 

Figure ES-4). With regard to ozone (commonly known as smog), exceedances of the 

1997 and 2008 federal 8-hour ozone standards have dropped by 42% and 30% since 

1992, respectively (see Figure ES-5). With respect to the Air Quality Index (AQI), in the 

winter season, during which the Valley sees its highest PM2.5 concentrations, the 

number of “good” AQI days has increased by 18%, while the number of “unhealthy” AQI 

days has decreased by 80% since 2000 (see Figure ES-6). 

Figure ES-4 San Joaquin Valley PM2.5 Design Value Trends 

Figure ES-5 San Joaquin Valley Ozone Trends

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(84 ppb)

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(75 ppb)
San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District December 20, 2012

ES-6 Executive Summary 

2012 PM2.5 Plan 

Figure ES-6 San Joaquin Valley Air Quality Index Trends 

Plan prepared with extensive public input

The 2012 PM2.5 Plan was prepared over the course of one year through an extensive 

public process that provided numerous opportunities for the general public and 

interested stakeholders to offer suggestions and comments for improving and 

strengthening the plan. The District has worked closely with these various 

stakeholders, including its partner agencies ARB and the Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA), environmental and community advocacy groups, and business 

representatives to share information regarding the plan, and to receive comments and 

suggestions. 

The District held numerous public workshops this past year that have outlined the air 

quality challenge faced by the Valley, and potential strategies for responding to the 

challenge. Workshops were held throughout 2012 in April, June, and October at the 

District’s offices in Modesto, Fresno, and Bakersfield and by webcast, with many 

participants attending and providing feedback during these workshops. Discussions 

were held monthly during the District’s public Governing Board hearings, where the 

public was invited to provide feedback. The plan was also frequently discussed with the 

District’s Citizen’s Advisory Committee and Environmental Justice Advisory Group.

In addition to meetings and workshops outlining the District’s perspective and approach 

for developing this plan, the District collaborated with ARB to hold several public 

workshops that provided information about the scientific foundation of the plan, and 

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Number of County-Days

Good

Unhealthy and Above
San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District December 20, 2012

ES-7 Executive Summary 

2012 PM2.5 Plan 

provided additional opportunities for the public to ask questions and provide input. The 

District met with interested advocacy and industry representatives throughout the plan 

development process to address specific questions and comments, and solicit further 

suggestions for control strategies. 

All of these workshops and meetings have provided opportunities for the public to 

provide verbal comments, and written comments have also been accepted throughout 

development of this plan. These comments have been integral to development of this 

plan, and have been incorporated as appropriate. All significant comments and 

responses are summarized and posted on the District’s website. 

Why has this plan been prepared?

The U.S. EPA set the first PM2.5 standard in 1997 and in 2005 designated the San 

Joaquin Valley (Valley) as nonattainment for the 1997 standard. The 1997 standard 

has two limits of attainment: an annual average of 15 μg/m3 and a 24-hour average of 

65 μg/m3. The District adopted the 2008 PM2.5 Plan in April 2008 to demonstrate how 

the Valley would come into attainment of the 1997 PM2.5 standard by no later than April 

2015. EPA subsequently lowered the 24-hour standard to 35 μg/m3 in 2006 and reissued the nonattainment designation for the Valley in 2009. Through continued 

implementation of the 2008 PM2.5 Plan, the Valley will be in attainment of the 1997 

annual standard by 2015. 

This 2012 PM2.5 Plan demonstrates attainment of the newer 2006 24-hour PM2.5 

standard by the federal attainment deadline of 2019, with the majority of the Valley 

actually experiencing attainment ahead of 2019. The District, in collaboration with ARB, 

based this attainment demonstration on comprehensive analysis, careful evaluation, 

and a sound scientific foundation. Using the District Governing Board’s guiding 

principles adopted in February 2012, this plan emphasizes public health as the number 

one priority in meeting federal ambient air quality standards (NAAQS).

Plan is supported by strong scientific foundation and extensive modeling

In developing this plan, the District and ARB took full advantage of the extensive 

scientific research and knowledge that has been developed to characterize the Valley’s 

unique air quality chemistry and challenge. The District, through the San Joaquin 

Valleywide Air Pollution Study Agency, participated in and contributed to the 

expenditure of nearly $30 million to support the California Regional Particulate Air 

Quality Study (CRPAQS). This study, and the subsequent research built on its 

foundation, has shed light on the complexity of PM2.5 in the Valley. Additionally, recent 

health studies highlight the associated risks inherent in the complex components of 

PM2.5. Acknowledgement and understanding of this complexity is central to the 2012 

PM2.5 Plan and was used to form the scientific foundation of this plan, including the 

modeling.
San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District December 20, 2012

ES-8 Executive Summary 

2012 PM2.5 Plan 

Using the extensive body of knowledge regarding formation of PM2.5 in the Valley, ARB

performed extensive modeling to predict future PM2.5 concentrations throughout the 

Valley. This modeling was performed consistent with EPA guidance, and involved 

thousands of hours of sophisticated computer modeling and review by a team of 

technical staff, including close coordination with the District. The modeling approach 

was reviewed and vetted through a technical advisory process that involved researchers 

and EPA, who provided valuable input that was integrated into the modeling. In addition 

to the modeling by ARB, the District has also performed extensive analysis that 

provides additional supporting evidence that the plan will effectively bring the Valley into 

attainment. Overall, the modeling and supporting technical analysis demonstrate that 

the emissions reductions achieved through the plan’s control strategy bring the entire 

Valley into attainment of the 2006 federal PM2.5 standard by 2019, with most of the 

Valley reaching attainment earlier than 2019, and Bakersfield being the last portion of 

the Valley reaching attainment in 2019. 

Why does the Valley face such a unique air quality challenge?

The Valley’s natural environment supports one the most productive agricultural regions 

in the country: the Sierra Nevada provides the necessary water for growing an 

abundance of crops, and a temperate climate provides a long growing season. 

However, these same natural factors present significant challenges for air quality: the 

surrounding mountains trap pollution and block air flow, and the mild climate keeps 

pollutant-scouring winds at bay most of the year. Temperature inversions, while present 

to some degree throughout the year, can last for days during the winter, holding in 

nighttime accumulations of pollutants, including wood smoke. It is during the winter that 

these days of stagnant weather lead to the most Valley exceedances of PM2.5 

concentrations. 
San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District December 20, 2012

ES-9 Executive Summary 

2012 PM2.5 Plan 

Figure ES-7 San Joaquin Valley Topography Traps Air Pollution

The Valley’s natural challenge in cleaning out accumulated pollutants requires that the 

District and Valley industry and residents take greater efforts to meet the challenging

federal PM2.5 standard and reduce significant amounts of wintertime emissions. The 

episodic and seasonal nature of high PM2.5 concentrations may help to narrow the 

focus of emissions reductions, but also limits the number of months that strategies are 

most effective in reducing peak PM2.5 concentrations. 

Through strong controls developed in previous attainment plans and successful 

incentive programs, the Valley has seen significant progress in reducing PM2.5 

concentrations. The 2008 PM2.5 Plan laid the groundwork for controlling PM2.5 

emissions; as a result, wintertime PM2.5 24-hour annual concentrations have 

decreased by approximately 40% since 1999, with significant reductions seen after the 

implementation of wood-burning curtailments. Likewise, implementation of the 2007 

Ozone Plan reduced, and continues to reduce, PM2.5 precursors, NOx and VOC, not 

only to the benefit of reduced ozone, but reduced PM2.5 during the winter. Despite the 

progress, there is still work to be done, and the 2012 PM2.5 Plan lays out the strategy 

for meeting the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS with a strong emphasis on public health through 

scientific understanding.

Plan brings the Valley into attainment as expeditiously as possible 

Attaining federal health-based standards is an important milestone for improving public 

health. Through the strategy outlined in this plan, the Valley as a whole will attain the 

federal 24-hour PM2.5 standard in 2019. Under federal regulation, while every region 

must be demonstrated to attain the standard in order for the entire Valley to be 

considered in attainment, the majority of Valley residents will actually see attainment 

much sooner than the projected date of 2019, with Bakersfield/Kern County being the 
San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District December 20, 2012

ES-10 Executive Summary 

2012 PM2.5 Plan 

last region within the Valley to ultimately reach attainment. In addition, as outlined in 

Appendix A, there are a variety of metrics for evaluating air quality progress. Even 

where areas have not yet attained the standard, there will be continuous air quality 

improvements. 

Figure ES-8 illustratively shows the Valley’s journey to attainment under this plan. As 

emissions are reduced through the plan’s control strategy, 53% of the Valley’s 

population will quickly experience PM2.5 concentrations below the federal standard by 

2014, 85% of the population by 2016, 94% of the population by 2017. Figure ES-9

maps monitoring sites throughout the Valley, showing their progress to attainment 

through 2019, and, similarly articulating the significant progress to be made in bringing 

the majority of the Valley below the federal standard before 2019. 

Figure ES-8 Percent of Valley Population Living in Attainment Areas through 

Implementation of 2012 PM2.5 Plan

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that Meet Federal Standard 
San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District December 20, 2012

ES-11 Executive Summary 

2012 PM2.5 Plan 

Figure ES-9 The Valley’s Journey to Attainment
San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District December 20, 2012

ES-12 Executive Summary 

2012 PM2.5 Plan 

Plan achieves significant health benefits for Valley residents

In addition to demonstrating how the Valley will reach attainment of the federal PM2.5 

standard as expeditiously as possible, the District has also estimated the fundamental 

metric associated with implementation of the 2012 PM2.5 Plan – the health benefits

resulting from implementation of this strategy. As presented below and described in 

more detail in Chapter 2 and Appendix E of the plan, the District utilized an EPAdeveloped model to estimate the annual reductions in morbidity (disease) and mortality 

(premature death) attributable to improved air quality due to the 2012 PM2.5 Plan in the 

attainment year of 2019. 

Through implementation of the comprehensive control strategy included in this plan and 

the resulting reductions in PM2.5 concentrations throughout the Valley, the District 

estimates the following health benefits:

Table ES-1 Health Benefits Achieved Through Implementation of 2012 PM2.5 Plan

Health Impact 

Health Benefit 

(reduction in health impact) 

Premature Death 671

Acute Myocardial Infarction, Hospital Admissions 93

Asthma Age 0-19, Hospital Admissions 131

Cardiovascular, Hospital Admissions 175

Asthma Age 20-99, Hospital Admissions 246

Asthma Age 20-99, Emergency Room Visits 407

Asthma Age 0-19, Emergency Room Visits 699

Acute Bronchitis 1,498

Upper Respiratory Symptoms 15,523

Lower Respiratory Symptoms 19,011

Asthma Exacerbation 114,376

Work Loss Days 125,138
San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District December 20, 2012

ES-13 Executive Summary 

2012 PM2.5 Plan 

In addition to quantifying reductions in disease and premature death based on 

improvements in county-level PM 2.5 concentrations, tools can also be used to quantify

the economic value associated with health benefits. While assigning economic values 

to health impacts is difficult given the tremendous social values associated with these 

impacts, an existing body of literature attempts to connect health impacts to hard costs 

such as lost wages, or, in the case of premature death, a social value of $7.99 million 

per incidence. Using this model, the District estimates that implementation of the plan 

will achieve an annual Valley-wide savings of $102 million in health costs in 2019. 

Additionally, and more significantly, a social benefit of $5.36 billion is estimated for the 

671 avoided premature deaths. 
San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District December 20, 2012

ES-14 Executive Summary 

2012 PM2.5 Plan 

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