PREPARED BY: REINA J SCHWARTZ DATE OF MEETING: 09/04/18
SUBJECT:
TITLE
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN PABLO AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN THE BAY AREA AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT’S “DIESEL FREE BY ’33” STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
Label
CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Adopt Resolution
Body
Compliance statements
FY2018/19 City Council Priority Workplan
Improving air quality and environmental health are priorities identified in the FY2018/19 City Council Priority Workplan, effective November 1, 2017.
CEQA Compliance Statement
Signing the Statement of Purpose supporting becoming “Diesel Free by ‘33” is not a project as defined by CEQA.
BACKGROUND
The City has received a request from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) to join them in their effort to reduce diesel pollution in the Bay Area and in the state as a whole by signing on to the Statement of Purpose for their “Diesel Free by ‘33” initiative (see Attachment). The intent of the Statement of Purpose is to establish a goal to reduce diesel emissions in local communities throughout California and beyond. The need for this action is immediate as diesel exhaust takes a tremendous toll on both the global climate and public health.
Diesel exhaust causes significant public health effects and accelerates climate change. The California Air Resources Board estimates that on-road diesel and off-road mobile engines comprise 54 percent of the state of California’s total black carbon emissions, a short-lived climate pollutant that is contributing significantly to global climate change. Diesel air pollution is highly toxic and can have an immediate impact on the health of residents in communities where emissions are most concentrated. The impacts will fall most heavily on communities and populations already significantly impacted by air pollution, environmental hazards, and economic inequality.
By signing the Statement of Purpose, San Pablo will join the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the state of California to showcase our collective leadership to identify and adopt innovative solutions to eliminate diesel emissions and black carbon from our communities. Signatories to the Statement of Purpose will each develop their own individual strategies to achieve the goal of reaching zero diesel emissions in their communities. This could include efforts to:
• Collaborate and coordinate on ordinances, policies, and procurement practices that will reduce diesel emissions to zero within jurisdictions;
• Share and promote effective financing mechanisms domestically and internationally to the extent feasible that allow for the purchase of zero emissions equipment;
• Share information and assessments regarding zero emissions technology; and
• Build capacity for action and technology adaptation through technology transfer and sharing expertise.
The Statement of Purpose is intended to accelerate action toward meaningful progress in support of all climate protection agreements. It is not the intent of the signatories to create through this Statement of Purpose any legally binding obligation. For purposes of this Statement, “diesel emissions” and “diesel exhaust” means emissions or exhaust emitted from the combustion of petroleum-based diesel fuel.
Signatories are committing to develop an implementation strategy to reduce diesel emissions in their jurisdictions, share solutions, and report progress. Together, we will forge a path toward a cleaner, healthier future by reducing diesel emissions in our communities, states, and beyond.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no direct fiscal impact from stating support for this effort, although individual program or projects could require new funding.