WASHOE COUNTY HEALTH DISTRICT

AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DIVISION

1001 EAST NINTH STREET / P.O. BOX 11130, RENO, NEVADA 89520 (775) 784-7200 FAX (775) 784-7225

www.OurCleanAir.com

WASHOE COUNTY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

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STAFF REPORT

BOARD MEETING DATE: August 28, 2014

DATE: August 15, 2014

TO: District Board of Health

FROM: Yann Ling-Barnes, P.E., Environmental Engineer II

775-784-7208, ylbarnes@washoecounty.us

THROUGH: Charlene Albee, Division Director

(775) 784-7211, CAlbee@washoecounty.us

SUBJECT: Adoption of the “Second 10-Year Maintenance Plan for the Truckee Meadows 

8-Hour Carbon Monoxide Attainment Area”

_________________________________________________________________________________

SUMMARY

The Truckee Meadows is currently in attainment/maintenance for the 8-hour Carbon Monoxide (CO) 

National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). A Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan 

for the Truckee Meadows CO Non-Attainment Area (NAA) was submitted to the U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA) in September 2005, and the Truckee Meadows was redesignated to 

attainment status in 2008. This Maintenance Plan will provide for the maintenance of the 8-hour CO 

NAAQS for an additional ten years following the first 10-year period, effective through 2030.

Health District goal supported by this item: Achieve targeted improvements in health 

outcomes and health equity.

PREVIOUS ACTION

The “Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan for the Truckee Meadows Carbon Monoxide 

Non-Attainment Area” was unanimously adopted by DBOH on September 22, 2005.

BACKGROUND

The EPA has established health-based NAAQS for six criteria pollutants, including CO. During 

the 1970’s and 1980’s, the Truckee Meadows portion of Washoe County frequently exceeded and 

violated the CO NAAQS. Because of these violations, the Truckee Meadows was designated as a 

non-attainment area for the 8-hour CO NAAQS. Non-attainment areas, such as the Truckee 

Meadows, are required by the Clean Air Act (CAA) to develop a State Implementation Plan (SIP) 

demonstrating attainment of the NAAQS. 

The Washoe County Health District, Air Quality Management Division (AQMD) developed a SIP 

that identified and applied reduction strategies to the most significant wintertime CO categories in 

the Truckee Meadows. The main CO contributors included residential wood combustion and on-
August 15, 2014

“Second 10-Year Maintenance Plan for the Truckee Meadows 8-Hour CO Attainment Area”

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road motor vehicle emissions. The SIP resulted in air quality improvements, and the Truckee 

Meadows attained the 8-hour NAAQS in 1995.

In 2005, the AQMD submitted a Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan to the EPA 

demonstrating attainment and maintenance of the CO standards. EPA redesignated the Truckee 

Meadows to attainment of the CO NAAQS in 2008. Since redesignation, monitored CO 

concentrations have been consistently more than 65% below the NAAQS. Although the current 

Maintenance Plan is effective through 2018, this Maintenance Plan is being prepared and submitted 

early in order to align transportation conformity analysis years with the PM10 Maintenance Plan. 

Transportation conformity analysis is required for long and short-range transportation plans.

This Maintenance Plan was prepared in coordination with EPA, Regional Transportation 

Commission of Washoe County, Federal Highway Administration, Nevada Division of 

Environmental Protection, Nevada Department of Transportation, and Truckee Meadows Regional 

Planning Agency.

If the Second 10-Year Maintenance Plan is adopted, it will be submitted to EPA through the 

Nevada Division of Environmental Protection as a revision to the Truckee Meadows portion of the 

Nevada CO SIP. To reduce printing resources and expenses, the Second 10-Year Maintenance 

Plan is not included with this staff report. This document, including appendices, is 26 pages and 

can be accessed from the “News & Events” section of the Air Quality Management Division 

website (www.OurCleanAir.com). A hard copy is available by contacting Ms. Yann Ling-Barnes

of the AQMD at (775) 784-7208 or ylbarnes@washoecounty.us.

FISCAL IMPACT

No fiscal impact.

RECOMMENDATION

Staff recommends that the DBOH adopt the Second 10-Year Maintenance Plan.

POSSIBLE MOTION

Should the DBOH adopt the Second 10-Year Maintenance Plan, a possible motion could be “Move to 

adopt the “Second 10-Year Maintenance Plan for the Truckee Meadows 8-Hour CO Attainment 

Area””.