December 14, 2010
Board of Directors
Bay Area Air Quality Management District 939 Ellis Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
Dear Board Members:
Greenbelt Alliance is the Bay Area’s advocate for open spaces and vibrant places. For over 50 years, we have worked on protecting key open space areas and making the region’s cities and towns more livable and sustainable. We are writing today to comment on the December, 2010 staff update on CEQA thresholds and guidelines for Risks and Hazards for New Receptors.
We greatly appreciate the Air District’s work to protect and improve the health of the Bay Area’s most at-risk communities. Greenbelt Alliance shares the goal of not placing communities that are already most at risk for air pollution-related health problems at further risk. At the same time, the negative health impacts of sprawl development and positive health benefits of infill development have also been well documented. Infill development reduces greenhouse gas and other air pollution by reducing Vehicle Miles Traveled, and leads to reduced obesity rates as residents have access to active transportation options. Air District staff is now proposing to make modest improvements to how the guidelines are implemented that will provide the same level of public health protection, while ensuring that the Guidelines and related technical support tools such as screening tables are not misused to impede infill development or affordable housing.
Keep reading the comment letter: Greenbelt Alliance comment letter guidelines 2010-12-13 (PDF)
