DEPARTMENT: Health
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Jennifer Herriott, MPH
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
City Council Approval of the Ozone Attainment Master Plan
SUMMARY:
The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District requests City Council approval for the Ozone Attainment Master Plan.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a more stringent “health-based” air pollution standard of 70 parts per billion (ppb) for ground-level ozone on October 1, 2015.
On September 24, 2018, the EPA officially announced that Bexar County was in marginal nonattainment of federal ground-level ozone standards. Marginal nonattainment areas are those closest to meeting the standard and have fewer mandatory planning and control requirements at the local level. If the designated area does not reach the attainment standard by the end of 2020, the area will be moved to the Moderate classification, resulting in additional regulatory requirements.
Ozone is formed when NOx and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) combine when exposed to sunlight and heat. Emissions from industrial facilities, electric utilities, motor vehicle exhaust, gasoline vapors, and chemical solvents are major sources of NOx and VOCs. Point sources, such as power plants and industrial sources are the largest contributors followed by on-road sources such as cars and trucks.
ISSUE:
Exceedance of ground-level ozone standard is a public health issue. Poor air quality can aggravate asthma attacks and cause death among children & elderly especially among individuals with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. An estimated 24 deaths could be avoided annually if San Antonio air quality improves to a lower level than the EPA’s standard. The avoided cost of these deaths is estimated to be $220 million.
In response to the EPA designation, the City of San Antonio has been working internally as well as with partner organizations such as the Alamo Area Council of Governments, Bexar County, CPS Energy, and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The Ozone Attainment Master Plan establishes a strategic and technical review of current local ozone levels and provides recommendations for reducing emissions of ozone-forming compounds (NOx and VOCs) into the atmosphere, both on Ozone Action Days as well as throughout the ozone season (March-November). The Ozone Attainment Master Plan was designed with input from stakeholders in six crucial planning areas: (1) Communications and Marketing Plan (2) Volkswagen (VW) Beneficiary Mitigation Plan (3) Ozone Best Practices (4) Identification of Point Sources and Mitigation (5) Business Community (6) Policy, Advocacy and Funding.
The Ozone Attainment Master Plan is voluntary and local businesses have been supportive. The plan has a focus on outreach and educating the public and stakeholders on strategies to reduce ground-level ozone.
Since the March 20th B Session presentation, the changes to the Plan include a clarification between the Ozone Attainment Master Plan and the Climate Action & Adaptation Plan and mentions the progress in reducing ground-level ozone in Bexar County over the last two decades. The Plan also mentions the City’s Under 1 Roof program.
To date, public engagement activities have included staff participation in nine community events/meetings, media coverage (255,700 viewers), and social media postings (33,556 impressions).
ALTERNATIVES:
There is no other plan that includes strategies to reduce ground-level ozone levels to 70 ppb by December 31, 2020. If Bexar County is not able to lower the ground-level ozone levels to 70 ppb by December 31, 2020, the local economy may be affected by road construction project delays and additional permitting related to air pollution mitigation requirements.
If Bexar County is not able to lower the ground-level ozone levels to 70 ppb by December 31, 2020, the potential cost of being in non-attainment is estimated at $1.3 Billion.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This ordinance authorizes approval of the Ozone Attainment Master Plan. The fiscal impact associated with the Ozone Attainment Master Plan is $435,000.00. Funding is available in the FY 2019 General Fund Adopted Budget and will provide support of the plan, complete ozone research, develop an air quality plan and provide for ozone action day marketing.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends City Council approval for the Ozone Attainment Master Plan.