Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Air Quality topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Air district flags three Clearlake sewer pump generators as toxic 'hotspots'; replacement or mitigation needed
Summary
The Lake County Air Quality Management District identified three older diesel backup generators at sewer pump stations in Clearlake as new "hotspots" under updated 2024 risk calculations; district staff said owners must propose engine replacement, shutdown, or certified filtration plans and are typically given about a year to implement risk reductions.
The Lake County Air Quality Management District told Clearlake city officials that three backup diesel generators serving sewer pump stations in the city now qualify as toxic "hotspots" under the district's updated 2024 risk-calculation rules.
Doug Gearhart, the districtAir Pollution Control Officer, said the 2024 update added diesel particulate and revised risk-prioritization guidance, creating nine countywide hotspots and three within Clearlake. The identified sources are standby generators at pump stations; Gearhart said the units are older and have higher emissions despite limited run hours. He cited horsepower ratings of roughly 600 hp, 415 hp and 380 hp for the three units.
Under state and district rules, the owners or special districts that operate the pump stations must propose one of three options: retire/shutdown the engine, replace it with lower-emission equipment, or implement a certified risk-reduction plan (for example, certified filtration) and demonstrate the proposed controls lower risk below the district threshold of 10-in-a-million for lifetime cancer risk. Gearhart said the district typically expects measurable risk-reduction plans and implementation steps within about one year.
Council members asked about roving portable generators used during outages; Gearhart said the district models portable-generator usage conservatively, using worst-case proximity and hours to estimate risk and adding those sources into inventories where appropriate. On odor-control violations at lift stations, Gearhart said inspections and permitting are ongoing and urged residents to file complaints with the district (707-263-7000) and document times and wind direction to help enforcement.
"We went from not having any hotspots to now we have nine of them," Gearhart said. "Three of which are within the city of Clearlake — they're generators at pump stations — and now we have to work with those operators on a plan."
