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

Chapter 8: Legislative Strategy and Community Outreach 

2012 PM2.5 Plan 

Chapter 8

Legislative Strategy 

and Community 

Outreach

2012 PM2.5 Plan

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

Chapter 8: Legislative Strategy and Community Outreach 

2012 PM2.5 Plan 

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

8-1 Chapter 8: Legislative Strategy and Community Outreach

2012 PM2.5 Plan 

Chapter 8: Legislative Strategy and Community Outreach 

The extreme air quality challenges of the San Joaquin Valley (Valley) demand that the 

San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (District) and the community take 

extraordinary measures to improve air quality and public health. The District has 

developed the most stringent rules and regulations in the nation, and has already 

achieved such significant emissions reductions that the Valley is at the point of 

diminishing returns from new regulatory controls on stationary and area sources.

The District’s legislative strategy and community outreach efforts are examples of the 

innovative multi-faceted approach that the District takes to reduce emissions in the 

Valley. These activities may not directly generate SIP-creditable emissions reductions, 

but they reinforce the District’s and Valley’s commitment in meeting National Ambient 

Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) as efficiently and expeditiously as possible.

8.1 LEGISLATIVE STRATEGY

Each year the District Governing Board adopts a legislative platform to guide District 

advocacy and policy efforts. Through state and federal lobbying efforts and delegation 

visits to Washington D.C., the District informs elected officials about Valley needs and 

concerns based on the priorities established in the legislative platform. With 

persistence, the District has secured support and additional incentive funding for 

programs critical to emissions reductions in the Valley.

Table 8-1 District 2012 Legislative Platform

SJVAPCD 2012 Legislative Platform Priorities Impacting PM2.5 Emissions1

 Support legislation that preserves and increases funding for air quality incentive 

programs.

 Advance the District’s Risk-based Strategy to provide for a more reasonable 

implementation of national ambient air quality standards by prioritizing public health.

 Promote clean cars and urge the State of California and the California Air Resources 

Board (ARB) to continue to develop and adopt expanded Low-Emission Vehicle (LEV III) 

standards to reduce criteria air pollutants and greenhouse gasses and to strengthen the 

state’s Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) and Clean Fuels Outlet (CFO) infrastructure.

 Support energy efficiency and alternative energy policies and initiatives that will result in 

emissions reductions and cost-effective alternatives to burning agricultural waste.

 Support adequate resources and policies to reduce the impact of wildfires and their 

attendant public health impact.

 

1

Partial list. Refer to

http://www.valleyair.org/Board_meetings/GB/agenda_minutes/Agenda/2012/January/FinalGBItem15_LegPlatform_01

1912.pdf for complete SJVAPCD 2012 Legislative Platform.
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8.1.1 Incentive Funding

While the District’s incentive programs have been very successful, in part thanks to 

significant state and federal funding sources, continued success depends on continued 

funding. One of the top priorities in securing funding for air quality incentive programs is 

the extension, or re-authorization, of Carl Moyer program funding, as currently provided 

by Assembly Bill 923 (AB 923) and Senate Bill 1107 (SB 1107), and funding approved 

through AB 118 and creating the California Alternative and Renewable Fuel, Vehicle 

Technology, Clean Air, and Carbon Reduction Act of 2007. Currently, the District 

receives approximately $14 million per year in Carl Moyer and other funding under AB 

923. Under its original legislation, this program will sunset on January 1, 2015.

Currently, AB 118 provides approximately $200 million annually (state wide) to fund air 

quality improvement projects, and to develop technology and alternative, renewable 

fuels. Similar to the Carl Moyer program, these funds will expire January 12, 2016 

without re-authorization. AB 118 funds have not made up a significant portion of District 

incentive program revenue; however, the funds may become more important, 

particularly as the District becomes more involved in technology advancement projects.

The District is engaged as a stakeholder, along with other air districts, the California Air 

Resources Board (ARB), and the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association 

(CAPCOA) to develop a framework, legislative strategy, and policy language for reauthorizing these critical funding sources for California air districts in need of further 

emissions reductions.

8.1.2 Risk-based Strategy

The overall goal of the District’s Risk-based Strategy is to minimize cumulative 

population exposure to air pollution and corresponding health risk in the region. This 

risk reduction goal is being pursued through the integration of emerging scientific 

knowledge into the District’s control strategies, incentive programs, public 

communication, and enforcement actions. With this emphasis and prioritization on the 

health risks associated with PM2.5, the District will demonstrate how the Risk-based 

Strategy fits within and effectively supplements EPA’s current regulatory framework. 

Chapter 2 details the District’s approach using the Risk-based Strategy.

8.1.3 Lower Mobile Source Emissions

Since 1980, Valley stationary sources have reduced emissions by approximately 84%. 

Alternatively, vehicle miles traveled have increased by over 300%, and mobile source 

emissions now represent approximately 81% of NOx emissions in the Valley. The 

Valley’s attainment progress depends on reductions in mobile source emissions, and 

through its legislative platform, the District supports the adoption of expanded lowemission vehicle standards (LEV III) and the strengthening of the state’s zero-emission 

vehicle and clean-fuels outlet infrastructure programs. Tightening of these standards 
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and expansion of programs will not only be necessary to reduce criteria air pollutant 

emissions, but will also help in reducing greenhouse gas emissions to meet state goals.

8.1.4 Energy Efficiency and Clean Energy Alternatives

In January 2010, the District adopted its Regional Energy Efficiency Strategy (REES). 

This policy document identifies the District’s commitment to fostering energy efficiency 

and clean energy alternatives as opportunities for emissions reductions. As an 

alternative to open burning of agricultural waste—a high PM2.5 emission source—the 

District will continue to work with stakeholders and state agencies to develop additional 

biomass capacity to dispose of agricultural waste. Other efforts related to energy 

efficiency and clean energy alternatives include:

 Expansion of net metering and feed-in tariffs for use of solar and other renewable 

sources of energy;

 Promotion of energy efficiency programs for energy end users that will result in 

lower emissions and a more stable electrical distribution system; and

 Development of measures that incentivize and encourage low-emission 

technologies for use of waste gas as an alternative to waste-gas venting or 

flaring.

While the promotion and development of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and 

clean energy alternatives is central to many District policies and initiatives, quantifying 

emissions reductions related to energy efficiency and grid energy displaced by 

renewable energy and clean energy alternatives is complicated. Overall, electricity 

generation in California is relatively clean when compared to emission factors (GHG 

and criteria pollutant) from other states. California has been on the forefront of 

developing renewable energy sources, and has implemented regulations to ensure 

cleaner non-renewable energy. Whereas coal-fired electricity generation provides a 

significant percentage of electricity in other parts of the country, especially the eastern 

states, California relies more heavily on natural gas-fired power plants, which have 

lower emission rates for GHGs and criteria pollutants.

California imports 30% of its electricity from surrounding states.

2

The state’s four major 

utility companies use this electricity, as well as resources from within the state, to supply 

continuous, reliable electricity to its customers. The inter-related nature of California’s 

electricity transmission leads to a complex relationship between local energy efficiency 

programs and emissions reductions. Energy dispatch for needed demand is time and 

market dependent; the closest plant does not necessarily supply energy to the closest 

demand. In some cases, peak energy demand is met for areas outside the District, 

including Los Angeles and San Diego, with marginal (peaker) power plants within the 

Valley. Likewise, Valley demand may be met with electricity from marginal power plants 

 

2 California Energy Commission [CEC]:Total Electricity System Power, 2011 Total System Power in Gigawatt Hours. 

(2012). Retrieved August 21, 2012 from http://energyalmanac.ca.gov/electricity/total_system_power.html
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outside the Valley. To complicate matters, the marginal plant used depends on the time 

of day, the minute-by-minute energy market, or other highly variable factors.

Using sophisticated dispatch modeling, Synapse Energy Economics Inc. was able to 

estimate NOx emissions reductions for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects 

within California and within each of the four major utility companies.3 In preliminary 

model runs, Synapse showed that approximately 45 pounds of NOx could be reduced 

for each gigawatt of displaced base load electricity. Likewise, 76 pounds of NOx could 

be reduced for each gigawatt of displaced peak load electricity displaced by targeted 

energy efficiency efforts during peak demand hours.

To quantify emissions from projected energy efficiency programs, the District will 

engage in efforts to develop a detailed energy production and demand model for the 

Valley, likely in conjunction with upcoming ozone attainment planning. These efforts will 

include the use of dispatch and transmission modeling to quantify reductions not only in 

NOx and SOx, but greenhouse gas emissions. These efforts will be developed in 

coordination with a growing collaboration between state agencies and other air districts 

to integrate climate change planning, criteria pollutant attainment planning, and 

exposure planning with energy and efficiency planning.

8.1.5 Reduce Public Health Impacts from Wildfires

Air pollutant emissions from wildfires can exceed the total industrial and mobile source 

emissions in the Valley, resulting in adverse health effects in the region and throughout 

California. During the summer of 2008, California experienced a record number of 

wildfires, and the resulting emissions caused unprecedented levels of PM2.5 and ozone 

in the Valley, both with associated elevated health risks.

Reducing the threat of wildfires and the resulting air pollutants requires a sustained and 

multi-faceted approach that employs effective measures to reduce fuel supplies and 

adequate resources to manage fires when they occur. The District supports policies 

and initiatives that encourage rapid and efficient disposal of fuel through additional 

financial and staffing resources for public- and private-land prescribed burning. The 

District also supports funding for additional resources to manage wildfires once they 

occur. At the policy level, the District supports making environmental protection policies 

more consistent in their approach to fuel reduction measures, specifically with regards 

to using mechanized methods and prescribed burning to reduce fuel supply when other 

options are not feasible. Lastly, the District will continue to advocate for the 

incorporation of air quality concerns in prescribed burning and fire management 

techniques in federal policies. See Appendix D for additional discussion regarding this 

issue.

 

3 California Energy Commission. (2011, November). Emission Reductions from Renewable Energy and Energy 

Efficiency in California Air Quality Management Districts: Final Project Report (Draft). Synapse Energy Economics,

Inc. for CEC Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) Program. CEC-500-2011-XXX. Available at http://ucciee.org/downloads/CAEmissionsReductions.pdf
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8.2 COMMUNITY OUTREACH

The District’s outreach programs are integral to the development, implementation, and 

success of the 2012 PM2.5 Plan. In addition, engaging the public in efforts to reduce 

emissions is a key element of the District’s attainment strategy. Education increases 

public support for new and controversial regulations.

The District’s education and information program has expanded and evolved over the 

years. The following outreach programs are just some of the District’s programs related 

to health-based PM2.5 control measures and strategies.

8.2.1 Real-Time Air Advisory Network (RAAN)

Pollution levels can vary greatly during the day. While the District issues a daily air 

quality forecast for each county in the air basin, localized air quality often deviates from 

these generalized, county-wide forecasts. Access to real-time data compensates for 

such deviations and helps ensure that outdoor activity can be limited to periods of the 

day when air quality is acceptable and healthier.

The District launched the Real-time Air Advisory Network (RAAN) in 2010. This program 

is the first communication network in the nation to provide automated notification of poor 

or changing local air quality to the public throughout the air basin. While the District 

initially developed the program for schools as a tool to determine appropriate levels of 

outdoor activity for their students, the District expanded the program in 2011, and it is 

now available to all Valley residents.

The District combines local air quality information with specific, concentration-based 

health recommendations that allow RAAN subscribers to make informed decisions 

about when and for whom outdoor activities should be limited. The knowledge that 

exercise magnifies the health risks of PM2.5 exposure motivated the District to develop 

the RAAN program. Heavy breathing, as during exercise, allows air pollutants, 

especially the smallest particles (those less than 0.1 microns (PM0.1), also referred to 

as ultrafine particles), to more easily penetrate the alveolar region of the lungs. Particles 

that make it to this region are absorbed directly into the body’s bloodstream. A 2003 

study4found that during moderate exercise, 80% of inhaled PM0.1 were deposited in 

the lungs, compared to 60% lung retention while a person is at rest. However, because 

the volume of air exchanged per minute increased substantially during exercise, overall 

PM0.1 deposition increases by as much as 450%.

Anyone can subscribe to RAAN at no charge through the District’s website 

(www.valleyair.org); all that is required is the subscriber’s email address. Once 

subscribed, the District will send email notifications with a link to the real-time data of 

the closest monitoring station within the District’s extensive monitoring network. The 

 

4 Daigle, C.C., Chalupa, D.C., Gibb, F.R., Morrow, P.E., Oberdörster, G., Utell, M.J., and Frampton, M.W. (2003). 

Ultrafine Particle Deposition in Humans During Rest and Exercise. Inhalation Toxicology, 15, 539–552. 

DOI:10.1080/08958370390205065
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District sends automated notifications on an hourly basis when air quality deteriorates or 

improves.

8.2.2 Real-Time Outdoor Activity Risk (ROAR)

To support the expanded RAAN program, the District developed the Real-time Outdoor 

Activity Risk (ROAR) scale. The levels of this scale provide specific recommendations 

and limitations for increasing levels of activity, from recess through competitive athletic 

events. This scale is based on the Air Quality Index system that is used for the daily air 

quality forecasts, but provides more detailed activity recommendations based on the 

latest health science. The ROAR system, when used in conjunction with the Air Quality 

Flag Program and daily air quality forecasts, is part of a comprehensive set of tools 

available to schools and the public for effective health protection.

8.2.3 Air Quality Flag Program

The Air Quality Flag Program is provided free of charge to hundreds of elementary and 

secondary schools throughout the Valley. The District provides to each school a set of 

colored flags mirroring the levels of the Air Quality Index (AQI), which are used to 

convey the daily air quality forecast. These flags represent a visual cue for students, 

faculty, and staff as to the daily air quality and potential risks associated with the 

expected air quality. School site training is a critical component of the flag program, 

providing school staff with the background and knowledge to effectively execute this 

program.

8.2.4 Check Before You Burn

The Check-Before-You-Burn outreach program is critical to the implementation of 

District Rule 4901—Wood Burning Fireplaces and Wood Burning Heaters. Rule 4901 

was adopted in 2003 and, along with the Check-Before-You-Burn program, is credited 

with reducing levels of PM2.5 emissions during the winter season to historically low 

levels. The rule and outreach program was amended in 2008 to reflect more stringent 

federal health-based standards, and together they have achieved the highest level of 

public recognition and compliance of any District program, with 83% of Valley residents 

professing awareness of it based on a 2010 public survey.5 According to the same 

survey, half the respondents (Valley-wide) with wood-burning devices never used them. 

These statistics are a testament to heightened public awareness resulting from the 

District’s multilingual, multimedia, targeted public outreach campaigns.

Annual Check-Before-You-Burn outreach campaigns feature District Governing Board 

members in outdoor, radio, and video media speaking to the public about how to get 

involved in clean air activities. The District also uses extensive social media posts 

 

5

San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District: Memorandum to SJVUAPCD Governing Board, District’s 

Comprehensive Public Outreach and Education Program. Fresno, CA: Public Governing Board Study Session, 

September 29–30, 2010. Available at 

http://www.valleyair.org/Board_meetings/GB/agenda_minutes/Agenda/2010/Study_Session/Agenda_Item_13_Sep_2

9_2010.pdf
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(Facebook and Twitter) to reach even more segments of the Valley’s population. In 

addition, the District’s toll-free information line and website receives hundreds of “hits” 

during the wood-burning season, specifically to access wood-burning forecast 

information.

8.2.5 Healthy Air Living

Most of the District’s outreach activities and programs are covered by the Health Air 

Living umbrella. As a year-round message, the Healthy Air Living idea of “make one 

change” promotes and encourages Valley residents and businesses to implement 

voluntary measures to reduced emissions and improved air quality. Many of the 

emission-reduction recommendations address PM2.5 emissions, either directly emitted 

or as byproducts of other pollutants (e.g. reducing the number of miles traveled in a car 

reduces NOx and, therefore, particulates).

Components of the Health Air Living message include the For Reel Video Contest, 

aimed at middle-school, high-school, and college-aged students; the Healthy Air Living 

Kids Calendar for kindergarteners through high-school students; and Healthy Air Living 

Pledge Cards, which are customized for residents, businesses, schools, and faith-based 

organizations. In addition to these specific programs and others, the Healthy Air Living 

logo and message are incorporated into the District’s communications, collateral, 

incentive materials, and outreach efforts.
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