Bay Area Air District Approves California’s First Regional Thresholds of Significance for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Projects

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) last week announced the adoption of the first region-wide numeric thresholds for greenhouse gas emissions for residential and commercial projects in California. The new standards provide guidance for Bay Area public agencies to review the environmental risks posed by the approval of development projects under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

In 2006, the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32) was enacted to require a statewide reduction in greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020. This spring, the state revised the CEQA Guidelines to specifically address impacts caused by development projects related to greenhouse gas emissions. The BAAQMD’s new thresholds can be used for complying with these analytical requirements under CEQA for projects proposed in the Bay Area.

The BAAQMD’s thresholds, approved last Wednesday, allow Bay Area public agencies to consider either a fixed threshold of 1,100 metric tons per year of greenhouse gases emitted from a commercial, residential or mixed-use project, or a per capita threshold of 4.6 metric tons per year of carbon dioxide emitted per subdivision resident or business employee. These thresholds are intended to encourage smart-growth projects, while facilitating large projects that maintain a proportionally low level of emissions. Proposed developments that would exceed the thresholds are required to perform additional environmental review of ways to reduce or offset the emissions.

These thresholds were developed specifically for the Bay Area. However, since they are the first regional air district to adopt numeric thresholds for greenhouse gas emissions from residential and commercial projects, lead agencies throughout the state may receive public comments suggesting application of the BAAQMD thresholds to proposed development projects.