Insist That the Bay Area Air Quality Board Cap Emissions!

At the last meeting of the Air District Board (the board of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District or BAAQMD) it looked very unlikely that we would be able to pass a Rule to cap refinery emissions, as the staff claimed it was no longer possible due to passage of the Cap and Trade Law AB 398 this summer, which included blocking Regional Air Districts from taking any action to reduce CO2 emissions from refineries.  Therefore, on their own initiative the District staff took the rule off the agency agenda.   District Council Brian Bunger commented that it was time to turn our attention to ”matters which could actually make a difference.”  This comment was very misleading.  Our research has revealed that the authors of AB 398 were aware that the Bay Area’s Air Quality Management District was moving towards capping emissions and intentionally drafted language which would permit it to limit or cap emissions.

So we are planning on attending the next Board meeting on September 20 to insist that the Board over-rule the staff and direct them to put Rule 12-16, to cap both CO2 and Particulate Matter, (PM) back on the agenda exactly as the Board themselves requested in May.  Passing the Caps Rule is key to stopping the Tar Sand Invasion because it would prevent the inevitable increase in emissions from refining dirtier crude.  It would also be the first such action to limit the power of the oil industry in the nation, setting an important precedent.

Now Phillips 66 has applied for a wharf expansion permit to enable them to quadruple the amount of crude they can bring to their Rodeo facility by ship, putting SF Bay at risk of a spill, which would be impossible to clean up.  If approved by the staff this project would enable bringing in Tar Sands from the expanded Canadian Trans Mountain Pipeline .  If we can cap Bay Area refinery emissions and the Southern California Air Districts follow suit, this will severely restrict the closest markets for Tar Sands.

If you can attend this meeting on September 20, 9:30 am at 375 Beale Street, San Francisco, please make plans to join us to make comments to the Board. We must get the Board to request resurrecting Rule 12-16 and ordering a revised EIR.   We will make our case during “open time” at the beginning of the meeting, then leave.

Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to carpool from Marin.

Richard