Community Emissions Reduction Plan for the Southeast Los Angeles Community per Assembly Bill 617
Summary
SCH Number
2020120097
Public Agency
South Coast Air Quality Management District
Document Title
Community Emissions Reduction Plan for the Southeast Los Angeles Community per Assembly Bill 617
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
12/4/2020
Document Description
Assembly Bill (AB) 617, signed into state law in 2017 (see Health and Safety Code Section 44391.2), requires air districts to prepare a Community Emissions Reduction Plan (CERP) for environmental justice communities selected by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). CERPs provide a blueprint for achieving reductions of air pollution emission and exposure within selected communities and are tailored to address each community’s air quality priorities. The SELA community was selected by CARB to prepare a CERP in December 2019. The purpose of this project is to implement a CERP for the SELA community per AB 617. The beneficiary of the project is the identified community and the nearby areas, but the entire region within South Coast AQMD’s jurisdiction will also benefit. The SELA CERP includes actions to reduce emissions and/or exposures to toxic air contaminants and criteria air pollutants, an implementation schedule, an enforcement plan, and a description of the process and outreach conducted to develop the CERP. Implementation of the SELA CERP actions is expected to occur over five years beginning in 2021.
Contact Information
Name
Kendra Reif
Agency Name
South Coast Air Quality Management District
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Name
Agency Name
South Coast Air Quality Management District
Contact Types
Project Applicant
Location
Counties
Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino
Regions
Southern California
Other Location Info
The project is located in the following communities within the jurisdiction of the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD): South Gate, Florence-Firestone, Walnut Park, Huntington Park, Cudahy, and Bell Gardens, referred to herein as Southeast Los Angeles (SELA) community in Los Angeles County.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) – Common Sense Exemption, CEQA Guidelines Section 15308 – Actions by Regulatory Agen
Reasons for Exemption
Because the physical changes that may occur as a result of implementing portions of the proposed project would only require minimal construction activities and cause negligible physical impacts, it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that any physical actions that may be associated with the proposed project may have a significant adverse effect on the environment. Therefore, the project is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3). Further, because the overall purpose of this project is to improve the environment of the SELA community and nearby areas, and all of the action items within the SELA CERP support this goal, the action items are also categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15308. The SELA CERP contains action items involving feasibility and planning studies, because information needs to be collected to make an informed decision about further actions such as rule development. However, these action items neither prescribe or commit to specific rule requirements, nor require advance approval or adoption of future actions because they require an open public process. Thus, the SELA CERP action items involving feasibility or planning studies are statutorily exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15262.