CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING TO CONSIDER APPROVAL OF THE SOUTH COAST 

AIR BASIN 2012 PM2.5 AND OZONE STATE IMPLEMENTATION PLANS

The Air Resources Board (ARB or Board) will conduct a public meeting at the time and 

place noted below to consider approval of the proposed South Coast 2012 Air Quality 

Management Plan (2012 AQMP) that includes State Implementation Plans (SIP) 

amendments for 24-hour fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and 1-hour ozone. The 

amendments also include transportation budgets, section 182(d)(1)(A) vehicle miles 

traveled (VMT) offset demonstrations, and actions to make further progress on fulfilling 

the approved commitments for emission reductions from advanced technology under 

section 182(e)(5) of the federal Clean Air Act (CAA). 

The 2012 AQMP was developed and approved by the South Coast Air Quality 

Management District (AQMD or District). If approved, ARB will submit the SIP revision

to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) for approval as a 

revision to the California State Implementation Plan (SIP).

DATE: January 25, 2013

TIME: 9:00 a.m.

PLACE: South Coast Air Quality Management Auditorium

21865 Copley Drive

Diamond Bar, California 91765 

This item will be considered at a one-day meeting of the Board in Diamond Bar, which 

will commence at 9:00 a.m., January 25, 2013. Please consult the agenda for the 

meeting, which will be available at least ten (10) days before January 25, 2013, to 

determine the schedule on which this item will be considered.

The CAA establishes planning requirements for areas that exceed the health-based 

National Ambient Air Quality Standards (standard). These nonattainment areas must 

develop and implement a SIP that demonstrates they will attain the standard by 

specified dates mandated by the CAA.

In December 2006, U.S. EPA lowered the 24-hour standard for PM2.5 from 65 ug/m3 to 

35 ug/m3. Effective December 14, 2009, U.S. EPA designated the South Coast Air 

Basin as nonattainment for this more stringent 24-hour PM2.5 standard. The District 

must develop and implement a plan that addresses the federal requirement to attain the 

standard as expeditiously as practicable, but no later than December 2014. The District 

prepared the 24-hour PM2.5 plan as part of the 2012 AQMP to address this

requirement. On December 7, 2012, the AQMD Governing Board adopted the 2012 

AQMP including the 24-hour PM2.5 plan. 
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On November 6, 1991, U.S. EPA designated the South Coast Air Basin an extreme 

nonattainment area for the 1-hour ozone standard with an attainment date of no later 

than November 15, 2010. To fulfill CAA section 182 requirements demonstrating 

attainment, ARB submitted to U.S. EPA the 1997/1999 revision to the South Coast 

1-hour ozone SIP. U.S. EPA approved this plan in 2000. In 2003, ARB submitted a 

revision to the earlier 1997/1999 plan. The attainment demonstration in the revision 

was ultimately disapproved by U.S. EPA in 2009 when it concluded that the 2003 South 

Coast 1-hour ozone SIP did not meet the CAA section 182(c)(2)(A) requirement for a

1-hour ozone attainment demonstration by the applicable attainment date. 

Shortly after U.S. EPA disapproved the attainment demonstration in the 2003 SIP,

several environmental and community groups filed a petition for review in the U.S. Court 

of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit challenging U.S. EPA's 2009 actions on the 2003 

South Coast 1-hour ozone SIP. Among other issues, the case centered on the 

consequences of U.S. EPA's final disapproval of the attainment demonstration. On 

February 2, 2011, the Ninth Circuit ruled in favor of the petitioners, regarding the 

consequences of failing to demonstrate attainment by the attainment date, and 

remanded EPA's 2009 final action on the 2003 South Coast 1-hour ozone SIP.

On September 19, 2012, U.S. EPA published a proposed rule in response to the

remand by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to find that the South Coast Air Basin has 

not complied with the obligation to adopt and implement a plan providing for attainment 

of the 1-hour ozone standard. As a result, U.S. EPA has proposed a SIP call that will

require the District to submit a new SIP showing attainment of the 1-hour ozone

standard by the end of 2022. 

Therefore, as part of the 2012 AQMP, the District is submitting a 1-hour ozone plan

demonstrating attainment of the 1-hour ozone standard as expeditiously as practicable, 

but no later than 2022. The AQMD Governing Board adopted the 2012 AQMP including 

the 1-hour ozone plan on December 7, 2012. 

Attainment demonstrations for these two standards rely on implementation of the 

State’s existing control program plus new control measures to provide emission 

reductions by the attainment deadlines. The District’s new PM2.5 measures include 

further strengthening of their wood burning curtailment program, outreach, and incentive 

programs. The 1-hour ozone attainment demonstration relies on the continued 

implementation of the 2007 8-hour ozone SIP. The approved 2007 ozone SIP includes 

a commitment to reduce emissions by 2022 and 2023, to meet 8-hour attainment 

requirements. The 1-hour attainment demonstration relies on the same commitment 

and quantifies the reductions for 2022.

Lastly, when U.S. EPA approved the 2007 ozone SIP, it approved a commitment to 

achieve additional reductions from advanced technology as provided for by section 

182(e)(5). The AQMP identifies a number of actions to develop and put into use 

advanced transformational technologies to fulfill in part this commitment for CAA section 

182(e)(5) reductions.
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ARB staff has reviewed the 2012 AQMP and has concluded that it meets the applicable 

CAA requirements. ARB staff is recommending that the Board approve the 2012 AQMP

and direct staff to submit the 24-hour PM2.5 plan, the 1-hour ozone plan, the 

transportation budgets for the 24-hour PM2.5 plan, and the VMT offset demonstrations 

for both the 1-hour ozone plan and the 2007 8-hour ozone plan to U.S. EPA as a 

revision to the California SIP. 

A written ARB staff report describing the SIP commitments included in the 2012 AQMP 

will be available prior to the meeting. Copies of the report may be obtained from ARB’s 

Public Information Office, 1001 I Street, First Floor, Environmental Services Center, 

Sacramento, California, 95814, (916) 322-2990. The report may also be obtained from

ARB’s website at: http://www.arb.ca.gov/planning/sip/sip.htm

Interested members of the public may present comments orally or in writing at the 

meeting and may be submitted by postal mail or by electronic submittal before the 

meeting. To be considered by the Board, written comments not physically submitted at 

the meeting must be received no later than 12:00 noon, January 23, 2013, and 

addressed to the following: 

Postal mail: Clerk of the Board, Air Resources Board

1001 I Street, Sacramento, California 95814

Electronic submittal: http://www.arb.ca.gov/lispub/comm/bclist.php 

You can sign up online in advance to speak at the Board meeting when you submit 

an electronic board item comment. For more information go to:

http://www.arb.ca.gov/board/online-signup.htm.

Please note that under the California Public Records Act (Government Code 

section 6250 et seq.), your written and verbal comments, attachments, and associated 

contact information (e.g., your address, phone, email, etc.) become part of the public 

record and can be released to the public upon request. 

ARB requests that written and email statements on this item be filed at least 10 days 

prior to the meeting so that ARB staff and Board members have additional time to 

consider each comment. Further inquiries regarding this matter should be directed to

Mr. Ravi Ramalingam, Manager, Northern California SIP Section, Planning and 

Technical Support Division at (916) 322-2085 or Dr. Scott King, Staff Air Pollution 

Specialist, Northern California SIP Section, Planning and Technical Support Division at 

(916) 322-2832.
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SPECIAL ACCOMMODATION REQUEST

Special accommodation or language needs can be provided for any of the following:

• An interpreter to be available at the hearing;

• Documents made available in an alternate format or another language;

• A disability-related reasonable accommodation.

To request these special accommodations or language needs, please contact the Clerk 

of the Board at (916) 322-5594 or by facsimile at (916) 322-3928 as soon as possible, 

but no later than 10 business days before the scheduled Board hearing. 

TTY/TDD/Speech to Speech users may dial 711 for the California Relay Service.

Comodidad especial o necesidad de otro idioma puede ser proveído para alguna de las 

siguientes:

• Un intérprete que esté disponible en la audiencia;

• Documentos disponibles en un formato alterno u otro idioma;

• Una acomodación razonable relacionados con una incapacidad. 

Para solicitar estas comodidades especiales o necesidades de otro idioma, por favor 

llame a la oficina del Consejo al (916) 322-5594 o envíe un fax a (916) 322-3928 lo más 

pronto posible, pero no menos de 10 días de trabajo antes del día programado para la 

audiencia del Consejo. TTY/TDD/Personas que necesiten este servicio pueden marcar 

el 711 para el Servicio de Retransmisión de Mensajes de California.

CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD

/s/

__________________________________

James N. Goldstene

Executive Officer

Date: December 21, 2012

The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to 

reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy 

costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov.