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harp -- Risk Management Guidance for Stationary Sources of Air Toxics - Draft Discussion Document Released for Public Comment
Posted: 27 May 2015 14:21:43
The California Air Resources Board (ARB/Board) and the California Air Pollution Control Officer’s Association (CAPCOA) announce the release of the draft document “Risk Management Guidance for Stationary Sources of Air Toxics”. This document is a discussion draft of guidance that California’s 35 local Air Pollution Control Districts and Air Quality Management Districts (Districts) may elect to use for incorporating the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment’s (OEHHA) new health risk assessment methodology into their stationary source permitting and Assembly Bill (AB) 2588 Air Toxics Hot Spots programs. This document is now available at: http://www.arb.ca.gov/toxics/rma/rmaguideline.htm. There are two public workshops scheduled to discuss this document in Diamond Bar and Sacramento on June 16 and 18, 2015, respectively. More information on these workshops and a copy of the workshop notice is available at: http://www.arb.ca.gov/toxics/rma/rmaworkshops.htm. The public comment period on the draft risk management guidance document ends June 26, 2015. Comments should be emailed to Mr. Gregory Harris at gregory.harris@arb.ca.gov or mailed to: California Air Resources Board Attn: Mr. Gregory Harris P.O. Box 2815 Sacramento, California 95812 Following the workshops, we will release a revised draft for consideration by the ARB at a public hearing on July 23, 2015. More information on the public hearing will be listed at: http://www.arb.ca.gov/board/meetings.htm#2015. If you have questions regarding the discussion document, please contact Mr. Gregory Harris, Staff Air Pollution Specialist, at (916) 327 5980 or via email at gregory.harris@arb.ca.gov. Background On March 6, 2015, OEHHA released the Air Toxics Hot Spots Program Risk Assessment Guidelines: Guidance Manual for the Preparation of Health Risk Assessments. This document contains the new risk assessment methodology that addresses the latest scientific information on childhood sensitivities and the most recent data on childhood and adult exposure to air toxics. It represents an accumulation of data since the passage of the Children’s Health Protection Act of 1999 (SB 25, Stats. 1999) which required OEHHA to ensure infants and children are explicitly addressed in assessing risk. The use of the new risk assessment methodology may result in higher estimated cancer risk than what would have been calculated using the previous 2003 OEHHA risk assessment methodology for the same level of emissions and conditions. More information on the new OEHHA methodology can be found at: http://oehha.ca.gov/air/hot_spots/hotspots2015.html. In general, the higher estimated risks mean that new or modified sources of toxics may need additional emissions control. For existing sources, even though they meet existing rules and regulations, additional emissions control may be needed since the higher estimated risk might now exceed the District’s risk reduction levels for Hot Spots requirements. ARB and Districts are reevaluating their programs to determine if adjustments need to be made to permitting, source specific regulations, or Hot Spot programs. The “Risk Management Guidance for Stationary Sources of Air Toxics” is intended to help Districts with their reevaluation process and to communicate ARB and Districts’ plans, priorities, and policies regarding implementation of the new OEHHA risk assessment methodology. When approved, this document will supersede ARB’s Risk Management Guidelines for New and Modified Sources of Toxic Air Pollutants (1993). In addition, this document conveys ARB’s work plan for evaluating the Board’s Air Toxics Program and provides the updated Risk Management Policy for Inhalation Risk Assessments which replaces the ARB’s Interim Risk Management Policy for Inhalation based Residential Cancer Risk (2003). California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.