Official notice

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ADOPTION AND APPROVAL OF (1) PROPOSED ORDER UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF CAL. HEALTH & SAFETY CODE SECTION 42316, (2) PROPOSED DISTRICT RULE 433 FOR THE CONTROL OF PARTICULATE EMISSIONS AT OWENS LAKE, AND (3) PROPOSED
FINAL 2016 REVISION TO THE OWENS VALLEY PM10 PLANNING AREA DEMONSTRATION OF ATTAINMENT STATE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that on Wednesday, April 13, 2016, the Governing Board of the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District (GBUAPCD) will conduct a public hearing and consider for adoption and approval of (1) a proposed order authorized by California Health & Safety Code Section 42316 for the City of Los Angeles (City) to install, operate and maintain additional dust control measures on the Owens Lake bed, (2) a proposed District Rule 433 (Control of Particulate Emissions at Owens Lake), and (3) a proposed final 2016 revision to the previously-adopted Owens Valley PM10 Planning Area Demonstration of Attainment State Implementation Plan (2016 SIP) (collectively “Board Actions”).

The public hearing and the Governing Board’s consideration for adoption and approval of the Board Actions will occur at the District Governing Board’s regular meeting on Wednesday, April 13, 2016 at 10:15 a.m. at the City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Administrative Building, Training Room 134A, 111
Sulfate Road, Keeler, California 93530.

Other actions related to the Board Actions may also be taken at the meeting. Members of the public will have an opportunity to submit written comments or make oral
statements at the public hearing on each of the proposed Board Actions.
The GBUAPCD prepared the 2016 SIP for the control of fine dust emissions (PM10) in response to a finding by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) that the Owens Valley Planning Area did not attain the 24-hour National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for PM10 as required by the federal Clean Air Act.

The dried Owens Lake bed soils and crusts are a source of wind-blown dust
during significant wind events and contribute to elevated concentrations of PM10.
The GBUAPCD has adopted a series of SIPs to address and control PM10.

In 2008, the GBUAPCD approved the 2008 Revised State Implementation Plan for the Owens Valley Planning Area (2008 SIP), which was implemented through GBUAPCD Board Order #080128-01. In 2011, a dispute arose between
the GBUAPCD and the City regarding these requirements. On December 30, 2014, the Sacramento Superior Court entered a Stipulated Judgment for the GBUAPCD in the case captioned City of Los Angeles v. California Air Resources Board, et al., Case No. 34-2013-80001451-CU-WM-GDS to resolve this dispute.

Under the major provisions of this agreement, the City agreed to implement additional dust control measures on the lake bed (for a total of 48.6 square miles) by December 31, 2017. The GBUAPCD may also order the City to implement dust control measures on up to 4.8 additional square miles of the lake bed if needed to meet the NAAQS or related state standards.

The GBUAPCD agreed to revise the 2008 SIP by December 31, 2014 (later amended by agreement to April 15, 2016) to incorporate the relevant provisions of the Stipulated Judgment into a proposed 2016 SIP Order.

GBUAPCD also proposes to adopt District Rule 433 pursuant to California Health & Safety Code Section 41511. The Rule includes the control elements of the 2016 SIP Order and will comprise the attainment strategy for the 2016 SIP to be submitted to the California Air Resources Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for their approval. The 2016 SIP contains the project location, history, air quality setting, emission inventory, control measures, air quality modeling, control strategy, and
enabling legislation.

The goal of the proposed Board Actions is to continue to reduce dust emissions from
the dry lake bed to attain the 24-hour NAAQS for PM10 in 2017. A Notice of Determination will be prepared under the California Environmental Quality Act in connection with the proposed Board Actions based upon the Environmental Impact Report for the Owens Lake Dust Mitigation Program – Phase 9/10 Project (May 2015) (EIR) prepared by the City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

Copies of the proposed order, District Rule 433, the 2016 SIP and the EIR may be obtained from and will be available for public review at the GBUAPCD web-site www.gbuapcd.org, at the GBUAPCD office at 157 Short Street, Bishop, California, and at Inyo County Libraries in Independence, Big Pine, Bishop, Lone Pine, Death Valley and Tecopa, California.

Written comments on these rule revisions should be sent to Phillip L Kiddoo, Air Pollution Control Officer, GBUAPCD, 157 Short Street, Bishop, CA 93514.

Written comments received by 5:00 pm on March 18, 2016 will be included in the staff report sent to the Governing Board members. Oral and written comments will also be taken at the meeting. For further information, contact the District’s Board Clerk, Tori DeHaven at (760) 872-8211.

GBUAPCD staff encourages those who have comments on the 2016 SIP to attend the meeting on April 13, 2016 and submit written comments or make oral statements to the Governing Board prior to the Board Actions.

 

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