Proposed Amended Regulation III – Fees
Summary
SCH Number
2024050185
Public Agency
South Coast Air Quality Management District
Document Title
Proposed Amended Regulation III – Fees
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
5/3/2024
Document Description
Regulation III establishes the fee rates and schedules to recover South Coast AQMD’s reasonable costs of regulating and providing services, primarily to permitted sources. Amendments to Regulation III are proposed which include: 1) an increase of most fees by 3.5 percent (%) consistent with the California Consumer Price Index (CPI); 2) an increase in permit processing (including plan processing) and annual operating fees by 1.5% per year for two years (beyond the California CPI of 3.5%) to cover increased reasonable costs of South Coast AQMD’s Permitted Source Program regulatory activity; 3) creation of a new equipment category in Rule 301 to allow lower emissive technology equipment to be subject to a lower fee schedule; 4) addition of two new categories for hydrogen gas production equipment and update to the existing hydrogen production plant category description in Rule 301; 5) addition of a new abbreviated reporting filing fee in Rule 301 aimed at recovering costs associated with the large number of abbreviated reporting facilities as a result of the Criteria and Toxics Reporting (CTR) regulation; 6) addition of new “Ambient Air Analyses Fees” for the use of modern air monitoring equipment, site development, and decommissioning in Rule 304.1; and 7) administrative changes in Regulation III that include clarifications, deletions, insertions, or corrections of existing rule language, which have no fee impact. The proposed project will ensure that the South Coast AQMD will have the necessary resources to provide cost recovery while implementing rule requirements through issuance and implementation of permits.
Contact Information
Name
Sina Taghvaee
Agency Name
South Coast AQMD
Job Title
Air Quality Specialist
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Counties
Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino
Regions
Countywide
Other Information
The proposed project is located within the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s (South Coast AQMD) jurisdiction, which includes the four-county South Coast Air Basin (all of Orange County and the non-desert portions of Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties), and the Riverside County portion of the Salton Sea Air Basin and the non-Palo Verde, Riverside County portion of the Mojave Desert Air Basin.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Other
Type, Section or Code
15061 (b)(3), 15273
Reasons for Exemption
South Coast AQMD, as Lead Agency, has reviewed the proposed project pursuant to: 1) CEQA Guidelines Section 15002(k) – General Concepts, the three-step process for deciding which document to prepare for a project subject to CEQA; and 2) CEQA Guidelines Section 15061 – Review for Exemption, procedures for determining if a project is exempt from CEQA. The proposed amendments to Regulation III are statutorily exempt from CEQA requirements pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15273 – Rates, Tolls, Fares, and Charges, because the proposed new and increased fees involve charges by public agencies for the purpose of meeting operating expenses and financial reserve needs and requirements. In addition, the proposed amendments to Regulation III which have no fee impact and are strictly administrative in nature are exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) – Common Sense Exemption, because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the proposed project may have a significant adverse effect on the environment.
County Clerks
Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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