Come to a Public Workshop On Controlling Particle
Pollution
Wednesday, April 13, 2005 at 6:30 p.m.
Days Inn, 114 East Highway 246, Buellton, CA
Note: The report described is now available for
download, click here.
You are invited to attend this workshop to comment on the Santa Barbara
County Air Pollution Control District’s (APCD’s) plans to control particle
pollution in the county, as required by state law.
About Particle Pollution
Fine particles in the air are harmful to breathe, and can produce serious health
effects. Reducing particle pollution, also known as particulate matter (PM)
pollution, has been identified as one of California’s highest public health
priorities. Particles less than 10 microns in diameter, about one-tenth the size
of a human hair, are referred to as PM10. Ultra fine particles less than 2.5
microns in diameter are referred to as PM2.5. Particles may be released directly
into the air, or formed in the air through chemical reactions of gases.
Particles in our air may come from: engines in vehicles and equipment; wood
burning; chemical reactions of pollutants in sunlight; sea spray (salt
particles); or soil or dust.
About the State Law
Under Senate Bill 656, passed in 2003, the California Air Resources Board (CARB)
was required to develop and adopt, by January 1, 2005, a list of control
measures that could be adopted by local air districts to reduce PM pollution.
The APCD must select and prioritize measures on this list based on the existing
PM air quality, impact on public health and air quality, the amount of emission
reductions produced, and cost-effectiveness. Additionally, the APCD must adopt a
schedule for implementing the selected control measures by July 31, 2005.
About APCD’s Plan
Santa Barbara County’s particle pollution problem appears to be PM10 -based,
according to APCD’s studies of air quality and emissions data, and so we have
selected measures that will control PM10 . These measures focus on dust,
primarily produced by vehicles traveling over paved and unpaved roads, and
through construction and demolition activities. The proposed measures include
sweeping paved roads, setting speed limits on unpaved roads, minimizing dust
from construction and demolition activities, and limiting non-agricultural open
burning. Rules to implement these measures are proposed for adoption in the 2006
to 2011 timeframe.
You are invited to review the report, and to provide comments to APCD by
April 16, 2005. You may attend and comment at the public workshop, or provide
comments in writing to Ron Tan at the main office address below.
The documents are available on this page for download
here (see How to
View and Download Documents for information on file formats):
Note: Attachments 2,3,4,7 and 8 are available as paper copies only, contact Ron Tan
at 961-8812
later this week,
and also at the following locations:
APCD – Main Office
260 N. San Antonio Rd., Suite A
Santa Barbara, CA 93110
APCD – Santa Maria Office
301 E Cook Street, Suite L
Santa Maria, CA 93454
4th District Supervisor’s Office
401 E. Cypress St.
Lompoc, CA 93436
For more information, contact Ron Tan
at 961-8812 or write to him at the Santa Barbara address listed above.
Published Sunday, March 27, 2005
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