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Stakeholder & Public Involvement Plan for Ozone Advance

Prepared by the staffs of the CAPCOG Air Quality Program, CAMPO, and the City of

Austin and Travis County Air Quality Programs, November 14, 2012

Background Members of the Clean Air Coalition Advisory Committee (CACAC) have created this plan to provide a

blueprint for obtaining stakeholder and public input on the development of a new regional air quality

plan under the Ozone Advance Program (OAP). The plan outlines the goals for stakeholder and public

involvement, defines audiences, identifies strategies and tactics for achieving the goals, and defines

potential roles and responsibilities in executing this plan.

On May 23, 2012, the Clean Air Coalition (CAC) of the Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG)

was accepted into Ozone Advance, which was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

(EPA) to help keep areas not designated nonattainment in compliance with federal ozone standards. The

OAP is a voluntary program that provides areas across the U.S. with a structure to develop and

implement ozone control strategies to help attain and maintain federal ozone air quality standards. The

OAP is the fourth regional air quality planning effort, following the 1-Hour Ozone Flex Plan in 2002, the

Early Action Compact (EAC) State Implementation Plan (SIP) and Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP) in 2004,

and the 8-Hour Ozone Flex Program (8-O3 Flex) in 2008. CAC is a committee of local elected officials

representing the cities and counties in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos Metropolitan Statistical Area

(Austin MSA), which includes Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson Counties, that participate

in the region’s air quality planning efforts.

In its letter requesting to participate in OAP, the CAC provided a timeline for the development and

adoption of a new ozone plan for the region to replace the existing 8-O3 Flex, which expires in

December 2013. Over the next year, the members of the CAC and other stakeholders will undertake a

process of evaluating and selecting control measures to incorporate into the region’s Ozone Advance

plan for the region. A key component of this process will be to secure stakeholder and public input on

these measures. This plan provides the CAC and other partners in local air quality planning a clearly

defined set of goals, tasks, and responsibilities for securing this input to ensure that the Ozone Advance

plan is as strong and effective as possible.

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EPA Guidance for Ozone Advance Stakeholder and Public Involvement EPA requires jurisdictions participating in Ozone Advance to involve the public and stakeholders in the

development of any Ozone Advance Plan and provides specific guidance on how to conduct that

process1. This stakeholder and public involvement complies with EPA’s guidance. EPA states:

“Support for the proposed measures in the area’s list of Ozone Advance commitments from

organizations and institutions in the area is vital. Local officials can determine the best means to

seek and respond to input from groups or individuals interested in or affected by the measures.

We recommend that the commitments be developed by a local air quality committee that

includes environmental, health, and citizens groups, as well as representatives from local

industry and government. Input on appropriate measures from environmental and health

groups, citizens groups, industry representatives, the general public, states/tribes, and EPA

should be given thoughtful consideration by the committee.”

EPA also states that, in selecting control strategies, “the process should offer opportunities for discussion

and debate among stakeholders; these opportunities should be provided and led by the participating

state, tribe, and/or local government(s)” and that any action plan developed for the program should

include provisions for public and stakeholder involvement. EPA’s guidance underlines the need for this

region to undertake a robust stakeholder and public involvement effort led by the governmental entities

that have taken the lead in adopting and implementing the region’s prior air quality plans.

The region will follow this guidance and use the extensive experience the region already has in air

quality planning to ensure that the Ozone Advance Plan’s stakeholder and public involvement process

meets EPA’s standards.

Goals Gain actionable input from diverse stakeholders and the public in the Austin MSA that can be

incorporated into the process for selecting ozone emission reduction strategies for the region.

Increase community awareness concerning the health effects of ground-level ozone and encourage individuals to take steps to improve the region’s air quality.

Build relationships with key stakeholders to secure commitments for emission reduction measures to include in the plan and to ensure robust implementation of the plan and ongoing input on the plan following its adoption.

Audiences Entities Participating in the 8-O-3 Flex

Jurisdictions Not Participating in the 8-O3 Flex

Groups Interested in Public Health and the Environment

Businesses and Business Groups

Transportation Agencies

Other Institutions and Entities Impacting or Impacted by Ozone Pollution

1 http://www.epa.gov/ozoneadvance/pdfs/2012404guidance.pdf

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Strategies Maximize the use of online resources to remove barriers to public participation

Seek out opportunities to deliver presentations and solicit input in person

Leverage existing resources and means of communication

Key Messages The stakeholder and public involvement effort will center on a core theme that the entire region is

affected by ozone and that everyone’s help is needed to maintain compliance with federal air ozone

standards. For jurisdictions and business/industry stakeholders, the emphasis will be on committing to a

“fair share” of the needed effort. For school districts and individuals and community groups concerned

with high levels of ozone, the emphasis will be on ensuring that they have an opportunity to express

how they are affected by ozone and what kinds of efforts they would like to see the region undertake.

Tactics and Roles

Finalize a Stakeholder List

A key first step in the stakeholder and public involvement process is the development of a list of

stakeholders who will need to be contacted as part of the outreach effort. A comprehensive list of

stakeholders, along with a point of contact and contact information, will be finalized by the end of

December 2012. Staff members on the CACAC have developed a preliminary list (included at the end of

this plan), and will finalize this list at the December 2012 CACAC meeting. The stakeholder list will

identify what type of stake the stakeholder has in the region’s ozone planning efforts, as well as how

and when that stakeholder should be reached.

Train City and County Representatives

One key element of the stakeholder outreach process will be preparing county and city staff members

and any other representatives to conduct stakeholder outreach within their own organizations and

communities. Each CAC member should assign a staff member or another representative of the

jurisdiction (such as an environmental commission or planning board member) to work with CAPCOG

and CAMPO on developing a presentation targeted to their own organization and community. CAPCOG

and CAMPO staff will provide training to these staff members on some of the key technical aspects of

ozone planning and on soliciting input on the Ozone Advance plan from individuals and groups within

their community. These representatives will then conduct outreach within their own communities and

then relay the information gathered back to CAPCOG and CAMPO for compilation. Once a CAC member

assigns a staff member to this task-ideally by December 15, 2012, CAPCOG and/or CAMPO will set up a

time and date in January 2013 to train that member. The CACAC also recommends that the CAC Chair

and Vice-Chairs participate in this training opportunity.

Meet with Community, Environmental, Business, and Other Groups

Gaining input from key community, environmental, business, and other groups and entities will be an

important part of the stakeholder outreach process, and having a physical presence at their meetings

will be an important way to gain their input. Staff and other representatives involved in outreach will

identify regularly scheduled meetings held by these organizations and entities, such as meetings of

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school boards, trade associations, and neighborhood associations, and request time on an agenda to

present on the Ozone Advance program and solicit input. For stakeholders that can have an influence on

emissions, the sessions will also involve requesting that the stakeholder consider making a commitment

to reduce emissions as part of the Ozone Advance program. CAPCOG, CAMPO, City and County staff, and

other professionals interested in conducting such outreach will divide up the work to perform this task.

Other groups that might be interested in participating in these efforts might include the CLEAN AIR

Force, the American Lung Association, and Chambers of Commerce. CAPCOG and CAMPO staff would

provide the same kind of training to representatives of these groups that is planned for city and county

representatives. Staff and others involved in the effort will make sure to collect contact information for

anyone wanting more information and will regularly coordinate coverage of these meetings to ensure

the most efficient use of limited time. CACAC recommends that each city/county representative or other

group representative commit to attending at least one or two such meetings per month during the

course of this process.

Facilitate Online Participation

The stakeholder and public outreach process will also involve using technology platforms to provide

opportunities for stakeholders and members of the public to participate in the planning process

remotely. Staff will conduct at least one webinar to provide people with an opportunity to view a

presentation on Ozone Advance, ask questions of staff, and provide feedback through the webinar. Staff

will set up web-based tools to provide input, similar to the tools City of Austin used to solicit input

during their air quality program stakeholder involvement process. Another opportunity for participation

will be the Ozone Heroes website, which will be re-launched in conjunction with this effort. These tools

will allow stakeholders and members of the public to submit detailed written comments on control

measures. CACAC recommends that this webinar be offered early in the process so it can be made

available to other groups prior to their meetings.

Conduct Presentations at City Council and County Court Meetings

Staff from either each individual jurisdiction or CAPCOG and CAMPO will provide presentations to City

Council and County Court meetings at some point in the process once input from the public and other

stakeholders has been developed. Since the elected officials are themselves stakeholders, it will be

important to solicit their feedback on these measures and answer any questions they may have about

the Ozone Advance program. CACAC recommends that presentations also be given to jurisdictions with

a population of over 5,000 that are not currently participating in the 8-O3 Flex.

Coordinate Special Stakeholder Meetings

For stakeholders that were not able to participate through other channels that staff feel are particularly

important to get input from, staff will set up individual meetings to solicit input. Staff will maintain a

stakeholder list throughout the process and develop a priority list of groups or stakeholders to meet

with once the other steps have been completed. Staff anticipate that there might be about 10 such

meetings throughout the region.

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Publicize Opportunities for Stakeholder and Public Input

Staff will maximize media outreach and partner communication channels to promote opportunities for

input, create buzz and encourage support for the planning process. Media outreach includes pitching

stories; securing calendar placements; and potentially arranging media briefings, media interviews,

editorial-board visits, letters to the editor and op-eds. Tactics also will include use of existing partner

channels such as social media, e-newsletters, billing inserts, web pages, events and hard-copy

publications that already reach target audiences.

Evaluation and Follow Up Once input from stakeholders and the public has been gathered, CAPCOG and CAMPO staff will analyze

and consolidate the comments into a document. This document will be made available to the CAC

members and the public and a final opportunity will be provided to offer clarifications or additional

comments.

CAPCOG or CAMPO staff will maintain a list of the stakeholders and members of the public who

participated and their contact information. Following a meeting or other interaction, staff will e-mail

each stakeholder or member of the public who participated thanking them for their input. For

stakeholders and members of the public who indicated that they would like more information, CAPCOG

or CAMPO staff will e-mail them information related to their questions.

CAPCOG and CAMPO staff will also use this list to develop a mailing list for ongoing air quality planning

activities. As the planning process proceeds, CAPCOG and CAMPO staff will provide regular updates

throughout the planning to the stakeholders and members of the public who are interested in receiving

such updates. CAPCOG will e-mail copies of the final plan once it is finalized.

The plan’s success will be evaluated based on the percentage of participating Clean Air Coalition

members in outreach efforts as well as active participation by community, environmental, business, and

other groups. Furthermore, success will be measured based on the number of visitors/increased traffic

to the Ozone Heroes website.

Sustaining Stakeholder and Public Input At the end of the stakeholder and public input process, CACAC recommends that the CAC consider

establishing a standing Air Quality Committee in line with EPA guidance that includes balanced

representation of government, business, and environmental stakeholders within the region to sustain

stakeholder input over the long term. CACAC staff will use the stakeholder involvement process to

identify potential participants in such a committee.

Timeline December 31, 2012: Stakeholder list finalized by members of the CACAC

January 2013: CAC staff and member training

February 1, 2013: Kickoff of Ozone Advance stakeholder and public involvement effort

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June 30, 2013: Stakeholder and public involvement effort concludes

July – August 2013: CACAC staff members evaluate input received during stakeholder and public involvement process and develop recommendations for the CAC

Resources Required There will no added budget outlay required for implementation of this plan. Instead, existing

resources already budgeted for CAPCOG, CAMPO, and City/County staff will be used to execute this plan

through a cooperative effort between CAPCOG, CAMPO, and members of the Clean Air Coalition.

CAPCOG’s work plan for the upcoming year already dedicates 45% of staff time to continued

implementation of the existing plan and development of a new plan, which would include work

conducted as part of the stakeholder and public input process. Additionally, CAMPO can leverage

existing funds dedicated to maintaining the Ozone Heroes website and other funding for educational

promotional information in support of this planning process.

The table below represents what the estimated time requirements for implementation of this plan

would entail.

Task Total Hours

Develop Presentations 40

Training for City/Council Staff 60

County Commissioner Court Meetings 15

City Council Meetings-CAC Members 33

City Council Meetings-Non-CAC Members 27

Webinar 40

Attending Business and Environmental Group Meetings 150

Special Meetings 80

Follow Up and Evaluation 40

TOTAL 485

The table above represents a reasonable estimate of the amount of time that would be required of all

participants if all of the CAC members committed at least one representative to participate in this

process and attend at least one meeting per month for the five months this plan covers. The actual

amount of time that can be spent on these activities, especially for attending business and

environmental group meetings, will be dependent on the extent of participation of CAC member

jurisdictions and the extent to which other groups such as the CLEAN AIR Force, American Lung

Association, and the Chambers of Commerce can commit staff time to this effort.

Preliminary Stakeholder List The following is a preliminary list of stakeholders already identified by CACAC staff. This list will be

added to and refined as this process proceeds.

Entities Participating in 8-O3 Flex Plan Jurisdictions

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o Bastrop County o Caldwell County o Hays County o Travis County o Williamson County o City of Austin o City of Bastrop o City of Cedar Park o City of Elgin o City of Georgetown o City of Lockhart o City of Luling o City of Round Rock o City of San Marcos o City of Sunset Valley o City of Taylor

Other Governmental Entities o CAPCOG o CAMPO o CapMetro o TCEQ o TxDOT o CTRMA o LCRA

Jurisdictions Not Participating in 8-O3 Flex > 5,000 residents

City of Pflugerville (46,936 pop.)

City of Kyle (28,016 pop.)

City of Leander (26,521 pop.)

City of Hutto (14,698 pop.)

Wells Branch Municipal Utility District (12,120 pop.)

City of Lakeway (11,391 pop.)

City of Buda (7,295 pop.)

City of Lago Vista (6,041 pop.)

City of Manor (5,037 pop.)

Groups Interested in Public Health/Environmental Concerns Environmental Groups:

o CLEAN AIR Force, o Sierra Club, o Public Citizen, o PODER, o Environmental Defense Fund, o Environment Texas, o Texas League of Conservation Voters, o Green Peace, o Texas Campaign for the Environment

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Public Health Groups and Health Care Community: o American Lung Association, o Texas Homeless Network o Texas Society for Respiratory Care o Texas Public Health Association, o Texas Health Care Association, o Texas Health Council, o Texas Health Maintenance Organization Association, o Texas Medical Association, o Texas Hospital Association, o Texas Association of Health Plans, o Central Health (Travis County & Austin), o University Medical Center at Brackenridge, o Seton Main, o St. David’s Medical Center, o Dell Children’s Hospital, o St. David’s North Austin, o Seton Southwest, o Seton Northwest, o Cedar Park Regional Medical Center, o Seton Medical Center Hays, o Scott and White Hospital – Round Rock, o Seton Medical Center Williamson, o St. David’s Georgetown Hospital, o St. Luke’s Hospital of Caldwell County, o Scott and White Hospital-Taylor, o Lakeside Hospital at Bastrop, o Central Texas Medical Center, o Seton Edgar B. Davis Hospital, o Smithville Regional Hospital,

Senior Citizen Groups & Associated o Texas Association of Retirement Communities

Schools & Associated o Texas Association of School Boards o Texas Association of School Administrators o Bastrop ISD o Elgin ISD o McDade ISD o Smithville ISD o Lockhart ISD o Luling ISD o Prairie Lea ISD o Dripping Springs ISD o Hays Consolidated ISD o San Marcos ISD o Wimberley ISD o Austin ISD o Lake Travis ISD

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o Eanes ISD o Del Valle ISD o Lago Vista ISD o Manor ISD o Pflugerville ISD o Coupland ISD o Florence ISD o Georgetown ISD o Granger ISD o Hutto ISD o Jarrell ISD o Leander ISD o Liberty Hill ISD o Round Rock ISD o Taylor ISD o Thrall ISD

Businesses and Business Groups Chambers of Commerce

o Texas Association of Business o Bastrop Chamber of Commerce o Greater Elgin Chamber of Commerce o Smithville Area Chamber of Commerce o Caldwell County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce o Lockhart Chamber of Commerce o Luling Chamber of Commerce o Buda Area Chamber of Commerce o Dripping Springs Chamber of Commerce o Kyle Area Chamber of Commerce o San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce o Wimberley Area Chamber of Commerce o Capital City African American Chamber of Commerce o Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce o Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce o Greater Pflugerville Chamber of Commerce o Lago Vista Chamber of Commerce o Lake Travis Chamber of Commerce o Westlake Chamber of Commerce o Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Texas o Cedar Park Chamber of Commerce o Georgetown Chamber of Commerce o Greater Leander Chamber of Commerce o Greater Liberty Hill Chamber of Commerce o Hutto Chamber of Commerce o Round Rock Chamber of Commerce o Taylor Chamber of Commerce

Trade Associations o Texas Association of Manufacturers

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o Associated General Contractors of Texas o Texas Association of Builders o Texas Aggregates and Concrete Association o Texas Oil and Gas Association o Texas Pipeline Association o Texas Motor Transportation Association o Texas Association of Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association o Texas Association of Automobile Dealers o Texas Independent Automobile Dealers Association o Texas Farm Bureau and associated County Farm Bureaus o Texas Association of Environmental Professionals o American Real Estate Association o Association of Texas Intrastate Natural Gas Pipelines o Austin Automobile Dealers Association o Austin Building Owners and Managers Association Incorporated o Austin Hotel and Motel Association o Austin Technology Council o Automotive Parts and Services Association o Automotive Wholesalers of Texas o Better Business Bureau of Austin o Building Owners and Managers Association o Caldwell County Board of Realtors o Cement Council of Texas o Central Texas Golf Course Superintendents Association o Citizens for Affordable Energy o Downtown Austin Alliance o Home Builders Association of Greater Austin o Independent Electrical Contractors of Texas o Leadership Austin o National Federation of Independent Business Texas Office o Texas Asphalt Pavement Association o Texas Association for Competitive Transportation o Texas Association of Landscape Contractors o Texas Auto and Truck Parts Association o Texas Automobile Dealers Association o Texas Automotive Dismantlers Recyclers Association o Texas Car and Truck Rental Leasing Association o Texas Computer Industry Council o Texas Economic Development Council o Texas Electric Cooperatives o Texas Electronics Association o Texas Industrial Development Council o Texas Institute of Building Design o Texas Mining and Reclamation Association o Texas Parking Association o Texas Propane Gas Association o American Natural Gas Association o Texas Recyclers Association

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o Texas Renewable Energy Industries Association o Texas Resource and Environmental Council o Texas Tank Truck Carriers Association o Texas Towing and Storage Association o Texas Turf Irrigation Association o Texas Warehouse Association o Williamson County Association of Realtors o Williamson County Board of Realtors o American Bureau of Shipping and Affiliated Companies o American Electronics Association South Central Texas Council o American Subcontractors Association Austin Chapter o Associated Builders and Contractors Central Texas Chapter o Association of Electric Companies of Texas o Association of Energy Service Companies o Energy Council o Texas Association of Physical Plant Administrators o Texas Nursery and Landscape Association

Specific Businesses o Dell o Samsung o Hospira o Freescale o AMD

o Austin White Lime o Texas Lehigh o Hays County Energy LP o Gentex o Luling Gas Plant o Truck Stop Owners/Operators o Large Retail Establishments (HEB, Home Depot, Lowes, Wal-Mart, Target, Randall’s) o Trucking companies o Truck Dealers o Nonroad Equipment Dealers (HOLT CAT, Sunbelt, RSC, Briggs, etc.)

Transportation Agencies

Public Agencies o Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority o Capital Area Rural Transportation System o Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority o Texas Department of Transportation o Lone Star Rail District o Capital Area Regional Transportation Planning Organization o Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization o Greater Austin/San Antonio Corridor Council

Other Institutions and Entities State Agencies in Austin

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EPA

Higher Education o University of Texas-Austin o Austin Community College (8 campuses) o Texas State University o Huston-Tillotson College o Concordia University o Southwestern University o Temple College at Taylor o University of Phoenix, Austin (2 campuses)

Neighborhood and Homeowners Associations

AAA

Citizens for Affordable Energy Other

Texas Bicycle Coalition

Unions o Transit Workers Union o United Transportation Union o Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical, and Energy Workers o National Federation of Federal Employees o National Alliance of Postal and Federal Employees o Laborers International Union of North America o International Union of Operating Engineers o International Brotherhood of Teamsters o International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers o International Association of Fire Fighters o Communication Workers of America o Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers o Building & Construction Trades Department o Amalgamated Transit Union o American Postal Workers Union o American Federation of Government Employees o Texas AFL-CIO