The Coachella Valley portion of the South Coast AQMD is subjected to a form of air pollution unique to that region. While other areas of the South Coast AQMD are subjected to levels of criteria pollutant air pollution that at times exceeds the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), air pollution exceedances in the Coachella Valley are most often due to high levels of airborne particulate matter. This particulate matter (PM) is a naturally occuring phenomena, resulting from sand emitted by the surrounding desert landscape. However, it is also exacerbated by automobile transportation; sand blown from the desert is deposited on roadway surfaces, where it is ground into smaller particles by vehicle tires. This fine sand particulate is then re-entrained into the atmosphere by the vehicle's wake. This fine particulate matter is transported by the wind to populated areas - due to the small size of this particulate matter, it tends to become lodged deep in the lung tissue when breathed; this creates a health issues for the residents.
A strategy promoted by the South Coast AQMD to reduce particulate matter caused by blowing sand in the Coachella is frequent street sweeping and removal of large sand deposits that accumulate during a wind event. This eliminates the source of the fine ground PM and reduces the health risk for the residents of the Coachella Valley.
400000.00
CVAG and their street sweeping contractor operate a fleet of low-emission CNG sweepers, pickup trucks, and dump trucks to implement their Clean Streets Program. The Regional PM-10 Street Sweeping component sweeps approximately 43,000 curb miles annually. Sweeping is conducted on designated routes weekly, with additional sand removal operations conducted during periods of high wind.
The objective of this project was to assist the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) in implementing their Regional PM-10 Street Sweeping Program. Street sweeping is recognized as an essential PM mitigation strategy for the Coachella Valley region of the South Coast AQMD and is an element of the 2002 Coachella Valley State Implementation Plan (CVSIP).
CVAG conducts sweeping operations on a weekly basis, equating to approximately 43,000 of curb miles swept annually. According to the South Coast AQMD, the CVAG program results in approximately 0.4 tons per day of PM emissions reduction benefits.
The CVAG Regional PM-10 Street Sweeping Program is an ongoing program in the Coachella Valley. The MSRC Clean Transportation Funding allocated under this project was used to replace funding no longer available under the Federal CMAQ program.
CVAG is currently identifying sustainable funding sources to continue the street sweeping program.