CARB Updating Agricultural Emission Inventory

 This past week, the Association co-hosted a very important meeting on the statewide emissions inventory for agricultural operations at our office in Fresno. The high-level meeting included 17 CARB Staff either in-person or online, and five staff from the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Leading the CARB staff was Air Quality and Planning Division Chief Matthew Lakin, Mobile Source Control Division Chief Michelle Buffington, Special Assessment Branch Chief Yanju Chen, Mobile Source Analysis Branch Chief David Quiros, Research Division Chief Elizabth Scheele, and Atmospheric Sciences Branch Chief Michael Fitzgibbon.  The focus of the meeting was on updates to the agricultural operations emission inventory, which will play a major role in what is regulated going forward.  Topics included harvesting, particularly tree nuts, unpaved roads, land preparation and mobile sources. A lot of the discussion centered on the change in the agricultural landscape due to the impact of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and changes in crop type over the past 20 years and what that looks like going forward. Additional meetings will be held to address specific action items including updates to estimates of vehicle miles traveled for specific commodities as equipment and practices have changed over the past 20 years. Co-hosting the meeting with the Association was the Nisei Farmers League and Milk Producers Council.