Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Air Quality AB2588 topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Air Pollution Control District flags three facilities for priority health risk review; resident alleges local emissions problems
Summary
Tuolumne County Air Pollution Control District presented AB 2588 prioritization results: of 60 permitted facilities, three were designated high priority and must complete health risk assessments; a resident raised allegations about emissions and filter maintenance at local facilities.
The Tuolumne County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) presented its 2024 AB 2588 toxic hot-spot prioritization and answered board questions in a public hearing.
Kent Rasmussen, air pollution control specialist, summarized the district's work with York Engineering to compile emissions data for 60 permitted facilities. Rasmussen said the facilities were grouped into auto-body shops (12), gasoline-dispensing stations (25), stationary sources (21) and two Title V facilities. York's prioritization classified three facilities as high priority, nine as intermediate priority, and 48 as low priority. High-priority sites have 120 days to submit a detailed health risk assessment; if a health risk assessment finds a cancer risk above 10 per 1,000,000 or a hazard index above 1.0, the facility must conduct a toxic-reduction audit and submit a risk-reduction plan to the district for approval and subsequent implementation (the district said implementation must generally occur within five years).
Rasmussen stressed that the prioritization is a conservative screening tool and not a final health-risk determination; facilities selected as high priority will undergo more refined assessment and Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment review as required by AB 2588 procedures.
Public comment during the hearing included a resident who alleged long-standing permit and emissions problems at local industrial facilities including American Wood Fiber, Sierra Pacific and Ultra Power; the commenter claimed a triple filter at one facility had been disconnected and reported that a spouse developed asthma after exposure. The resident said they intended to bring documentation to the county and asked for stack testing and more enforcement. The APCD presentation was informational and did not propose board action; staff said they will continue collaborating with York and notify affected facilities as required.
Why it matters: AB 2588 prioritization identifies facilities that may require formal health-risk assessment and community notification. The board and APCD will track follow-up assessments and any required mitigation or enforcement. Allegations about specific facilities raised at the hearing will require technical investigation and regulatory follow-up outside the board meeting record.
Record: Presenters included Kelly Schroeder (Air Pollution Control Officer) and Kent Rasmussen (air pollution control specialist). Staff noted a July 18, 2024 contract with York Engineering initiating AB 2588 work and said the district oversees 60 permitted facilities; detailed results were provided in the APCD attachment to the staff report.
