Under-fired charbroilers spared from San Joaquin air pollution rules

After several months of discussions with the CRA and restaurant operators, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Kern counties) has dropped plans to issue mandatory requirements for under-fired charbroilers and instead will develop a program to provide incentives to operators who proactively control emissions from under-fired charbroilers. The district will also perform a comprehensive assessment of emissions control that will be presented to the Governing Board in the first quarter of 2011.

The revised rule would apply only to chain-driven charbroilers, which are regulated under existing Rule 4692 (Commercial Charbroiling). Currently, operators of chain-driven charbroilers who cook more than 875 pounds of meat per week are required to install emissions control equipment. Under the new rule, operators who cook more than 400 pounds of meat per week would be regulated. CRA was successful in extending the compliance date from July 1, 2010 to Jan. 1, 2011.

The CRA was also successful in having the public hearing continued from the June Governing Board meeting. The SJVAPCD Governing Board meets at 9 a.m. Aug. 20 at its Central Region Office, Governing Board Room, (1990 E. Gettysburg Ave., Fresno,) and via video teleconference at the Northern Region Office (4800 Enterprise Way, Modesto) and the Southern Region Office (34946 Flyover Court, Bakersfield). The meeting is open to the public and CRA members are encouraged to attend. The district will recommend that the revised proposed rule, available at www.valleyair.org/Workshops/public_workshops_idx.htm be considered for adoption at the Sept. 17 Governing Board meeting.

The CRA would like to thank its members for participating in these discussions. A special thank you to Skip Slayton of Jake’s Tex Mex Café, Bakersfield and Greg Graber of Tahoe Joe’s Famous Steakhouse, Fresno.

For more information, contact Amalia Chamorro at 408.416.6344 or achamorro@calrest.org.