AB 32 - ARB Announces Additional Early Action Measures to Reduce Greenhouse Gases

Six new "Discrete" Early Action Measures (which will be enforceable on January 1, 2010) are proposed in addition to the 3 already adopted by the Board: (1) providing alternative sources of power for ships docked at ports; (2) reductions in sulfur hexafluoride in non-electrical sector; (3) reductions in greenhouse gases (GHGs) used as propellants in consumer products, such as aerosol products, tire inflators, and dust removal; (4) requiring truck/trailer to be retrofitted with technology to reduce wind draft and tire rolling resistance; (5) strategies to ensure proper tire inflation pressure is maintained; and (6) reductions in perfluorocarbons in the semiconductor industry.

ARB also proposed five new Early Actions measures, which will be implemented after 2010 or are not necessarily regulatory in nature: (1) refrigerant tracking, reporting and recovery programs; (2) increasing energy efficiency and reducing carbon dioxide emissions of cement facilities; (3) reducing carbon dioxide  emissions by blending cement ingredients; (4) increasing compliance with vehicle anti-idling rules; and (5) research methodologies for reducing GHGs from nitrogen land application.

Overall, the revised Early Action Plan is more ambitious and covers broader activities than the Plan approved in June 2007. ARB stated that the expansion of Early Action Measures to a total of 44 was in recognition that "California must act quickly and decisively . . . to mitigate the most serious impacts of global warming".