FRAQMD BEST AVAILABLE MITIGATION MEASURES

OPERATIONAL AND AREA SOURCE ACTIVITY
[Effective January 2004]

 

Contact: Larry D. Matlock, Senior Air Quality Planner, Feather River Air Quality Management District (Yuba and Sutter Counties); 530-634-7659 x202; Email: lmatlock@fraqmd.org; Website: www.fraqmd.org/

 

CEQA Significance Threshold (Mass Emission, pounds per day)

 

 

Projects that are estimated to result in daily operational/area source emissions greater than 25 pounds per day for nitrous oxides (NOx), 25 pounds per day for reactive organic gases (ROG), or 80 pounds per day for respirable particulate matter less than 10 microns in diameter (PM10) may result in significant air quality impacts and should be required to implement all of the following feasible measures to reduce air pollution to the maximum extent possible. Projects that do not exceed the thresholds should implement all feasible measures to reduce cumulative impacts to downwind regions of the Sacramento Valley Air Basin.

 

The following is a list of mitigation measures that have been identified by the District to reduce a project’s long-term operational and area source impact on local and regional air quality.  Implementation of these measures will ensure that projects are consistent with the District’s Air Quality Attainment Plan and local land use plans. All projects should implement those measures that are logical and feasible for their specific project.

 

Projects that cannot implement sufficient onsite measures to reduce project impacts may participate in the District’s offsite mitigation program. Please see measure number 74 for details on the District’s offsite mitigation program. 

 

1.      Tree planting of low-emission California native species in excess of that already required. Contact the District for a list of low-emission trees and shrubs.

2.      Landscape with low-emission native drought-resistant species (plants, trees and bushes) to reduce the demand for gas powered landscape maintenance equipment. Contact the District for a list of low-emission trees and shrubs.

3.      Use low VOC coatings per District Rule 3.15 Architectural Coatings.

4.      Site design to minimize the need for external trips by including services/facilities for day care, banking/ATM, restaurants, vehicle refueling, and shopping.

5.      Require development practices, which maximize energy conservation.

6.      Improve the thermal integrity of buildings, and reduce the thermal load with automated time clocks or occupant sensors.

7.      Introduce window glazing, wall insulation, and efficient ventilation methods.

8.      Introduce efficient heating and other appliances, such as water heaters, cooking equipment, refrigerators, furnaces and boiler units beyond Title 24 requirements (see Title 24, Part 6,  Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential and Nonresidential Buildings: http://www.energy.ca.gov/title24/standards/index.html )
 

 

9.      Incorporate appropriate passive solar design and solar heaters.

10. Use devices that minimize the combustion of fossil fuels.

11. Capture waste heat and re-employ it in nonresidential buildings.

12. Electrical outlets shall be installed on the exterior walls of both the front and back of a residence or all commercial buildings to promote the use of electric landscape maintenance equipment.

 

13. Install a gas outlet in the backyard for gas burning barbecues.

14. Install a gas outlet for use with outdoor cooking appliances, such as a gas barbecue.

15. Install a gas outlet in any proposed fireplaces, including outdoor recreational fireplaces or pits.

16. Install low nitrogen oxide (NOx) hot water heaters.

17. Install electric vehicle recharging circuits in residential garages / parking lots.

18. Install electric vehicle charging raceways in residential garages.

19. Prohibit gas powered landscape maintenance equipment within developments.

20. Purchase battery powered or electric landscape maintenance equipment for new residences.

21. Require landscape maintenance companies to use battery powered or electric equipment.

22. Create / increase buffer zones between a sensitive receptor and pollution source.

23. Configure parking to minimize traffic interference.

24. Schedule goods movement for off-peak traffic hours.

25. Synchronize traffic signals.

26. Provide adequate ingress and egress at entrances to public facilities to minimize vehicle idling at curbside.

27. Provide dedicated turn lanes as appropriate.

28. Join a local Transportation Management Association (TMA) and prepare employer-based trip reduction plans.

29. Establish telecommuting programs, alternate work schedules, and satellite work centers.

30. Design parking areas with less emphasis on "convenience."

31. Include a limited number of parking spaces in project design.

32. Include wide parking spaces or vanpool only spaces to accommodate vanpool vehicles.

33. Develop vehicle and bicycle all day parking lots near rail stations, transit stops, and freeway access points.

34. Construction/enhancement of a Park and Ride lot.

35. Parking pricing strategies, such as charging parking lot fees to low occupancy vehicles.

36. Provide preferential parking for those who rideshare.

37. Provide funds for on line computer rideshare matching.

38. Provide ridesharing information in a homeowner’s association package.

39. Site design to maximize telecommunication including an appropriate network infrastructure.

40. Provide satellite work offices when appropriate.  Applicable to office/industrial and educational institutions.

41. Design/establish telecommuting programs for office/industrial complexes.

42. Offer low cost financing to employees for the purchase of telecommuting equipment, or lend company-owned equipment.

43. Design "Shop by Telephone" or "Shop-by-Computer" services.  Applicable to shopping centers and retail facilities.

44. Provide individual private telephones for patients at medical facilities, which allows for "visits without trips."

45. Purchase abandoned railroad rights-of-way for future transit line, bikeway or hiking use(s).

46. Contribute to an area transit fund to help build, maintain, and enhance transit services/facilities/amenities.

47. Site design to maximize access to existing transit lines.

48. Street design to accommodate bus travel.

49. Street design to maximize pedestrian access to transit stops, including access from residential cul-de-sacs to collector and arterial streets.

50. Site design to include bus shelters at transit access points.

51. Provide additional lighted transit shelters and multimodal transfer stations for transit users.

52. Construction of transit facility/amenity (bus shelters, bicycle lockers/racks, etc.) for existing public and private transit.                                   

53. Provision for transit-use incentives such as subsidized transit passes, accommodation of "unusual" work schedules to allow for transit schedules.  Applies to office/industrial, educational institutions, and resorts/hotels.

54. “Validation" of a transit ticket to provide free return trip.  Applies to shopping centers, hospitals/medical facilities, and retail facilities.

55. Sell transit passes.  Applies to retail facilities, educational institutions, resorts/hotels, and office/industrial complexes.

56. An employer subsidized free or reduced transit fares for midday central business district trips.

57. Free transfers between all shuttles and transit.

58. Subsidized school bus service.

59. A subsidy of added transit services.

60. An employer subsidized shuttle service to connect to existing transit sites.

61. Operation of a shuttle bus to shopping, health care, public services sites and other nearby trip attractors to reduce automobile use.

62. Establish delivery services.  Applicable to retail facilities (frequent use), shopping centers, and restaurants.

63. Site design to maximize bicycle access to and within the project and/or provide bicycle parking/lockers.

a.      An employer/developer provided locker room/showers to employees who bicycle.

64. Include Class 2 bicycle lanes in new developments.

65. Develop or improve bicycle/pedestrian paths between destinations using public and/or utility rights-of-way.

66. Develop or improve access by bicycle, wheelchair or pedestrian traffic to existing major destinations in city or region.  For example, schools, employment centers, shopping, recreation, and parks.

67. Provide secure bicycle storage at public parking facilities.

68. Contribute funding toward the purchase and operation of air quality monitoring equipment.

69. Provide a location for air monitoring equipment.

70. Require mixed-use development in order to achieve a balance of commercial, employment, and housing options within the project site or its immediate environment.

71. Provide higher density land uses around activity centers, transportation nodes and transit corridors.

72. Only U.S. EPA Phase II certified woodburning devices shall be allowed in single-family residences. The emission potential from each residence shall not exceed 7.5 grams per hour.

73. Woodburning or Pellet appliances shall not be permitted in multi-family developments.  Only natural gas or propane fired “fireplace” appliances are permitted.

74. Offsite Mitigation Programs

 

·        If a project proponent is unable to implement sufficient on-site mitigation measures to reduce its long-term operational and area source emissions (after exhausting all onsite measures), the project proponent may volunteer or the Lead Agency or approving Board may require the proponent to implement an offsite mitigation program to achieve the required emission reductions in lieu of approving the project under “significant and unavoidable” conditions.

Offsite mitigation strategies may be modeled after existing emission reduction programs such as the Carl Moyer Program. Examples of projects may include retrofitting existing on-road or off-road heavy-duty vehicles/equipment with cleaner burning engines, retrofitting or purchasing new lower-emission agriculture pumps, purchasing cleaner public transit vehicles, purchasing new CNG school buses, or contributing to or installing CNG fueling infrastructure. Other project examples may include paving dirt roads, contributing to or financing Class I bicycle/pedestrian infrastructure, retiring older polluting motor vehicles in a cash buy-out program, retiring gas lawn mowers an replacing with electric lawn mowers, or replacing non-EPA certified woodstoves with new EPA certified units.

The design of the offsite mitigation program would depend on the type and amount of emission reductions needed. District staff would work with the applicant to prepare a Request for Proposals to solicit projects and to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of proposed projects.

·        In lieu of a project proponent implementing their own offsite mitigation program, an applicant may volunteer or the Lead Agency or approving Board may require the proponent to pay a determined amount of money (based on cost-effectiveness criteria) into the District’s Offsite Mitigation Fund that would allow the District to find eligible projects to achieve equivalent emission reductions. The District presently provides monetary incentives to sources through the existing Carl Moyer and Motor Vehicle Fund programs to help fund projects that reduce air pollution in Yuba and Sutter Counties.

 

 

FRAQMD Operational_Area BAMM.doc