Greenhouse Gases (GHG)
CEQA Significance Thresholds

In September 2006, Governor Schwarzenegger signed California’s Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB32).  AB32 requires the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to establish, by January 1, 2008, a statewide GHG emissions cap for 2020, based on 1990 emissions, adopt mandatory reporting rules for significant sources of GHG emissions by January 1, 2008, etc.  Subsequent to the adoption of AB32, the California Attorney General’s Office has been aggressively reviewing CEQA documents prepared by lead agencies and submitting comments to the lead agencies if the documents have not evaluated GHG emission impacts from their projects.

To provide guidance to local lead agencies on determining significance for GHG emissions in their CEQA documents, the SCAQMD staff will be convening a GHG CEQA Significance Threshold Working Group.  Members of the working group include government agencies implementing CEQA and representatives from various stakeholder groups that will provide input to the SCAQMD staff on developing GHG CEQA significance thresholds.

On December 5, 2008, the SCAQMD Governing Board adopted the staff proposal for an interim GHG significance threshold for projects where the SCAQMD is lead agency.  The board letter, resolution, interim GHG significance threshold, draft guidance document and attachments can be found under the Board Agenda Item 31 on the December 5, 2008, Governing Board meeting agenda.

Meeting Information

Working Group meets every 4^th Wednesday of the month from 10 a.m. to noon, unless otherwise noted

2008			2009
Meeting Dates	Agenda and Handouts		Meeting Dates	Agenda and Handouts
April 30*			January 28
May 28			February 25	cancelled
June 19			March 19
July 30			April 22
August 27			May 27**
October 22			June 24
November 20			July 29
December 18	cancelled		August 26
			September 23
* First GHG Wkg Group Meeting   **First Inventory Subcommittee Meeting to convene at 9 a.m.			October 28
			November 19
			December 17

Climate Change Efforts at Other California Agencies:

• California Attorney General’s Office's Webpage on CEQA, Global Warming and General Plans (April 2009)

• CARB's Interim GHG Significance Threshold Proposal and Process (January 2009)

• Governor's Office of Planning and Research (OPR) Preliminary Draft CEQA Guideline Amendments for Greenhouse Gas Emissions (January 2009)

• San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District Climate Change Action Plan

• Bay Area AQMD Climate Protection Program

• Sacramento Metropolitan AQMD Climate Change Homepage

• California Air Pollution Control Officers Association (CAPCOA)'s CEQA & Climate Change White Paper (January 2008)