Environment - Winter 2000

The Newsletter of the California Environmental Protection Agency

In This Issue

Latest Cal/EPA Appointments
DPR IPM Awards
ARB Seeks to Reduce Diesel Pollution
DTSC Orders Cleanup of Bakersfield Dump
OEHHA Publishes Sport Fish Advisory Booklet

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Air Board Adopts Non-MTBE Gasoline Regulations

The Air Resources Board (ARB) in December approved new regulations that ban the water-polluting additive MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether) from California gasoline while preserving all the air-quality benefits of the state’s current gasoline formula.

"Cleaner-burning gasoline was the single most effective measure in this decade to improve air quality," said ARB Chairman Dr. Alan Lloyd. "Unfortunately, concern over MTBE in water has overshadowed much of that success. These new rules will eliminate environmental risks posed by MTBE while ensuring the air-quality gains achieved with cleaner-burning gasoline will continue into the next century.

The new rules, officially known as the Phase 3 gasoline regulations, prohibit the formulation of gasoline with MTBE after December 31, 2002. MTBE helps gasoline burn cleaner and has been used extensively in California and many other states since the early 1990s to reduce air pollution. However, as with other gasoline components, MTBE poses a threat to groundwater when underground fuel tanks leak. In addition to polluting groundwater, MTBE is a suspected carcinogen.

Governor Gray Davis in March determined that MTBE in gasoline poses an unacceptable environmental threat and directed the ARB to develop regulations prohibiting MTBE use without any backsliding in air-quality benefits.

Federal law currently requires gasoline in Southern California and the greater Sacramento area to contain an oxygenated additive such as MTBE or ethanol. If the law remains in effect, gasoline in those areas as well as the San Joaquin Valley will have to contain ethanol beginning in 2003. The Davis Administration has asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to waive the requirement and make the use of ethanol optional throughout California. A decision from U.S. EPA is pending.

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State Water Board, California Coastal Commission Update Nonpoint Source Pollution Program

Over the last two decades, significant progress has been made in controlling single point source water pollution. This is pollution whose source is easily discernable such as wastewater releases from factories or wastewater treatment plants. With success in those endeavors, regulators are now turning their attention to nonpoint source pollution.

Because it is elusive and often difficult to pinpoint, nonpoint source pollution is much more difficult to combat. This pollution includes human-caused and natural erosion, mine drainage, and agricultural, urban and construction site runoff.

Controlling these diffuse pollution sources is probably the single most difficult task facing water protection agencies.

In working toward the goal of controlling nonpoint source pollution, staff of the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) worked closely with the California Coastal Commission over the past year, revisiting California’s Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Program. In July, the SWRCB released a draft of the updated plan, which was formally adopted by the Water Board in December. After approval by the Coastal Commission, the plan will be presented to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

FROM MY CORNER

Winston H. Hickox
Former Agency Secretary

It has certainly been an exciting and challenging first year for us here at Cal/EPA.

From the very beginning of 1999, we were thrust into the controversy over MTBE, the gasoline additive that pollutes drinking water. Cal/EPA worked very closely with Governor Davis on his decision to remove MTBE from California gasoline by the end of 2002.

Later in the year, the Air Resources Board adopted new Phase 3 non-MTBE gasoline specifications, which the Environmental Policy Council reviewed and determined would not cause significant adverse impacts on public health or the environment. The new non-MTBE formula maintains the air quality benefits of current gasoline.

There was the Westley tire fire. Cal/EPA responded quickly to assist local authorities with air monitoring and other environmental protection services. Now that the fire has been put out, Cal/EPA is focusing on the long-term protection of the region’s public health and environment.

The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), working closely with the Coastal Commission, adopted a comprehensive plan to reduce nonpoint source water pollution. The SWRCB also adopted its Bay-Delta Decision, which will add clarity to the region’s water rights and water quality picture.

Those are just a few of the more significant Cal/EPA accomplishments over the past year. With your help, I hope we will be even more active in the new year.

We just completed a comprehensive review of Cal/EPA’s organizational structure, functions, and funding mechanisms to determine whether the way we do our job can be improved. I will be following up on some of the proposed changes.

Cal/EPA is also requesting additional resources in the next fiscal year for several important initiatives, focusing on a crossmedia approach for addressing environmental problems.

Perhaps the best example is our consolidated Children’s Environmental Health Initiative. The primary focus is on safer school environments, but we will also be studying how environmental pollution impacts the special sensitivities of children. Several Cal/EPA boards and departments will have important roles.

Another example is our Coordinated Border Initiative to enhance Cal/EPA’s ability to provide technical assistance in order to address environmental problems along the California-Baja California border region, which impact residents on both sides of the border.

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Cal/EPA worked very closely with Governor Davis on his decision to remove MTBE from California gasoline by the end of 2002 . . .The new non-MTBE formula maintains the air quality benefits of current gasoline."

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We are also requesting additional resources for water pollution and water quality assessment programs, and enforcement activities, which will receive a greater emphasis on crossmedia coordination.

To reduce air pollution, we are proposing a $50 million program for replacing old diesel school buses in an effort to reduce the exposure of school children to toxic diesel air pollutants. We are also proposing a bigger financial commitment to our participation in the California Fuel Cell Partnership, a public-private partnership that is working to develop and demonstrate nonpolluting fuel cell technology.

I have little doubt that we will have another exciting and challenging year at Cal/EPA in 2000.

ENVIRONMENT

Environment is published quarterly by the California Environmental Protection Agency at 555 Capitol Mall, Suite 525, Sacramento, CA 95814.

Kathy Fletcher, Deputy Secretary for External Affairs

Edward Fong, Director of Communications

Cal/EPA includes the Air Resources Board, Integrated Waste Management Board, State Water Resources Control Board, Department of Pesticide Regulation, Department of Toxic Substances Control and the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.

Comments, suggestions or address changes can be made via fax at (916) 445-5563 or e-mail at cepacomm@calepa.ca.gov.

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Governor Makes Appointments at Cal/EPA

Governor Gray Davis made several appointments to Cal/EPA over the past several months.

Kathy Fletcher was appointed deputy secretary for external affairs, a position that oversees legislation, communications, permit assistance centers and educational programs. For the past nine years, Fletcher served as director of governmental relations for BKK Corporation. She also consulted for Los Angeles Metropolitan Water District and The Planning and Conservation League Foundation. Previously, she served in various positions in the California State Legislature, including ten years as chief of staff to former Assembly member Richard Katz.

Edward Fong was appointed communications director. Prior to joining Cal/EPA, Fong was public affairs manager at the California Public Employees’ Retirement System. Previously, he served as press secretary for then-State Controller Gray Davis, and was a broadcast journalist for nine years with KFBK Radio in Sacramento.

Nancy H. Sutley was appointed deputy secretary for policy and intergovernmental relations. Before joining Cal/EPA, from 1993 to 1999, Sutley held several positions at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, most recently as senior policy advisor to the U.S. EPA’s regional administrator in San Francisco. Before that, Sutley was special assistant to U.S. EPA Administrator Carol M. Browner.

New Waste Board Member Appointed

Linda Moulton-Patterson is the newest member of the California Integrated Waste Management Board, the state’s primary recycling agency.

"I am pleased to have someone with such a broad array of local and state government experience join our board," said Board Chairman Dan Eaton. "I look forward to relying on her experience and expertise in helping our board meet the waste diversion challenges of the 21st century."

Prior to her appointment to the Waste Board by Governor Gray Davis, Moulton-Patterson was president of her own government and public affairs consulting firm. She served as Huntington Beach mayor and city council member from 1990 to 1994 and was a member of the California Coastal Commission from 1991 to 1995.

"I am very honored and pleased that Governor Davis has selected me to serve on this important state policy board," she said. "As a member of the Governor’s team, I look forward to addressing the challenges that the Waste Board will face in the 21st century because we simply must reduce the amount of material going to our landfills."

Moulton-Patterson is one of two public members appointed by the Governor. She replaces former board member Robert Frazee, who retired. Her term expires December 31 2001.

Air Resources Board

ARB Seeks to Reduce Diesel Pollution by 75 Percent

Air Resources Board (ARB) Chairman Dr. Alan C. Lloyd has directed air board staff to develop a program to reduce emissions from new on-road and off-road diesel engines by 75 percent beginning in 2007.

The ARB is considering a two-prong approach for reducing diesel emissions, low emission engines and low sulfur diesel fuel. Emerging technology such as traps, filters, catalysts, and electronic engine monitoring can significantly reduce particulate matter and nitrogen oxides in diesel exhaust. The key to making these technologies effective, however, is a reduction in the sulfur content of diesel fuel to 30 parts per million (PPM), from the current permitted levels of around 500 PPM. High sulfur levels in diesel fuel damage the catalyst material in advanced emission control technologies.

Currently, diesel trucks make up about 2 percent of the on-road vehicle fleet but contribute about 30 percent of the nitrogen oxides, a key component of smog, and 65 percent of the particulate matter from the on-road vehicle fleet.

ARB Sets Air Pollution Limits for Consumer Products

The Air Resources Board (ARB) took action in October to cut 18-tons-per-day of smog-forming, volatile organic compounds (VOC) from common household products ranging from nail polish remover to glass cleaners.

The action is the fifth round of emission reductions mandated by the ARB since 1989 for various consumer products and spray paints. The new rules will phase in from 2002 to 2004 and affect 2,500 products in 17 categories. The ARB staff expects costs to increase by about two cents per item.

Two of the categories, sealants and caulking compounds and tire sealants and inflators, have never been regulated before, while emissions for 15 products were reduced further from previous regulatory levels.

The affected products include hair mousses and nail polish removers, air fresheners, aerosol furniture maintenance products, general purpose cleaners, glass cleaners and aerosol insecticides. Also included are auto brake cleaners, auto windshield washer fluids, carburetor or fuel-injection air intake cleaners, construction adhesives and degreasers.

Department of Pesticide Regulation

1999 IPM Innovator Awards Announced

Putting "green" tactics to work on famous fairways. Creating wildlife habitat in vineyards. Cleaning up urban creeks. Introducing natural pest control in orchards. These and other success stories for nature-friendly pest control earned 1999 IPM Innovator awards from the Cal/EPA’s Department of Pesticide Regulation.

IPM — integrated pest management — works with the environment to make it difficult for pests to survive, while encouraging beneficial organisms to flourish. IPM Innovator awards recognize organizations that pioneer problem-solving approaches to pest control that reduces the use of toxic pesticides. The 1999 award winners are:

Aquatic Outreach Institute, Richmond — An environmental education organization that develops and manages programs to protect creeks, wetlands, and watersheds in the San Francisco Bay area. Several programs focus on preventing pesticide runoff from lawns and gardens.

Association of Applied Insect Ecologists of Sacramento — This group of 200 pest control consultants is dedicated to using IPM for agricultural, landscape, and structural applications. The group sponsors workshops, training programs, and other events to encourage IPM adoption.

Benziger Family Winery, Glen Ellen — The family business produces wines from its own vineyards and with grapes purchased from 60 growers. The Benzigers hold classes for employees and for contract growers to promote farming without the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, while encouraging natural habitat around vineyards to control disease.

Central Contra Costa Sanitary District, Martinez — A wastewater treatment agency, "Central San" promotes IPM to reduce pesticides in wastewater. Education and outreach programs include reduced-risk pest management training for employees of stores where pesticides are sold.

LangeTwins Inc., Acampo — Randall and Brad Lange own or manage more than 5,000 acres of vineyards. They monitor pests, apply pesticides selectively, create habitat for wildlife, and host demonstration days to share IPM techniques.

Pebble Beach Company, Pebble Beach — The company spends more than $1.3 million annually on environmental programs for golf courses, forests, coastal dunes and open lands. Programs include IPM training for employees and cooperation with public and commercial groups to reduce pesticide pollution.

The California Prune Board, Pleasanton — The Prune Board, a state marketing organization that represents prune growers and packers, has supported IPM research for 20 years, including projects to reduce winter pesticide spraying and demonstration orchards that prove the benefits of reduced-risk pest management.

Weddle, Hansen & Associates Inc., Placerville — This independent consulting business advises pear and apple orchards on biologically intensive IPM methods. It pioneered the commercial use of pheromone mating disruption for coddling moth, a major pome fruit pest. Company President Pat Weddle and his staff conduct IPM classes for the University of California Extension Service.

IPM Innovator Awards are one segment of the DPR’s overall reduced-risk pest management strategy. While the awards provide rare public recognition for IPM pioneers, the DPR also encourages adoption of innovative pest management through demonstration and applied research grants.

Since 1996, DPR has awarded about $4.3 million in grants for reduced-risk pest management. Another $800,000 will be awarded in early 2000. The DPR sponsors both localized, industry-specific projects — Pest Management Grants program — and large-scale, industry- and statewide projects — the Pest Management Alliance. About 120 projects have been funded by these grant programs. DPR staff also meets informally with agricultural and urban interest groups to share IPM information and exchange ideas.

Pesticide users who want more information on the IPM Innovator program or who are interested in IPM may contact the DPR’s Environmental Monitoring and Pest Management Branch, 830 K Street, Sacramento 95814-3510, phone (916) 324-4100. Additional information on the IPM Innovator program is available on the DPR’s Web site http://www.cdpr.ca.gov.

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Department of Toxic Substance Control

DTSC Orders Cleanup of Bakersfield Oil Dump

The Cal/EPA’s Department of Toxic Substances Control has ordered the cleanup of Gibson Environmental, a big abandoned oil recycling facility in Bakersfield. The order requires the responsible parties, the owners and users of the facility, to remove hazardous liquids and contaminated soils from 6-acre site.

The Gibson Environmental disposal facility stopped hazardous waste management activities at the site in 1995. However, liquid hazardous wastes stored in tanks and soil piles containing hazardous waste remain on the site. Some of the aging storage tanks are leaking.

The DTSC estimates 20 million gallons of liquid hazardous waste remain at the site. Soil piles at the site are exposed to the natural environment with no effective form of containment to prevent migration of contaminants. Tests by the DTSC in October confirmed that the soils and liquids at the site contain hazardous substances.

The DTSC order requires the potentially responsible parties to determine the extent of contamination at the site and prepare and implement a cleanup plan that conforms to California environmental laws and regulations.

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Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment

Sport Fish Consumption Advisory Booklet Available

The Cal/EPA’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has produced a new booklet entitled, "California Sport Fish Consumption Advisories 1999."

Sport fish health risk advisories developed by OEHHA have been published in the California Sport Fishing Regulations booklet for years, and will continue to be. This is the first time OEHHA has produced its own separate booklet. The booklet has been distributed to fishing license sales outlets in 17 California counties where OEHHA has issued advisories.

"This is an important move in promoting greater awareness and understanding among anglers regarding chemical contamination of sport fish," said Joan E. Denton, Ph.D., Director of OEHHA. "The booklet gives greater attention to this subject of increasing public and government interest and provides expanded information on what fishermen can do to protect their health by preparing and cooking fish in ways that reduce contamination."

Fish provides a nutritious low-fat source of protein, and consumption of fish has been associated with various health benefits. OEHHA’s fish advisory program is not intended to discourage the consumption of fish but is intended to provide information on consuming fish without undue risk of adverse health effects.

The new booklet and other fish contamination documents are available on the OEHHA Web site at HTTP://www.oehha.ca.gov.

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State Water Resources Control Board

State Water Board Signs Dairy Agreement with U.S. EPA

California is the largest producer of milk in the nation. Unfortunately, the waste produced by the state’s dairy cows has become a major threat to both groundwater and surface water quality.

Recognizing that they must be part of the solution to managing dairy waste, dairy operators along with regulators and other interested agencies entered into a partnership in September between the California Dairy Quality Assurance Program (CDQAP), the State Water Board, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The purpose of the agreement is to support the "environmental stewardship" component of the CDQAP. This component is a voluntary, cooperative government and industry education and certification program. The program’s objective is to assist California dairy producers in meeting all federal, state and local requirements relating to cow manure and nutrient management.

The program offers workshops to educate dairy operators on how to use best management practices in the operation of their dairies. The program’s core components include workshops, the creation of the Environmental Stewardship Farm Management Plans that are tailored to each dairy, and on-site evaluations of dairies by third parties.

Non-MTBE Gas Formula Ruled Safe

In January, the California Environmental Policy Council reviewed scientific reports and determined that California’s Phase 3 gasoline without MTBE will not cause any significant adverse impact on public health or the environment, including any impact on air, water, or soil.

In reaching the determination the Council received three reports, based on the best current scientific data available from the Air Resources Board, the State Water Resources Control Board, and the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.

All three analyses essentially concluded that the expected greater use of ethanol as a substitute for MTBE in Phase 3 gasoline would not cause any significant adverse impact on public health or the environment. In fact, the reports generally concluded that the greater use of ethanol and elimination of MTBE in California gasoline would result in reduced risk to public health and the environment. The Council’s approval of the three scientific reports signified its agreement with the conclusions.

With the Environmental Policy Council’s action, all state agencies with a role in implementing the Governor’s executive order to remove MTBE from California gasoline by the end of 2002 have fulfilled their responsibilities. Gasoline producers now have non-MTBE gasoline specifications that are approved for use in California.

 

Note: Reference to Cal/EPA Permit Assistance Centers, Ombudsman Directory, Important Numbers, and Cal/EPA Board & Department Web Sites were removed due to information being displayed was old.

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