A. Introduction
The Circulation and Conservation and Open Space elements of the Town General Plan address air quality issues in the Truckee air basin. Air pollution caused by particulate matter was identified in the General Plan EIR as a significant environmental impact that cannot be feasibly mitigated to a less than significant level. This is primarily due to the substantial exceedances of the State 24-hour ambient air quality standard for PM10 and projected increases in particulate matter emissions from new development. Nonetheless, the General Plan sets forth goals and policies to address particulate matter pollution to the best extent possible.
This air quality management plan is an extension of the General Plan and analyzes more accurately the severity of the problem and identifies feasible measures to reduce particulate matter emissions to the greatest extent. Like any other action by the Town, the air quality management plan must be consistent with the goals and policies of the General Plan. This chapter discusses how the air quality management plan does not conflict with the General Plan goals and policies and provides findings in support of the General Plan consistency.
B. General Plan Policies and Consistency
The following General Plan goals and policies pertain to particulate matter air quality and are relevant to this air quality management plan. Supporting discussion is provided for each goal and policy in describing how the air quality management plan supports or does not conflict with that goal or policy.
1. Conservation and Open Space Policy 7.5: Evaluate and implement methods for street cleaning that will minimize dust and sedimentation impacts, including a reduction in the amount of dirt and debris deposited in drainage channels.
Street cleaning methods will be evaluated and implemented through the street sanding guidelines. The guidelines should reduce the amount of silt deposited on roadways and improve street sweeping methods. The air quality management plan supports this policy.
2. Conservation and Open Space Goal 11: Achieve and maintain ambient air quality standards established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board; and minimize public exposure to toxic, hazardous, or odoriferous air pollutants.
The goal of this plan is to achieve and maintain compliance with National Ambient Air Quality Standards for PM10 and PM2.5, and the plan includes control strategies to meet this goal. The plan recognizes that it will be impossible to meet the strict State Ambient Air Quality Standards without adopting draconian measures not envisioned by the General Plan. Nonetheless, the plan with its control strategies will strive to achieve State standards and will make reasonable progress towards achieving these standards. The air quality management plan is consistent with this policy.
3. Conservation and Open Space Policy 11.1: Work with the Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District (NSAQMD) to develop and implement an Air Quality Management Plan for controlling respirable particulates (PM10).
This plan is the product of this policy.
4. Conservation and Open Space Policy 11.2: Prior to the adoption of the Truckee Air Quality Management Plan, discretionary development shall mitigate 100% of its impacts on PM10 levels. Such mitigation may include prohibitions on wood burning stoves and fireplaces, purchase and/or replacement of non-EPA certified woodstoves within the community, prohibition on vegetation burning, dust control during construction, or other measures as appropriate.
This policy is not directly affected by the air quality management plan. The control strategy for large project emissions offsets will continue to require 100% mitigation of PM10 and PM2.5 emissions for large projects. The plan is consistent with this policy. This policy will be amended to reflect the control strategies of the plan.
5. Conservation and Open Space Policy 11.3: Continue to enforce Ordinance 93-35 to minimize PM10 emissions from fireplaces and other solid fuel burning appliances.
The control strategy for solid fuel burning device emissions limits will continue to implement Ordinance No. 93-35. The plan supports this policy.
6. Conservation and Open Space Policy 11.4: Establish paving requirements for new road-ways to prevent generation of airborne dust.
The control strategy for road surfacing requires the paving of new roads and streets that serve five or more parcels and requires the incremental paving of existing dirt/gravel roads as new development occurs. The plan supports this policy.
7. Conservation and Open Space Policy 11.5: Work with the NSAQMD to expand air quality monitoring programs in Truckee for PM10, Carbon Monoxide, and other regulated pollutants.
Air quality monitoring programs for PM10 (and soon PM2.5) in Truckee are of sufficient quality and degree except for inadequate meteorological sensors. As described in the control strategy for air quality monitoring, the Town will encourage and assist (through funding and staffing assistance) the NSAQMD in co-locating a full complement of meteorological sensors at the Truckee monitoring station. The plan supports this policy.
10. Conservation and Open Space Policy 11.7: Work with energy providers to encourage community-wide reductions in energy consumption through conservation practices.
Financial assistance and incentives for the removal or conversion solid fuel burning devices may be used for weatherization programs and alternative heating sources (e.g. ground source heat pumps, solar energy) to increase energy efficiency in homes. The plan supports this policy.
11. Conservation and Open Space Goal 12: Encourage project design that protects air quality and minimizes direct and indirect emissions of air contaminants.
The control strategy for large project emissions offset will require 100% mitigation of PM10 and PM2.5 emissions from large projects. Such mitigation will include modifications to project design that reduces particulate emissions (e.g. minimizing the length of streets). The plan supports this policy.
12. Conservation and Open Space Policy 12.3: Require significant developments to assess and mitigate long- and short-term air quality impacts. Cooperatively review these studies with the NSAQMD.
The control strategy for large project emissions offset will require 100% mitigation of long-term PM10 and PM2.5 emissions from large projects. The control strategy for construction / grading regulations will minimize short-term particulate emissions. The plan supports this policy.
C. Finding
The Particulate Matter Air Quality Management Plan and implementation of its control strategies is consistent with the goals and policies of the General Plan. The Air Quality Management Plan directly supports or implements the air quality policies of the Conservation and Open Space Policy and does not directly or indirectly conflict with the other goals and policies of the General Plan. This finding is supported by the discussion included in Chapter 10 (General Plan Consistency) of the Air Quality Management Plan.
