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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 10032000 - C8 TO:, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FROM: INTERNAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE DATE: October 3, 2000 SUBJECT: FIX HEARING DATE FOR PROPOSED WOODSMOKE ORDINANCE ................................................................................................................ SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S) &BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION: FIX Tuesday, October 24 at 1:00 p.m. for a public hearing on the proposed County Woodsmoke Ordinance and DIRECT the Building Inspection Director to publish the required notices. BACKGROUND_ : In January 1999, the County received a request from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (Air District) to review and adopt a model ordinance requiring that fireplaces in new or remodeled construction be either wood burning units,pellet stoves or natural gas units certified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A letter dated January 26, 1999 distributed by the Air District states that the motivation behind the ordinance is to help insure that the Bay Area continues to meet the federal health standard for particulate matter, the fine particles that can lodge deep in the lungs and can cause permanent lung damage. According the Air District,wood burning fireplaces and wood stoves generate 40 percent of the particulate matter in the Bay Area during winter months. The Air District further states that its model ordinance would reduce the particulate pollution generated by traditional fireplaces by 75 percent for an EPA-certified stove and 99 percent for a natural gas unit. In April 1999, the Board of Supervisors referred this request to the internal Operations (10) Committee for consideration. Due to its heavy schedule, the 1999 10 Committee was unable to consider this issue and recommended to the Board that it be referred to the 2000 IO Committee. The 200010 Committee considered the proposed ordinance and CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: - �RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR —&-RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATUR S): GAYLE ILKEMA MARK DeSAULNIER _------- �______� � �_�___�------------------- -------� __�_____-__�_ _ _ -_— __--__-- ACTION OF BOARD ON October 3, 2000 APPROVE AS RECOMMENDED_X_ OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN X_ UNANIMOUS(ABSENT r 0 e ) AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE AYES: NOES: SHOWN. ABSENT: ABSTAIN: ATTESTED October 3, 2000 CONTACT: JULIE ENEA (925)335-1077 PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD cc: INTERNAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE STAFF OF SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR LMINISTRATOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR BUILDING INSPECTION DIRECTOR COUNTY COUNSEL DEPUTY FIX BEARING FOR WOODSMOKE ORDINANCE OCTOBER 3, 2000 10 COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS PAGE 2 related issues at three separate meetings: April 24, July 10 and September 11, 2000. At each meeting, the Committee received testimony from the Air District, representatives from the hearth and manufactured fire log industries,the American Lung Association,the general public, and staff of the Community Development and Building Inspection Departments, assisted by County Counsel. In formulating the proposed ordinance for Contra Costa County, the Committee considered the experiences of neighboring jurisdictions in adopting such an ordinance, the environmental benefits anticipated through the implementation of the ordinance, and the potential impacts on both homeowners and the housing industry on approved developments in the unincorporated area. The ICS Committee will proffer its recommendation to adopt a woodsmoke ordinance for the County unincorporated area that addresses the need to substantially reduce particulate pollution produced by wood burning fireplaces and wood stoves while recognizing some of the current limitations in the testing by regulatory agencies of such appliances. The latest draft of the proposed ordinance can be viewed on the County's website at www.co.contra-costa.ca.us under the heading of Current Issues. A copy of the proposed ordinance in its final form will be on file with the Clerk of the Board's office as prescribed by law.