95-1-1

SUMMARY OF AGENDA ITEM:

The Board's contractor, the University of Southern California School of Medicine, has recently completed work on Phase II of the subject study. The Board had under consideration a proposal to approve funding for Phase III of the study.

A presentation was made to the Board by staff and the chair of the external advisory group for the project, Morton Lippmann, Ph.D. Staff explained how three types of health effects research--animal studies, controlled human exposure studies, and epidemiologic investigations are used in health effects evaluations that serve as the basis of regulatory actions, such as ambient air quality standards. Dr. Lippmann spoke about epidemiology and air pollution in general, the merits of the project and the investigators, and the scientific need to continue this project into its third phase. He commended the Board for their past support of this research effort and indicated his support of project continuation. Staff gave a presentation summarizing the main elements of the project, Phase II accomplishments and preliminary findings, an overview of the Phase I and Phase II budgets, and the proposed budget for Phase III.

ORAL TESTIMONY:

Veronica Kun                            Natural Resources Defense Council

FORMAL BOARD ACTION:

Approved Resolution 95-1 by a vote of 9-0.

RESPONSIBLE DIVISION:  RD

STAFF REPORT:  No

Approved Resolutions 95-2, 95-3, 95-4, 95-5 by unanimous approval.

State ambient air quality standards are specified concentrations and durations of air pollutants or combinations of pollutants which reflect the relationship of intensity and composition of pollutants to undesirable effects (Health and Safety Code section 39014). These standards define satisfactory air quality by identifying maximum levels of air contaminants in the atmosphere. Standards relating to health effects are required by Health and Safety Code sections 39606(b) and 59004 (d) to be based upon the recommendations of the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.

It is the Air Resources Board's policy, specified in section 70101, Title 17, California Code of Regulations (CCR), to review state ambient air quality standards on a periodic basis to ensure the consideration of the most up-to-date scientific information. To protect public health, the Air Resources Board has established a one-hour ambient air quality standard for sulfur dioxide of 0.25 parts per million ("ppm"), averaged over one hour.

The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) reviewed the most recent medical and scientific literature and submitted a recommendation to the Board. The OEHHA recommendation was presented for comment at a public workshop and was reviewed and approved by the Air Quality Advisory Committee.

Based upon the Air Resources Board staff review and the OEHHA recommendation, staff recommended the Board retain the existing one-hour sulfur dioxide standard. The staffalso recommended that the Board make no changes to the information contained in section 70200, Title 17, CCR, concerning the one-hour sulfur dioxide standard's concentration and measurement method, duration of averaging period, most relevant effects, or comments.

The California one-hour sulfur dioxide ambient air quality standard has not been exceeded at any monitoring site in California from 1987 to the present. Since the November 1994 Board hearing, all areas of California are now designated as attainment for sulfur dioxide. No additional control measures are anticipated to maintain attainment of the standard.

ORAL TESTIMONY:  None

FORMAL BOARD ACTION:

Approved Resolution 95-6 by a vote of 9-0.

RESPONSIBLE DIVISION:  RD

STAFF REPORT:  Yes (80 pages)