AC Transit East Bay Bus Rapid Transit Project in Alameda County Final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report Pursuant to National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, §102 (42 U.S.C. §4332); Federal Transit Laws (49 U.S.C. §5301(e), §5323(b) and §5324(b)); National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, §106 (16 U.S.C. §470f); 40 CFR Parts 1500-1508; 23 CFR Part 771; Executive Order 12898 (Environmental Justice); and California Environmental Quality Act, PRC 21000 et seq.; and the State of California CEQA Guidelines, California Administrative Code, 15000 et seq. by the U.S. Department of Transportation/Federal Transit Administration and the Alameda Contra Costa Transit District Air Quality Analysis Addendum November 2010 AC TRANSIT EAST BAY BRT PROJECT 2010 DRAFT ADDENDUM AIR QUALITY ANALYSIS (Prepared as Subsection to the Final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report) Prepared by Terry A. Hayes Associates, Inc. November 2010 CONTENTS Page Section 4.12 Air Quality 4-1 4.12.1 Regulatory Setting 4-1 4.12.1.1 National and State Ambient AQ Standards 4-2 4.12.1.2 Air Quality Plans 4-9 4.12.1.3 Air Quality Conformity 4-10 4.12.1.4 Affected Environment 4-10 4.12.1.5 Existing Conditions 4-11 4.12.3 Methodology and Significance Criteria 4-14 4.12.3.1 Methodology 4-14 4.12.3.2 Significance Criteria 4-16 4.12.4 Impact Discussion 4-17 4.12.4.1 Construction Phase Impacts 4-17 4.12.4.2 Operational Phase Impacts 4-21 NEPA 4-22 CEQA 4-25 4.12.4.3 Cumulative Impacts 4-26 Technical Appendix Chapter 4 Affected Environment, Environmental Consequences, and Avoidance, Minimization, and/or Mitigation Measures Chapter 4 Affected Environment, Environmental Consequences, and Avoidance, Minimization, and/or Mitigation Measures 4.12 Air Quality 4.12.1 Regulatory Setting The federal Clean Air Act (CAA) of 1963 (amended in 1990) governs air quality in the United States. In addition to being subject to the requirements of CAA, air quality in California is also governed by more stringent regulations under the California Clean Air Act (CCAA). At the federal level, CAA is administered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). In California, the CCAA is administered by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) at the State level and by the air quality management districts and air pollution control districts at the regional and local levels. United Stated Environmental Protection Agency USEPA is responsible for establishing the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). NAAQS are required under the CAA and subsequent amendments. USEPA regulates emission sources that are under the exclusive authority of the federal government, such as aircraft, ships, and certain types of locomotives. USEPA has jurisdiction over emission sources outside State waters (e.g., beyond the outer continental shelf) and establishes various emission standards, including those for vehicles sold in states other than California. Automobiles sold in California must meet stricter emission standards established by CARB. California Air Resources Board CARB became part of the California Environmental Protection Agency in 1991, and is responsible for meeting the State requirements of the CAA, administering the CCAA, and establishing the California Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS). The CCAA, as amended in 1992, requires all air districts in the State to endeavor to achieve and maintain the CAAQS. CAAQS are generally more stringent than the corresponding federal standards and incorporate additional standards for sulfates, hydrogen sulfide, vinyl chloride, and visibility reducing particles. CARB regulates mobile air pollution sources, such as motor vehicles. CARB is responsible for setting emission standards for vehicles sold in California and for other emission sources, such as consumer products and certain off-road equipment. CARB established passenger vehicle fuel specifications, which became effective in March 1996. CARB oversees the functions of local air pollution control districts and air quality AC TRANSIT EAST BAY BRT PROJECT 4-1 FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT/ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT Chapter 4 Affected Environment, Environmental Consequences, and Avoidance, Minimization, and/or Mitigation Measures management districts, which, in turn, administer air quality activities at the regional and county levels. Bay Area Air Quality Management District The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) is primarily responsible for assuring that the federal and State ambient air quality standards are attained and maintained in the Bay Area Air Basin (BAAB). BAAQMD is also responsible for adopting and enforcing rules and regulations concerning air pollutant sources, issuing permits for stationary sources of air pollutants, inspecting stationary sources of air pollutants, responding to citizen complaints, monitoring ambient air quality and meteorological conditions, awarding grants to reduce motor vehicle emissions, conducting public education campaigns, as well as many other activities. BAAQMD has jurisdiction over an approximately 5,600- square-mile area of the BAAB. This area includes all of Alameda County, Contra Costa County, Marin County, San Francisco County, San Mateo County, Santa Clara County, and Napa County, the southwestern portion of Solano County and the southern portion of Sonoma County. 4.12.1.1 National and State Ambient Air Quality Standards Under the CAA and CCAA, areas are designated as either attainment or non-attainment for each criteria pollutant based on whether the NAAQS or CAAQS have been achieved. Areas are designated as non-attainment for a pollutant if air quality data show that a State or federal standard for the pollutant was violated at least once during the previous three calendar years. Exceedances that are affected by highly irregular or infrequent events are not considered violations of a State standard and are not used as a basis for designating areas as non- attainment. Table 4.12-1 summarizes the State and federal standards and lists the State and federal attainment status for Alameda County. Table 4.12-1. State and National Ambient Air Quality Standards and Attainment Status California Federal Averaging Attainment Attainment Pollutant Period Standards Status Standards Status Ozone (O3) 0.09 ppm 1 hour (180 µg/m3) Non-attainment -- -- 0.07 (137 0.075 ppm 8 hour µg/m3) Non-attainment (147 µg/m3) Non-attainment Respirable 24 hour 50 µg/m3 Non-attainment 150 µg/m3 Attainment Particulate Matter Annual (PM10) Arithmetic Mean 20 µg/m3 Non-attainment -- -- Fine Particulate 24 hour -- -- 35 µg/m3 Non-attainment 1 Matter (PM2.5) Annual Arithmetic Mean 12 µg/m3 Non-attainment 15 µg/m3 Attainment 4-2 AC TRANSIT EAST BAY BRT PROJECT FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT/ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT Chapter 4 Affected Environment, Environmental Consequences, and Avoidance, Minimization, and/or Mitigation Measures Table 4.12-1. State and National Ambient Air Quality Standards and Attainment Status Carbon Monoxide 9.0 ppm (10 9 ppm (10 (CO) 8 hour mg/m3) Attainment mg/m3) Attainment 20 ppm (23 35 ppm (40 1 hour mg/m3) Attainment mg/m3) Attainment Nitrogen Dioxide Annual 0.030 ppm 53 ppb 3 3 (NO2) Arithmetic Mean (57 µg/m )-- -- (100 µg/m ) Attainment 0.18 ppm 100 ppb 1 hour (339 µg/m3) Attainment (188 µg/m3) Unclassified Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) 0.04 ppm 24 hour (105 µg/m3) Attainment -- Attainment 0.25 ppm 75 ppb 1 hour (655 µg/m3) Attainment (196 µg/m3) Attainment Source: CARB, September 8, 2010. Carbon Monoxide Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a colorless and odorless gas that interferes with the transfer of oxygen to the brain. It can cause dizziness and fatigue, and can impair central nervous system functions. CO is emitted almost exclusively from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels. Automobile exhausts release most of the CO in urban areas. CO dissipates relatively quickly, so ambient CO concentrations generally follow the spatial and temporal distributions of vehicular traffic. CO concentrations are influenced by local meteorological conditions – primarily wind speed, topography, and atmospheric stability. Under the CAA and the CCAA, the Alameda County portion of the BAAB is in attainment for CO. Ozone Ozone (O3), a colorless toxic gas, is the chief component of urban smog. O3 enters the blood stream and interferes with the transfer of oxygen, depriving sensitive tissues in the heart and brain of oxygen. O3 also damages vegetation by inhibiting growth. O3 forms in the atmosphere through a chemical reaction between reactive organic gas (ROG) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) under sunlight. The greatest source of smog-producing gases is the automobile. Under the CAA and the CCAA, the Alameda County portion of BAAB is in non-attainment for O3. Nitrogen Dioxide Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), a brownish gas, irritates the lungs. It can cause breathing difficulties at high concentrations. Like O3, NO2 is not directly emitted, but is formed through a reaction between nitric oxide (NO) and atmospheric oxygen. NO and NO2 are collectively referred to as NOx and are major contributors to ozone formation. NO2 also contributes to the formation of PM10. Under the CAA and the CCAA, the Alameda County portion of BAAB is in attainment for NO2. AC TRANSIT EAST BAY BRT PROJECT 4-3 FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT/ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT Chapter 4 Affected Environment, Environmental Consequences, and Avoidance, Minimization, and/or Mitigation Measures Sulfur Dioxide Sulfer Dioxide (SO2) is a product of high-sulfur fuel combustion. Main sources of SO2 are coal and oil used in power stations, domestic heating, and industries, such as chemical manufacturing. SO2 is an irritant gas that attacks the throat and lungs. SO2 can also erode iron and steel and cause plant leaves to turn yellow. In recent years, SO2 concentrations in the region have been reduced to levels well below the State and federal standards, but further reductions in emissions are needed to attain compliance with standards for sulfates and PM10, of which SO2 is a contributor.