Saticoy & Wells Community Plan & Development ... - City Of Ventura

Saticoy & Wells Community Plan and Code EIRSection 4.3 Air QualityVentura County has been listed as “moderate nonattainment” for the eight-hour ozonestandard with an estimated attainment date of June 2010.The USEPA has issued a staff paper regarding the policy implications of the latest scientific andtechnical information regarding particulate matter. In this report, USEPA staff recommendscontinuing the PM 2.5 annual standard while reducing the 24-hour standard to between 25-35µg/m 3 or reducing the annual standard to 12 µg/m 3 (same as California standard) and the 24-hour standard to 35-40 µg/m 3 . The PM 10 standard is recommended to be revised to not includethe 2.5 micron increment.Ventura is located in the Ventura County portion of the South Central Coast Air Basin. TheVCAPCD is the designated air quality control agency in the Ventura County portion of theBasin. The Ventura County portion of the South Central Coast Air Basin is a state and federalnon-attainment area for ozone (1-hour and 8-hour, respectively) and a state non-attainment areafor suspended particulates (PM 10 & PM 2.5 ). In addition, though the Ventura County portion ofthe South Central Coast Air Basin is in attainment for the state and federal carbon monoxidestandards, carbon monoxide can potentially be a problem at heavily congested intersections.Each of these pollutants is described below. The City of Ventura is within the “Ventura growtharea.”Ozone. Ozone is produced by a photochemical reaction (triggered by sunlight) betweennitrogen oxides (NOx) and reactive organic gases (ROG). Nitrogen oxides are formed duringthe combustion of fuels, while reactive organic gases are formed during combustion andevaporation of organic solvents. Because ozone requires sunlight to form, it mostly occurs inserious concentrations between the months of May and October. Ozone is a pungent, colorlesstoxic gas with direct health effects on humans including respiratory and eye irritation andpossible changes in lung functions. Groups most sensitive to ozone include children, theelderly, people with respiratory disorders, and people who exercise strenuously outdoors.Suspended Particulates. PM 10 is small particulate matter measuring no more than 10microns in diameter. It is mostly composed of dust particles, nitrates, and sulfates. PM 10 is aby-product of fuel combustion and wind erosion of soil and unpaved roads, and is directlyemitted into the atmosphere through these processes. PM 10 is also created in the atmospherethrough chemical reactions. Particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter (PM 10 ) pose a healthconcern because they can be inhaled into and accumulate in the respiratory system. Particlesless than 2.5 micrometers (=microns) in diameter (PM 2.5 ) are referred to as “fine” particles andare believed to pose the greatest health risks. Because of their small size (approximately 1/30ththe average width of a human hair), fine particles can lodge deeply into the lungs. Fineparticulate matter is composed primarily as a by-product of combustion, while matter between2.5 and 10 microns is mostly dust from roads and grinding or crushing operations. Fineparticulate matter poses a serious health threat to all groups, but particularly to the elderly,children, and those with respiratory problems. More than half of the fine particulate matter thatis inhaled into the lungs remains there, which can cause permanent lung damage. Thesematerials can damage health by interfering with the body’s mechanisms for clearing therespiratory tract or by acting as carriers of an absorbed toxic substance.4.3-3City of Ventura