Federal Advisory Committee Act Clean Air Act Advisory Committee Virtual Meeting via Microsoft Teams December 14, 2022 Welcome & Opening Remarks Ms. Lorraine Reddick, the Designated Federal Official, opened the meeting and welcomed the attendees. Mr. John Shoaff then reviewed the agenda, which is displayed below, and also welcomed everyone to the meeting. A list of attendees is provided in Attachment 1. Materials associated with this virtual meeting are available online at EPA's CAAAC website (https://www.epa.gov/caaac). Virtual Meeting Agenda .... 1 line Topic Presenter 1:00pm - 1:05pm Introductions and welcome John Shoaff and Lorraine Reddick EPA Office of Air Policy and Program Support 1:05pm - 1:20pm Opening Remarks & Recent OAR Highlights Joe Goffman, Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) 1:20pm - 1:35pm IRA Air Programs brief overview Jennifer Macedonia, Associate Deputy Assistant Administrator for Implementation, OAR 1:35pm - 2:25pm CAAAC discussion & feedback CAAAC 2:25pm - 2:30pm Public Comment, Next Steps & Close Meeting John Shoaff and Lorraine Reddick EPA Office of Air Policy and Program Support Opening Remarks and Recent OAR Highlights - Joe Goffman, EPA OAR Mr. Goffman provided a brief update on what OAR has been working on since the last CAAAC meeting. He stated that one highlight is that they have developed a supplemental proposal for the reduction of methane emissions from oil and gas operations, noting that the standards included in the supplemental proposal will reduce emissions by more than what had previously been proposed. For the Clean School Bus program, they have issued $1 billion in rebates to school districts to buy cleaner school buses. Most of the approximately 2,300 school buses that will be 1 ------- funded are electric vehicles, and about 400 school districts received funding to buy these vehicles. He also mentioned that they are endeavoring to issue a final action in the next week on NOx standards for model year 2027+ heavy-duty (HD) vehicles. Discussion Ms. Shannon Broome asked whether there had been any actions relative to California and its authority to regulate the non-road sector. Mr. Goffman responded that the HD NOx rule should help California with its emission reduction goals, since 50% of the HD traffic in California is from out-of-state vehicles. They are also putting together the inaugural stages of prospective tighter locomotive standards, as well as considering whether states should be able to create their own standards for non-road diesel vehicles, such as locomotives. He also mentioned that the next round of funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) may be able to be used for non-road vehicles, particularly for ports. Ms. Vicky Sullivan asked whether the EPA was still anticipating a March 2023 proposal for GHG emissions from power plants. Mr. Goffman replied that they are expecting the standards to be proposed for both new and existing power plants in March of 2023. Ms. Mary Peveto asked where the EPA stands on the California waiver for medium and HD trucks. Mr. Goffman responded that they are making progress on considering three pending waivers. Presentation: Inflation Reduction Act Overview - Jennifer Macedonia, EPA OAR Ms. Macedonia provided an overview of the IRA overall and the OAR programs being funded through the IRA. She explained that one of the components of the IRA is to provide for investments in clean energy and pollution reduction, and this is expected to reduce U.S. GHG emissions by 40% by 2030. The EPA has received $41.5 billion in appropriated funds, and OAR has received almost $11 billion of this to administer. The OAR programs that will be funded include climate pollution reduction grants ($5 billion), mobile source programs ($4,065 billion), a methane emissions reduction program ($1.55 billion), and community air pollution reduction activities ($280.5 million). For the climate pollution reduction grants, states, air pollution control agencies, municipalities, and tribes will be eligible to apply. Separate awards will be given for developing GHG reduction plans and for implementing the plans developed under the planning grants. Under the mobile source programs, there is a program for clean HD vehicles, in which states, municipalities, tribes, and nonprofit school transportation associations will be eligible to apply for funding to help cover the cost of replacing dirty HD vehicles with zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), costs for ZEV infrastructure, and ZEV workforce training. Also under the mobile source programs, there will be grants to reduce air pollution at ports. Port authorities, agencies with jurisdiction over a port authority, air pollution control agencies, and entities that apply with one of these agencies 2 ------- and that own, operate, or use the port facilities or equipment will be eligible for funding to purchase and install zero-emission port equipment, conduct planning for zero-emission port equipment, or to develop port climate action plans. For methane reduction, governments, educational institutions, nonprofits, businesses, and individuals will be eligible to apply for funding to reduce methane emissions from oil and gas operations and to mitigate methane emissions from marginal conventional oil and gas wells. To address community air pollution, there is funding for fenceline monitoring, multipollutant monitoring, methane monitoring, monitoring or testing for emissions from wood heaters, and installation of air quality sensors in low income and disadvantaged communities. For multipollutant monitoring and methane monitoring, air pollution control agencies will be eligible to apply for this funding. For fenceline monitoring and air quality sensors in low-income and disadvantaged communities, air pollution control agencies and other public or private non-profit organizations will be eligible to apply for this funding. For clean air act grants to address community air pollution, air pollution control agencies will be eligible to apply for funding for clean air act research and development. Eligible entities for wood heaters emissions monitoring/testing are still being determined. Funding will also be available to address air pollution at schools. Funding will be available to state, local, and tribal agencies, non-profit organizations, and others to address environmental issues at schools, develop school environmental quality plans, and provide technical assistance to schools in low income and disadvantaged communities. In addition to these opportunities, there will also be funding for the Low Emissions Electricity Program, implementation of the AIM Act, improving GHG corporate reporting, diesel emissions reduction from goods movement facilities, investments in advanced biofuels, and implementation of California's GHG and zero emission standards for mobile sources in other states. Discussion Ms. Mary Peveto asked how they will fight the $52 billion of additional highway funding that was also given out, considering that highway vehicles are the biggest source of GHGs and air pollution. Ms. Macedonia acknowledged this concern and noted that the EPA is engaging in conversations with other agencies about decarbonizing the transportation sector. Mr. Gary Jones asked how the funding could be used to help small businesses reduce emissions. He remarked that many small businesses, such as printing companies, are located in urban areas and in environmental justice (EJ) communities. He suggested that one idea would be to provide them with funding to replace natural gas-based HVAC systems with heat pumps, which would improve local air quality and overall GHG emissions. Mr. Jones also commented that there should be a single place for an entity to go to for information on all of the funding opportunities available, which would explain who was eligible and how the funds could be used. Ms. Macedonia agreed that coordination between the implementing agencies is needed and noted that a guidebook will be coming out that will provide information on the full suite of IRA provisions. She also agreed that having small businesses implement things like HVAC replacement could potentially meet one or more goals of the IRA and may be eligible under some programs. 3 ------- Natalene Cummings commented that tribes are often small and need funding to hire someone to help implement programs they get funding for. She suggested that it would be helpful if there could be funding under the implementation phases of the IRA programs to hire staff to administer programs or to have one staff member implement or provide assistance for several groups to implement their programs. For instance, one staff member at the state could provide assistance to several Tribes within that state. She also suggested that there could be a distinct Tribal program under the IRA. Mr. Dan Nickey commented that the existing small business environmental assistance programs (SBEAPs) could be a great source of technical assistance, if they were given funding to provide that assistance. He noted that they are currently funded through Title V fees, which have been dwindling because the fees are emissions-based, and emissions have been decreasing. Mr. Rayan Makaram remarked that he hopes EJ communities will be prioritized for funding, that the funding will be used to update laws and regulations, and that the funding will be used to accelerate the electrification of HD vehicles. Ms. Peveto stated that there is a need to incentivize cleaning up older diesel vehicles as well as electrification because it will take longer to get a substantial number of EVs in the fleet. She also hopes that Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) funding will continue to be available, especially for the non-road sector. She noted that most funding is for onroad vehicles, but those vehicles are becoming a smaller part of the problem. Ms. Adreinne Hollis asked whether funding will be given directly to EJ communities or to others who say they will help EJ communities. Ms. Macedonia responded that it would depend on the program. She noted that the Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) has its own funding that will go to EJ communities, and OAR is working with OEJ to ensure the best routes to emissions reductions are made. Ms. Peveto asked how the EPA is working to accelerate the cleanup of airport emissions of lead and GHGs, noting that in the context of "ports" airports are often not prioritized. Ms. Macedonia replied that the EPA is considering the definition of "ports" for the purposes of the IRA and what types of ports would be eligible for funding. Mr. Mike Moltzen added that the EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) is working on an analysis of lead from airports. Mr. Nickey and Mr. Rayan added that in the "ports" definition, the EPA should also consider whether to include inland ports. Mr. Nickey asked whether the methane reduction program was just for oil and gas operations or for anything emitting methane. Ms. Macedonia responded that it is just for oil and gas operations. Mr. Rayan followed up to ask whether the funding would only apply to active wells. Mr. Mark DeFigueroa responded that Mr. Rayan may be confusing this funding with the requirements of the recent oil and gas new source performance standards supplemental proposal. Mr. Rayan observed that there are many programs regarding oil and gas operations, and he hopes 4 ------- that the EPA and other agencies are coordinating efforts. Ms. Macedonia noted that the IRA and the EPA regulatory programs are integrated. One attendee noted that there is an organization of retired EPA employees that could be called upon to provide the technical assistance support called for by the IRA for these programs. Ms. Peveto commented that the EPA's grant process has improved in having communities be directly involved in the programs that are for the benefit of their community, such as with the recent monitoring grants. Mr. Rayam asked how the EPA can use data collected from community monitors in an enforceable manner. He hopes that the new funding can be used to help make it possible to use this data for that purpose. He also emphasized that the funds should be distributed to where they are needed most, especially to EJ communities. Mr. Bob Hodanbosi asked whether there had been any requests for additional time to submit comments on the IRA. Ms. Macedonia replied that she is aware of one request, but she does not know if the date for submitting comments will be extended. Ms. Macedonia thanked everyone for their input. Closing Remarks Mr. Shoaff asked if there were any additional comments from the public, and there were none. He then noted that the comment period on the EPA's request for information regarding the IRA is open until January 18, 2023. Ms. Reddick provided a few updates to the committee regarding the next CAAAC meeting. She noted that the next meeting is planned to be in-person or hybrid and that the Clean Air Excellence Awards ceremony will also take place along with that meeting. She also asked that members keep her informed of any contact information changes or changes in work status. Ms. Reddick then thanked everyone for attending and adjourned the meeting. 5 ------- Attachment 1 ( AAAC Virtual Meeting Attendance List1 N si mc Orgsinizsilion ('oiii in il toe Mem hers William Bahnfleth Penn State University Shannon Broome Hunton Andrews Kurth Natalene Cummings Forest County Potawatomi Community, Natural Resources Department Veronica Figueroa Mosaic Fertilizer Gail Good Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Sara Hayes American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy Robert Hodanbosi Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Adrienne Hollis Union of Concerned Scientists Sara Hayes American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy Tim Hunt American Forest and Paper Association & American Wood Council Gary Jones Specialty Graphic Imaging Association Foundation Miles Keogh National Association of Clean Air Agencies Beto Lugo-Martinez Clean Air Now Bob Meyers Crowell and Moring Dan Nickey Mary Peveto Neighbors for Clean Air Kim Scarborough Public Service Electric and Gas Max Sherman Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Vicky Sullivan Duke Energy Tim Wallington Ford Motor Company Bob Wyman National Climate Coalition Contractor Support Lesley Stobert SC&A, Inc. Other Attendees Anna Benkeser Kristen Benedict Megan Brachtl Alice Chang Pat Childers Mark DeFigueiredo Joseph Goffman Alex Guillen Hayden Hashimoto 1 This list of meeting attendees is not comprehensive due to a number of unidentified call-in participants. 6 ------- (AAAC Virtual Meeting Attendance List1 Jennifer Hijazi John Kinsman Suzanne Kocchi Jennifer Macedonia Rayan Makarem Mike Moltzen Edward Monachino Dickie Morgan Ruth Morgan Stuart Parker Lorraine Reddick Sean Reilly John Shoaff Ashley Thompson Todd Warshawsky Linda Wilson 7 ------- |