With over 80 years of combined senior air quality professional experience, MBA is at the leading edge of California air quality professionals in addressing air quality impacts. The MBA Air Quality Team includes senior members in each of our offices who have experience in local government land use and air quality planning, air emissions analysis, and health impact modeling.
Two-thirds of the Air Quality Team has had experience as staff at local Air Districts. This team of knowledgeable professionals provides a complete range of legally defensible air quality services to support California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents and air quality
regulatory requirements for public agencies and the private sector.
Air Quality Assessments
MBA can provide the following services to support development projects:
Produce legally defensible air quality sections and reports
for Environmental Impact Reports (EIR), Environmental Impact Statements (EIS), Negative Declarations, Mitigated Negative Declarations (MND), and Environmental Assessments (EA).
Emissions inventory development.
Develop mitigation strategies.
Give expert testimony and peer review.
Conduct general conformity analyses for federally-funded and tribal projects.
Climate Change MBA’s climate change experts are at the forefront in developing sound scientific regulatory assessments and strategies within the rapidly changing regulatory environment. We advise both government and private industry on greenhouse gas policies and methodologies and the impact that they have on the new carbon constrained business future. Our team applies proven energy, environmental, emission inventory, and regulatory expertise to the climate change challenges
that face our clients over a spectrum of business sectors including general plans, industrial developments, and retail & commercial projects.
See articles written by one of MBA's air quality and climate change experts, Cori Wilson:
Health Risk Assessments Most regulatory agencies require that a health risk
assessment be performed for projects involving the release of toxic air contaminants such as diesel
particulate matter from diesel trucks, benzene from
gasoline service stations, and “perc” from dry cleaners. Such projects include warehouse, large industrial
facilities, roadways, mixed-use projects, and large
retail/commercial projects. Our technical staff will prepare the necessary assessment by quantifying toxic air emissions and resulting health risks at sensitive receptors using advanced toxic air emission and health risk assessment tools.
Indirect Source Review An indirect source is any land use that generates or
attracts vehicular activity, which results in pollutant
emissions.
A number of air districts within California have adopted, or are planning to adopt, air quality rules relating to the impacts of indirect sources. For example, the San
Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD)
requires certain development projects to submit Air
Impact Assessment applications for emissions review
and possible fees pursuant to their Rule 9510. MBA
can prepare preliminary fee estimates, Air Impact
Assessment applications, mitigation packages, provide application management, and integrate Rule 9510 into CEQA air quality studies. MBA works closely with the SJVAPCD to ensure projects maximize mitigation credit, thereby minimizing fees.
Click here to read more on our Air Quality Team's expertise with Indirect Source Review.
Air Quality Education and Training Our highly accomplished air quality professionals can
successfully navigate your project through new and changing regulations. The Air Quality team has
presented at conferences for the Association of
Environmental Professional (AEP), American Planning
Association (APA), Air & Waste Management Association (AWMA), and Building Industry Association (BIA).
The MBA Air Quality Team has presented on a number of
topics including: Greenhouse Gases and Climate Change; Air Quality Modeling Techniques; Air Quality in CEQA/NEPA Documents; and Regulatory Compliance.
