Announcements_____________________________
2013 Motor Vehicle Emission Reduction Program Projects
EKAPCD’s 2013 Motor Vehicle Emission Reduction Program (MVERP) Grant Committee meeting was held Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at the Mojave Veteran's Building in Mojave, CA.
At this meeting the MVERP Grant Committee selected 10 eligible projects to receive funding. The EKAPCD Board of Directors approved the Committee’s recommended funding list at its May 2013 meeting. Project agreements will be presented at the July 11, 2013 Board meeting for the Board to approve with signature. Once these agreements are fully executed, the grantee may begin project.
Click here for Board approved project list
Open Burn Season Ended on 4/15/2013
Hazardous reduction, Agricultural Crop Waste burn season ended on 4/15/2013. Remember, an Agricultural Crop Waste, Hazard Reduction & Noxious Weed Burning Permit is required and you must check with your local fire department prior to any burning. You can obtain burn permits from your local fire department.
District News Letter
The District has launched a quarterly news letter titled Desert Breeze. The first issue is available now. Click Here to download a copy. Hard copies are mailed to subscribers and made available at the District office. Future issues can be accessed on this website on the Desert Breeze page.
District PSD Rule becomes effective
On February 8, 2013, District Rule 210.4, Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) became effective in the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). Upon the effective date of this rule into the SIP the District became the PSD permitting authority for sources located within the District. See 77 Fed. Reg. 73316.
Historically, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through the Federal Implementation Plan at 40 CFR 52.21, has administered the PSD permit program within the District. The transfer of this authority from EPA to the District includes the authority to issue preconstruction PSD permits for new or modified facilities; as well as, the authority to conduct general administration of existing PSD permits issued by EPA for sources within the District, authority to process and issue any and all subsequent permit actions relating to such permits, and authority to enforce such permits.
Click here for a copy of Rule 210.4
Job Opening Air Quality Engineer I/II
Filing Date: Applications will be received until cancellation of this notice.
Applicants may apply on-line at the website: www.co.kern.ca.us/person
If applying on-line, all applicable certificate(s) must be faxed to (661)868-3928
Salary:
Level I: $ 4861- 5934 Approximate Monthly Equivalent; Paid Biweekly.
Level II: $5646- 6892 Approximate Monthly Equivalent; Paid Biweekly.
Qualifications: Level I: Graduation from a recognized four (4) year college or university with a degree in mechanical, chemical, petroleum, or environmental Engineering.
Level II: Graduation from a recognized four (4) year college or university with a degree in mechanical, chemical, petroleum, or environmental Engineering and Two (2) years of professional engineering experience in a public or private agency at a level comparable to Air Quality Engineer I and Possession of an Engineer-in-Training certificate issued by the State of California.
Updated Table for EVR Compliance Dates for ASTs
The existing AST EVR Timeline has been replaced with Enhanced Vapor Recovery Compliance Dates for Aboveground Storage Tanks table. The table now reflects the extension of the effective and operative dates for EVR Phase II vapor recovery and SD system for GDFS with ASTs.
Click Here for Compliance Deadlines
Eastern Kern Attains 1997 Ozone Standard
On August 30, 2012 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced their finding that the Eastern Kern Nonattainment Area met the 1997 8-hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). With this new finding the entire Eastern Kern Air Pollution Control District is now in attainment for the 1997 standard. While this good news shows a significant reduction in ozone levels in the District the area still has a design value higher than the newer 2008 8-hour Ozone NAAQS of 0.075 ppm.
Click here for complete press release
Click here for EPA press release
Click here for US EPA FACT sheet
Caltrans Earth Released
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announced the public release of Caltrans Earth at the May 23, 2012 California Interregional Blueprint Summit meeting in Sacramento.
Caltrans Earth is a web-based, California-focused 3D virtual globe that makes vast amounts of transportation data easily accessible from a single source. Caltrans Earth objectives include viewing and analyzing transportation Planning, Programming, Operations, Maintenance, Project and Asset information. Caltrans Earth supports both internal and multi-agency transportation decision making.
Click to go to Caltrans Earth
EKAPCD CEQA Greenhouse Gas Policy
A public hearing was held on March 8, 2012, 1:00 pm at Ridgecrest City Hall, 100 W California Ave, Ridgecrest, CA. At the hearing the Eastern Kern Air Pollution Control District (EKAPCD) Governing Board adopted an addendum to the EKAPCD California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines titled: “Addressing GHG Emission Impacts for Stationary Source Projects When Serving as the Lead CEQA Agency.” This addendum is the policy that the EKAPCD will use when it is the lead agency for CEQA to determine the significance of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from new and modified stationary source (industrial) projects.
EKAPCD CEQA GHG Policy |
