ESP 179 - Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Hazards

"Superfund" law

- Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980 - Clean up of abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous waste sites through remediation or removal - Includes the "Superfund" - Liability may be assigned to: current owner, historic owner, contractor, person who accepted material for transport disposal of treatment... - National Priority List/"Superfund" sites

Which county has the most superfund sites in the US?

- Cuyahoga County, OH - Allegheny County, PA - Wayne County, MI - #1 - Santa Clara, CA (23 sites); ranks #17 among states - #2 - Los Angeles, CA (17 sites)

determining significance A) and B) Hazards

- Depends on: Type and amount of hazardous materials used/produced and Project operations (e.g., likelihood of accidental release) - Typically requires an expert assessment - At a minimum, any project that uses or generates hazardous materials should be reviewed by the local Certified Unified Program Agency

scope of question A) GHGs

- Does the project produce a lot of GHGs? - How much is too much? (varies by district)

Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (1976)

- Establishes framework for the proper management of hazardous and non- hazardous solid waste - "Cradle to grave" approach

Mandatory GHG Reporting Rule (2009)

- For facilities emitting > 25,000 tons of CO2e per year

Silicon Valley clean-up

- From the mid-1980s to 2008, 231 million gallons of groundwater were pumped out and treated - AMD employed on-site bioremediation: Pumping molasses into the subsurface water, which promoted microbe growth, which in turn degraded harmful compounds

Scope of question D) hazards

- GCS 65962.5 --> "Cortese List" - List of hazardous materials sites known as "Cortese List" in reference to the State Legislator (Dominic Cortese) who sponsored the legislation

Methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE)

- Gasoline additive used after leaded gasoline banned - air quality benefits, easy to use, cheap - BUT can leak from tanks and pollute groundwater - very water soluble - difficult to remove from water

facts to answer question F) Hazards

- General Plan Safety Element (Designing evacuation routes) - Local jurisdiction's Office of Emergency Services or fire department - Applicable emergency or evacuation plans (E.g., tsunami evacuation plan, fire evacuation plan)

Toxic Substance Control Act (1976)

- Gives EPA authority to protect public health and the environment through control on toxic chemicals that pose an unreasonable risk of injury - Regulates production, importation, use, and disposal of specific chemicals

determining significance G) Hazards

- Is the project located within a hazard area on a mapping resource? - If yes, likely a potentially significant impact - AVOID very wildfire prone areas! (we haven't...)

facts to answer question A) GHGs

- Local AQMD/APCD threshold document - Air quality model (CalEEMod Projects GHGs in addition to criteria air pollutants)

facts to answer question E) Hazards

- Local general plan - Airport Land Use Plan (or Master Plan) - California Airport Land Use Planning Handbook - County records of private airstrips - California Airport Hangars, Airparks, and Private Airstrips - FAA- Compatible Land Use and Airspace Protection

Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA)

- Local government agencies that implement hazardous waste and materials standards set by Unified Program - Most are county environmental health departments or local fire departments/districts - monitored under DTSC

facts to answer question & determine significance for D) hazards

- Only one criterion for significance - is it on the Cortese list? - If on the list, likely significant impact - requires remediation

scope of question B) GHGs - and facts

- Overlaps a lot with Question A - Plans to check include: state (AB 32 scoping plan), Regional plans (AQMD/APCD threshold documents; Sustainable community strategies), local (Local climate action plans; Other local plans that may have measures for climate change or GHG emissions)

Asbestos

- Popular industrial uses since 1800s - Cheap, durable, flexible, fireproof, and insulating - dangerous to lungs when fibers are inhaled - common uses: cars, roof tiles, cement, etc (ref to common uses flashcard)

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

- Production banned in 1976, but were commonly used: - Electrical, heat transfer and hydraulic equipment - Plasticizers in paints, plastics and rubber products - Pigments, dyes and carbonless copy paper - Other industrial applications

Airport Master Plan

- Public airports have Airport Land Use Commissions and prepare Airport Land Use Plans - Identify compatible land uses in the plan areas

Phase I Environmental Site Assessment

- Records search of a site's contamination potential - May include site visit (ref to flashcard) - Interviews of persons knowledgeable regarding the property (past/present owners, tenants, employees, neighbors, etc.) - Search for land use permits with local governments and resource agencies - examine historical aerial photos

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

- Sets standards for safe workplaces and work practices - Includes reporting system for accidents and occupational injuries, including those related to hazardous materials

Sustainable Communities Strategy

- Strategies for land use, housing, and transportation that would let region meet its GHG reduction targets - Guides regional transportation investments - created as part of Regional Transport plan under SB 375

Phase II Environmental Site Assessment

- Take samples and laboratory testing. Samples can include: - Surface soil and water - Subsurface soil borings - Groundwater monitoring - Search for underground storage tanks - Tank leakage testing - Testing for PCBs/asbestos/lead

EPA: "Endangerment" and "Cause or contribute" findings (2009)

- Two separate findings by the EPA - Response to the mandate of Massachusetts vs. EPA - Precursor for regulations of GHG emissions

Global Warming Solutions Act (2006)

- aka AB 32 - Goal of reducing GHGs to 1990 levels by 2020 (431 MMT CO2e) - Includes strategies for achieving reductions

Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act (2008)

- aka SB 375 - Directs CARB to set regional targets for GHG reductions from passenger vehicle use - Regions create "Sustainable Communities Strategy" as part of Regional Transportation Plan

Greenhouse Gases (GHGs)

- any gas or atmospheric particle that absorbs infrared radiation - INDIRECT effect on humans by altering earth systems/habitat

Common uses for asbestos

- automotive parts (brake pads, hood liners, gaskets) - roof tiles - cement - textiles (especially for fire fighting purposes)

SB 97 (2007)

- called for adding GHGs to CEQA - CEQA guidelines were revised effective March 10, 2010 - Did NOT set a threshold of significance for GHG emissions

Hazards Section in CEQA

- hazardous materials - airports/airstrips - emergency response/evacuation/wildfires

What counts as "hazardous"?

- ignitability - corrosivity - reactivity - toxicity

criteria air pollutants/TACs

- inhaling has health effects - DIRECT effect on human health

Section XX. Wildfire

- new guidelines section for Hazard question G) - Expose people or structures to risks associated by wildfire? - Primarily looking at fire hazard severity zone maps produced by Calfire

Global Warming Potential (GWP)

- not all gases have the same impact... - impacts of individual gases are reported in terms of these - CO2 has GWP of 1 - emissions typically are reported in terms of CO2e

determining significance E) Hazards

- not in an Airport Land Use Plan Area or near private airship = no impact - in an Airport Land Use Plan Area - Conform to plan = no impact - near an airport without a plan? --> conduct safety analysis; should be evaluated by aviation professional familiar with federal regulations

Cortese List

- or GCS 65962.5 - list of hazardous materials sites - named after Dominic Cortese who sponsored the legislation

Fire Hazard Severity Zones Maps

- produced and maintained by CalFire - evaluate wildland fire risk

Brownfield development

- redevelopment that occurs on former industrial sites called brownfield sites - Construction can stir up hazardous materials into the air or cause leakage into soil and water - May expose individuals to hazardous substances

school children = sensitive receptors

- ref to question C) hazards - Are sites using hazardous materials or transporting them within close proximity to schools? - Transportation and/or construction involving hazardous materials? - Can those activities be done during non-school hours?

Lessening fire hazards

- space plants & trees apart to prevent fire from spreading - lower tree limbs - roofs tiles

Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC)

- the "Unified program" - Consolidates the administration, permit, inspection, and enforcement activities of the following environmental and emergency management programs: - Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act Program - Area Plans for Hazardous Materials Emergencies - California Accidental Release Program (CalARP) - Hazardous Materials Release Response Plans and Inventories - Hazardous Material Management Plan (HMMP) and Hazardous Material Inventory Statements (HMIS) (California Fire Code) - Hazardous Waste Generator and Onsite Hazardous Waste Treatment Programs - Underground Storage Tank Program

Fire modeling

- wildfire modeling is concerned with numerical simulation of wildland fires in order to understand and predict fire behavior. - Wildfire modeling can ultimately aid wildland fire suppression like increase safety, reduce risk, and minimize damage

scope of question A) Hazards

--> hazardous waste generators - Motor freight terminals and Railroad transportation - Manufacturing - Pesticide end users and application services - printing and allied industries - Vehicle maintenance

scope of question B) Hazards

--> upset/accident conditions - mistakes in chemical processing (including explosions that release hazardous materials or cause injury) - Accidents involving vehicles which are transporting hazardous materials - Release associated with construction - Demolition of older buildings that may contain hazardous materials used in the past - Natural disasters

Silicon Valley

-has many superfund sites - many of these facilities use hazardous materials

Global warming (steps)

1) solar radiation passes thru the atmosphere 2) earth warms and emits infrared radiation 3) infrared radiation is absorbed by GHGs and re-radiated in all directions

What does APCD mean?

Air Pollution Control District

What does BPS mean?

Best Performance Standards

Calculating CO2e

CO2e = Mass of pollutant * GWP

What does CARB mean?

California Air Resources Board

What does CERCLA stand for?

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act

Massachusetts vs. EPA (2007)

Court ruled that GHGs are pollutants under the Clean Air Act and should be regulated

Question D) Hazards

Does Cortese list include the site?

determining significance F) Hazards

Does the project substantially impair any of the following: - Alerting and warning citizens - Conducting evacuations - Providing short-term feeding and sheltering - Conducting search and rescue operations - Using emergency evacuation routes

Reactivity

Explosives or compounds that generate toxic fumes when exposed to air or water

U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)

Has regulatory responsibility for the safe transportation of hazardous materials (except by mail)

Appendix G Questions for Wildfires

If the project is located in a State Responsibility Area, or very high fire hazard severity zone: A) Impair emergency response? B) Exacerbate conditions due to slope, winds, other factors? C) Require construction of new equipment/facilities? D) Lead to increased landslide mud slide, etc. risks?

Clean Air Act

Regulates airborne emissions of toxic materials

Hazardous Materials Transportation Act (1990)

Regulates... - permits for carriers - Transport of radioactive materials - Training, packaging and placard information

Clean Water Act

Requires petroleum storage tanks to have a Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasures Plan

U.S. Postal Service

Similar responsibility for materials shipped by mail

CARB's AB 32 Scoping Plan

Strategies to reduce emissions from each sector of the state's GHG inventory: - Improved emissions standards for light-duty vehicles - Low carbon fuel standard - Energy efficiency measures in buildings and appliances - Widespread development of combined heat and power systems - Renewable portfolio standard for electricity production

Corrosivity

Strong acids and bases

Question E) Hazards

Would the project be located within Airport land use area?

Question F) Hazards

Would the project conflict with evacuation plan or emergency responses?

Question B) Hazards

Would the project create hazard to public or environment through Upset or accidental release?

Question A) Hazards

Would the project create hazard to public or environment through routine use, transport, disposal?

Question G) Hazards

Would the project expose people/structures to WILDFIRES?

Question A) GHGs

Would the project generate greenhouse gas that may have potentially significant environmental impact?

Question C) Hazards

Would the project...handle hazardous materials near schools?

Toxicity

material listed by EPA as capable of inducing systematic damage in humans or other animals

Ignitability

oxidizers, compressed gases, extremely flammable liquids and solids

Question B) GHGs

would the project Conflict with applicable plan/policy? I.e. SCS or Climate Action Plan

national priority list/"Superfund" sites

- 1335 sites - 51 more proposed - 424 cleaned up and deleted from list

South Coast AQMD

- 5 tier approach - Tier 1: Applicable exemptions - Tier 2: GHG emissions consistent with GHG budgets in an approved regional plan - Tier 3: GHG emissions below or mitigated to less than significant "screening level" - Tier 4: Performance standards - Tier 5: Offsets

Hazardous Waste Control Law

- Aligns with federal regulations- but CA law applies to more materials than the Federal RCRA hazardous waste definitions - governing body of the EPA - Oversees five boards: 1) Air Resources Board (CARB) 2) Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, 3) Department of Pesticide Regulation, 4) State Water Resources Control Board 5) Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC)

San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (APCD)

- All projects that result in an increase in GHG emissions should follow San Joaquin Valley APCD's Best Performance Standards (BPS) - Projects implementing these BPS can be determined to have a less than significant individual and cumulative impact on climate change

Demolition or renovation of old buildings

- Built at times when building materials included substances now known to be hazardous - Health/environmental hazards were unknown or not regulated

Additional GHG resources

- CAPCOA - CEQA and Climate Change - CAPCOA - Quantifying GHG Reduction Measures

CO2e

- CO2 equivalent - emissions are reported in terms of these!

facts to answer question A) and B) Hazards

- CUPA (for project review) - CA EPA - DTSC - Phase I ESA

facts to answer question G) Hazards

- CalFire - Fire Hazard Severity Zones - CalFire - Cities with "Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones" - OPR - Fire Hazard Planning - CA Wildland Urban Building Codes - General Plan Safety Element

CalFire

- California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

Types of GHGs

- Carbon dioxide (CO2) - Methane (CH4) - Nitrous oxide (N2O) - Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) - Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) - Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)

Site visit in Phase I ESA involves:

- Chemical spill residue, vegetation die back, etc. - Hazardous substances/petroleum products use - Above ground or underground storage tanks - potential nearby, offsite use of hazardous materials