Air district flags diesel generators and pump station as top Hotspots risks; board accepts report
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Summary
The Air Quality Management District presented the 2024 Air Toxics Hotspots prioritization showing diesel generators dominate high-risk facilities; the board accepted the report and staff will follow up with health risk assessments and mitigation discussions with affected agencies.
The Lake County Air Quality Management District presented its 2024 Air Toxics Hotspots prioritization, reflecting updated screening methodologies that now include diesel engines. Air Pollution Control Officer Doug Gerhardt said eight of the nine highest‑ranked risk sources are diesel engines (generators), and the single highest estimated carcinogenic risk in the report is for a southeast treatment plant pump station in the City of Clear Lake.
Gerhardt described the process: the prioritization is an initial screening; facilities that score highly will be asked to conduct full health‑risk assessments or implement risk‑reduction plans. "One of the immediate things they could do is if they have a different engine, like a tier 4 engine, they could swap that engine and move this tier 0 engine to a much more remote location where they don't have impacts," Gerhardt said. He also noted notification requirements to cities and nearby receptors for the report as required by state law.
The board voted to receive and accept the report and directed staff to prioritize engagement with the highest‑ranked facilities about risk‑reduction options and next steps for technical modeling or retrofits.