Economic Recovery, Infrastructure Funding and Air Quality

Kepping Bay Projects Moving! Workshop Series 2010

Our second workshop in our Keeping Bay Projects Moving!WORKSHOP SERIES 2010, held on Wednesday, September 15, Economic Recovery, Infrastructure Funding and Air Quality: Progress or Impasse? was another great dialogue on where we are currently in regards to infrastructure construction and air quality regulation and where we can go next.

Workshop 2 Sponsors:

Link to EnvironCargill LogoBNSF logoUnion Pacific Logo

WORKSHOP 2: Economic Recovery, Infrastructure Funding, and Air Quality: Progress or Impasse?

 

Workshop Goals

Evaluate progress towards economic recovery in the Bay Area based on the extent of construction of selected Bay Area infrastructure projects (e.g. those funded by Proposition 1B and 1E, federal ARRA, TIGER, other)

Assess the challenges of compliance with state air quality regulations, e.g. diesel emission reduction, AB 32, SB 375, and the most recent changes to the CEQA guidelines adopted by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District

Identify strategies to address the economic feasibility and environmental challenges in order to keep projects moving forward with “simultaneous and continuous improvement”

 

***2007 State Goods Movement Action Plan

Panel #1: (8:30 a.m. — 9:30 a.m.)

 

Setting the stage (5 min)

Welcome and Overview: Ellen Johnck, Bay Planning Coalition, and Louis Armstrong, URS Corporation

Infrastructure Projects Review: Evaluating Progress Towards Economic Recovery (55 min)

Karen Engel, East Bay Economic Development Alliance (invited) (8 min)

Maura Twomey, California Transportation Commission – Proposition 1B (8 min)

Katherine Oven, Santa Clara Valley Water District – ARRA status update (8 min)

Major David Kaulfers, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District – ARRA status update (8 min)

Q&A and Discussion 23 min.

   

Panel #2: (9:30 a.m. — 10:45 a.m.) Perspectives on the challenges of compliance with state and regional air quality legislation /regulation

Moderator: Sean Marciniak, Miller Starr & Regalia

Ted Droettboom, ABAG JPC (8 min)

Richard Sinkoff, Port of Oakland (8 min)

Paul Campos, BIA of the Bay Area (8 min)

Q&A and Discussion: 43 min.

Break 10:45 a.m. to 11:05 a.m.

   
Panel #3: (11:05 a.m. — 12:30 p.m.) Strategies for “simultaneous and continuous improvement” in the goods movement transportation system and air quality

 

Damian Breen, BAAQMD (8 min)

Ginny Hessenauer, Starcrest Consulting (8 min)

Doug Daugherty, ENVIRON Corp. (8 min)

Jay Ach, Port of San Francisco (8 min)

Cynthia Marvin, California Air Resources Board (CARB) (8 min)

Discussion: 45 min.

   

Background

Three years have passed since the adoption of the California’s Goods Movement Action Plan (2007) to encourage more integrated planning and improve the performance and cost-effectiveness for all transportation modes moving goods through California. A key principle embedded in the Plan, is that with expanded and reengineered goods movement facilities, we will be able to clean up the air and achieve “simultaneous and continuous improvement”*** in both the intermodal system for the transport of goods and air quality. In a related action, in 2006, the California Air Resources Board, adopted additional regulations to reduce diesel emissions from goods movement sources, e.g. trucks, ocean-going vessels, and cargo handling equipment as an expanded effort to achieve the goal of removing those sources’ diesel-related human health effects.

There have been major economic, legislative, and further regulatory changes since then affecting how programs and projects, identified in the Goods Movement Action Plan, and the State’s clean air regulations are being implemented: 1) The global, national and state economic recession, which has been drastic and continues to adversely effect livelihoods, revenues and earnings; 2) The California voter-approved expenditure of monies (e.g.2006, Propositions 1B, 1E) through the sale of state bonds to fund infrastructure projects (Transportation Corridor Infrastructure Fund-TCIF). However, only a percentage of the funds is available due to the State’s budget problems; 3) the U. S. Congress-approved American Resources and Recovery Act in 2009, the stimulus program, the purpose of which was to build needed infrastructure supplying jobs and moving us towards economic recovery; 4) the State legislature’s adoption of two landmark GHG emission reduction bills, AB 32 and SB 375; and, 5) the BAAQMD Board of Directors’ recent adoption of new stringent CEQA air quality guidelines for construction projects.

Are we making progress towards constructing needed goods movement infrastructure and other facilities fostering economic development or are we at an impasse in the Bay Area? What are the issues and obstacles which are impeding progress and how can we work together to figure out how can we move beyond obstacles towards solutions.

The three panels at this workshop are structured to inform, educate, assess the obstacles, and inspire creative solutions so that the business of moving freight and people, supplying jobs and housing, and cleaning up the air can be achieved to fulfill the mandate in the Goods Movement Action Plan for “simultaneous and continuous improvement.”

   
Workshop Series 2010 Sponsors:


Workshop Series 2010 Media Partner:


Evaluate progress towards economic recovery in the Bay Area based on infrastructure construction of selected Bay Area projects (e.g. those funded by Proposition 1B, federal ARRA, TIGER, other)
   

 

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