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1 <br />ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: May 4, 2004 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. ~ _~~ <br />SUBJECT: Proposed Orange County "Air Quality Response" <br />DEPARTMENT: ERCD <br />Planning <br />PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT <br />1) Outline of Proposed Air Quality Response <br />1 a) Orange County Vehicle Miles Traveled <br />(VMT), 1987 - 2001 <br />1 b) OC Land Use Scenarios (Density and <br />Traffic Reduction) <br />2) Smart Growth Activities- Public School <br />Design <br />3) EPA Ozone Non-Attainment Announcement <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />David Stancil, 245-2590 <br />Craig Benedict, 245-2592 <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough 732-8181 <br />Chapel Hill 968-4501 <br />Durham 688-7331 <br />Mebane 336-227-2031 <br />PURPOSE: To receive a presentation on a proposed "Air Quality Response", outlining a <br />series of initiatives underway and/or proposed to address current and upcoming air quality <br />issues in the County. <br />BACKGROUND: In both recent days and over the past few years, air quality issues have <br />increasingly become subjects demanding attention from local governments in the Triangle. <br />This presentation is designed to provide an update on the air quality issues, and activities <br />already underway ar planned to address these concerns. <br />1. On April 15, the US Environmental Protection Agency designated the Triangle region <br />as a "non-attainment" area for ground level ozone (O ), Orange County is included as <br />part of the region for this designation. The State is charged to address ozone <br />mitigation strategies in an upcoming State Implementation Plan (or SIP). However, <br />local governments can also address and implement strategies on their own. At the <br />January 2004 retreat, the Board asked the Commission for the Environment to study <br />other regional and local ideas and reports and address possible Orange County <br />strategies. This report is anticipated in the fall of this year. <br />2. Secondly, in 2002, the County joined Chapel Hill, Carrboro and the City of Durham as <br />members of the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) and <br />the Cities (and Counties) for Climate Protection. As a result of this, the County (along <br />with Chapel Hill and Carrboro) have been working an a scope of work for a <br />Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and Action Plan. Funded in part by a grant <br />from the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (DCHC <br />