Executive Summary
Table of Contents | Executive Summary | Air Quality | Voluntary Measures | Appendix/Acknowledgements
The quality of the air we breathe is a vital concern for all Americans. The very young and the very old are especially vulnerable, but even healthy young adults suffer as well.
Air pollution causes respiratory problems, hospitalization for heart or lung disease, and even premature death. In addition, poor air quality affects our ability to see our vistas
and landmarks and can impact aquatic life, vegetation, and animals. Fortunately, air quality in the Bay Area and the Tri-Valley Area has improved greatly in
the past 30 years, thanks to aggressive control programs adopted by government agencies and the voluntary efforts of the area's citizens. However, still more needs to
be done to achieve all the health-based air quality standards. Maintenance of these standards will be even more difficult in light of the anticipated population growth and the
resulting pollution from more vehicles and economic activity. Under the Clean Air Act, failure to make adequate progress in attaining and maintaining the standards can also
jeopardize Federal transportation funding to the Bay Area.
Tri-Valley Air Quality
The Tri-Valley Area, in particular, is at high risk because most violations of the ozone air quality standards in the Bay Area occur at the Livermore monitoring station. The
Tri-Valley Area is now a major residential and employment center in its own right, in addition to being downwind of several major freeways and industrial areas. The
mountains surrounding the Tri-Valley Area tend to trap pollutants so when weather conditions are right, such as very hot summer days or very cold winter nights, the
emissions from vehicles and other activities create unhealthful air that sometimes exceeds the standards. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), the Air Resources Board
(ARB) of California, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) all have different and complementary responsibilities in cleaning up and protecting our
air quality. The BAAQMD (www.baaqmd.gov) is responsible for adopting plans, programs and regulations that reduce air pollution from factories and other stationary sources and
works with local governments and transportation agencies to reduce pollution from various transportation sources. The BAAQMD is a regional agency with jurisdiction
over the following nine Bay Area counties: San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, and portions of Sonoma and Solano. ARB of
California (www.arb.ca.gov) is responsible for adopting emission standards for new vehicles and off-road equipment; and provides funding, technical guidance and support
to the BAAQMD and local governments. The U.S. EPA (www.epa.gov) is responsible for implementing the Clean Air Act across the country and adopts national health-based
ambient standards, adopts emission regulations for vehicles and fuels, adopts minimum performance standards for state and local governments, and then provides oversight of
their performance.
Health Standards Can Be Achieved
Through Voluntary Actions
The clean air plans and regulations adopted by the BAAQMD, and approved by ARB of California and the U.S. EPA, are extremely comprehensive-addressing big and small
stationary sources as well as on- and off-road mobile sources. However, because achieving and maintaining the health standards is so difficult, voluntary actions by
citizens, businesses, cities, and counties are needed to build on and enhance these mandatory, regulatory programs.
In early 2003, at the request of the First District Supervisor Scott Haggerty, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors approved funding to develop a Clean Air Plan for the
Tri-Valley Area. A draft Plan was prepared in June 2003 and distributed to key stakeholders in the Tri-Valley Area. As many Valley stakeholders as possible were
contacted to explain the purpose and elements of the draft Plan and to receive feedback about how the Plan could be improved. The Plan that follows reflects their review and
incorporates their specific suggestions for improvement. During the discussions, it became clear that the stakeholders of the Valley are already implementing many of
these measures. This is evidence of the commitment of the Tri-Valley Area to clean air and bodes well for the future implementation of the suggested measures in this Plan.
This Plan is also intended as a model for the Bay Area as a whole. Government, employers, and residents of other communities beyond the Tri-Valley Area can
hopefully benefit from it as well.
The Clean Air Plan Provides
Valuable Resources
The Clean Air Plan is a collection of voluntary measures that have been developed specifically for the Tri-Valley Area. Implementation of these measures will be a step
towards reducing high levels of ozone and particulate matter (PM), resulting in cleaner air and fewer excesses of the standards.
These measures are organized in four
categories:
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Technology measures that rely on technological devices or cleaner fuels to reduce emissions from sources; for example, conversion of a vehicle to burn
natural gas instead of gasoline.
-
Transportation control measures that improve or modify a transportation system or element to reduce emissions from vehicles; for example, improving
mass transit opportunities.
-
Land use measures that modify or improve land use policies or plans to minimize emissions generation from vehicles and other human activities; for
example adoption of smart growth policies by local government.
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Public education measures that seek to educate citizens about what they can do to reduce pollution; for example, using environmental education curriculum in K-12 schools.
A brief description of each measure is provided, as well as identification of the entity that would most likely implement the measure, the pollutant addressed, and potential
funding sources. More detailed information about each of the measures, including the experiences of other cities and government agencies in implementing similar measures,
can be accessed through the websites listed. In addition to the measures, there is an overview of the air quality setting in the
Tri-Valley area, along with a description of the ozone and particulate standards. Finally, the appendix defines and explains the acronyms used throughout the Plan.
If you are interested in accessing this plan electronically, please visit the Alameda County website at www.acgov.org/board/district1/index.htm. Click on the link to
the Clean Air Plan.
What Can You Do To Help?
Although one-third of these measures are already being implemented, additional effort is needed in the Tri-Valley Area to reduce harmful levels of air pollution. Therefore, as a
next step, all stakeholders should review the Plan to identify which measures they would find useful in their area. In some cases, special resources (identified in the Plan)
may be available to help fund some of the measures.
The goal is that cities and other agencies adopt this Plan and implement as many measures as possible. Existing and new employers should be encouraged to implement
those measures that are applicable to their specific situations. And finally, key to effectively maintaining clean air quality will be the acceptance and participation by
residents in implementing appropriate measures in the Plan.
The Plan should be considered to be a work in progress. As new measures or technologies become available, they should be incorporated into the Plan. Through the
cooperation of citizens, businesses and governments in implementing the measures of the Plan, clean air can be a perpetual reality in the Tri-Valley Area.
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