Ontario City Council
August 16, 2022

ATTACHMENT B:

VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT REPORT FOR THE
ONTARIO PLAN 2050 UPDATE
A Component of The Ontario Plan 2050
929
April 2022

VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT REPORT FOR
THE ONTARIO PLAN 2050 UPDATE
City of Ontario
Prepared for:

City of Ontario
Contact: Kimberly Ruddins
Principal Planner
303 East B Street
Ontario, California 91764
909.395.2169
Prepared by:

PlaceWorks
3 MacArthur Place, Suite 1100
Santa Ana, California 92707
714.966.9220
Contact: Colin Drukker, Principal
[email protected]
www.placeworks.com
930
931
i

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 1 Community Profile .................................................................................................................................... 1 Regulatory Framework.............................................................................................................................. 3 Climate Science Overview......................................................................................................................... 4 Vulnerability Assessment Method................................................................................................................ 5 Step 1: Identify Exposure .......................................................................................................................... 5 Step 2. Identify Sensitivities and Potential Impacts.................................................................................. 7 Step 3. Assess Adaptive Capacity.............................................................................................................. 8 Step 4. Prioritize Vulnerability Scoring ..................................................................................................... 9 Hazards of Concern..................................................................................................................................... 10 Climate Change Hazards ......................................................................................................................... 10 Agriculture Pests and Diseases........................................................................................................... 10 Air Quality ........................................................................................................................................... 10 Drought............................................................................................................................................... 11 Extreme Heat and Warm Nights......................................................................................................... 11 Flooding............................................................................................................................................... 13 Human Health Hazards....................................................................................................................... 15 Severe Weather .................................................................................................................................. 15 Wildfire and Smoke............................................................................................................................. 15 Natural Hazards Not Evaluated in the Vulnerability Assessment........................................................... 16 Seismic Hazards................................................................................................................................... 16 Geologic Hazards................................................................................................................................. 17 Populations and Assets............................................................................................................................... 18 Vulnerability Assessment Results ............................................................................................................... 20 Population and Asset Considerations..................................................................................................... 20 Populations............................................................................................................................................. 21 Built Systems and Services...................................................................................................................... 22 Economic Drivers .................................................................................................................................... 25 Implications for TOP 2050........................................................................................................................... 27 Emergency Preparedness and Response ................................................................................................ 27 Mutual-Aid Agreements...................................................................................................................... 28 Evacuation Needs................................................................................................................................ 28 932
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Equity and Uncertainty ........................................................................................................................... 28 Adaptation and Resilience Opportunities............................................................................................... 29 Resilience in Other Planning Mechanisms.............................................................................................. 31 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................................ 32 Printed References.................................................................................................................................. 32 Websites ................................................................................................................................................. 33 List of Preparers.......................................................................................................................................... 35 Lead Agency ............................................................................................................................................ 35 PlaceWorks, Consultant to the City of Ontario....................................................................................... 35 Appendices
Appendix A: list of Populations and Assets................................................................................................. 36 Appendix B: Vulnerability Assessment Results Matrix ............................................................................... 42 List of Tables
Table 1. Rubric for Impact Scoring................................................................................................................ 8 Table 2. Rubric for Adaptive Capacity Scoring .............................................................................................. 9 Table 3. Populations and Assets Included in the Vulnerability Assessment...............................................18 List of Figures
Figure 1. Community Overview Map ............................................................................................................ 2 Figure 2. California Adaptation Planning Guide Recommended Method .................................................... 5 Figure 3. Vulnerability Scoring Matrix........................................................................................................... 9 Figure 4. Projected Extreme Heat Days in Ontario ..................................................................................... 12 Figure 5. Project Warm Nights in Ontario................................................................................................... 12 Figure 6. FEMA Flood Hazard Zones ........................................................................................................... 14 933
1 INTRODUCTION
The City of Ontario (City) prepared a Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment in conformance with State of California requirements to assess climate change vulnerability and address climate change adaptation and resilience as part of The Ontario Plan 2050 Update (TOP 2050). California Government Code Section 65302(g) requires communities to address climate adaptation and resilience in their general plans. The goal of this requirement is to enable the community to prepare for, respond to, withstand, and recover from disruptions created or caused by climate change. The vulnerability assessment acts as a foundation for integrating adaptation and resilience policies into the Safety Element and The Ontario Plan by identifying a set of priority vulnerabilities in the City of Ontario. This report presents the results of the City’s Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and includes an overview of the regulatory framework and method for preparing a vulnerability assessment and incorporating adaptation and resilience into TOP 2050, a summary of the climate change hazards affecting the resilience of Ontario, and characterizes specific populations and assets included in the assessment Community Profile
The City of Ontario is in the valley portion of San Bernardino County, surrounded by the cities of Rancho Cucamonga and Upland to the north, the cities of Fontana and Jurupa Valley to the east, the City of Eastvale to the south, and City of Chino to the west. The Los Angeles National Forest in the San Gabriel Mountains rise nearly 10,064 feet above sea level, and the city sits just south of this mountain range at 1,004 feet above sea level. According to American Community Survey 2019, 5-year estimates, Ontario is home to approximately 176,760 residents, over 37 percent of which are 24 years old or younger and 31 percent of which are between 25 and 44 years old.

The City of Ontario covers approximately 50 square miles, as shown in Figure 1, which was originally home to the Tongva (Gabrielino) and Kizh (Gabrielino) tribal nations. The city is developed with residential, commercial, office, public facility, industrial, and agricultural land uses. Residential, commercial, public facility, and office land uses are distributed throughout the city. Industrial land uses are concentrated in the central portion of the city, surrounding the Ontario International Airport, as well as in the eastern and southern portions of the city. Agricultural land uses comprise most of the land use in the southern portion of Ontario; however, this use will likely transition to residential, mixed-use, and commercial land uses by 2050. Major economic sectors include education services, Ontario International Airport, retail centers, and warehouses and logistics centers.

The city has a Mediterranean climate, with hot summers and mild winters with rain. On average, annual high temperatures in Ontario range from 65 degrees Fahrenheit ( o
F) in January to 94 in August. Low
temperatures range from 43 o
F in December to 65oF in August. The city receives an average of approximately 15.04 inches of precipitation per year, with all precipitation falling as rain. Most precipitation falls during the winter months with rare occurrences of summer storms. The Southern California inland valley climate was historically famous for growing citrus because of the hot summers and winters without frost. The Santa Ana winds flow through this area of San Bernardino County from October to April, with the strongest Santa Anas occurring in December and January. 934
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2 Figure 1. Community Overview Map
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3 Ontario’s primary transportation access is from Interstate (I-) 10, I-15, State Route (SR-) 60, and SR-83. I10 runs west through San Bernardino County to downtown Los Angeles and east through the southern United States to the east coast. I-15 runs south through San Bernardino County to downtown San Diego and north through the western United States to Canada. SR-60 runs east to west, and SR-83 runs north to south through Ontario, connecting the valley region of San Bernardino County to the mountains to the north and San Gabriel Valley to the east. Other major roadways include Mission Boulevard, 4th Street, Airport Drive, Haven Avenue, and Miliken Avenue. Ontario International Airport is in the north-central portion of the city. Omnitrans operates six public bus routes, including one express route, through Ontario, which residents can use to travel to key destinations in Ontario and other areas of San Bernardino County. Metrolink, via the Union Pacific Railroad, provides long-distance train service via Ontario to Los Angeles, which connects with other train services to major cities such as Seattle, Chicago, and New Orleans. The City also maintains bike routes along Riverside Drive, Deer Creek Loop, Lytle Creek Loop, and Inland Empire Boulevard.

Regulatory Framework
In 2015, the State adopted Senate Bill (SB) 379, amending Section 65302(g) of the California Government Code to require cities and counties to update the Safety Element of their general plan to include more information about wildfire hazards, flooding risks, and other short-term and long-term threats posed by climate change. SB 379 is the foundation for adaptation and resiliency in general plan safety elements, as it requires local governments to conduct vulnerability assessments as part of their long-range public safety planning efforts and to prepare adaptation and resilience goals, policies, and implementation measures that respond to the findings of the vulnerability assessment and protect against harm caused by climate change.

Other important updates to Section 65302(g) of the California Government Code related to Safety Elements include SB 1035, SB 99, and Assembly Bill (AB) 747/1409. SB 1035, which established Section 65302(g)(6) of the California Government Code, builds on previous legislation and requires local governments to review and update as needed their Safety Element during an update to their Housing Element or Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) (or no less than every eight years). Any revisions should include updated information related to flood hazards, fire hazards, and climate adaptation and resilience.

SB 99 established Section 65302(g)(5) of the California Government Code and requires jurisdictions to review and update the Safety Element to include information identifying residential developments in hazard areas that do not have at least two emergency evacuation routes. AB 747 added Section 65302.15 to the California Government Code (amended by AB 1409), which became effective in January 2022, requires local governments to identify the capacity, safety, and viability of evacuation routes and locations in the Safety Element or LHMP on or before the next update of their LHMP. This Vulnerability Assessment, along with the update to the Safety Element of TOP 2050, supports the City of Ontario to meet these requirements.

The State of California prepared a guidance document, the California Adaptation Planning Guide, to assist communities in addressing climate adaptation and resilience, and complying with Section 65302(g) of the California Government Code. This guide presents a step-by-step process for gathering the best-available climate change science, completing a climate change vulnerability assessment, creating adaptation strategies, and integrating those strategies into general plans and other policy documents. The City’s 936
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4 vulnerability assessment is consistent with the guidance and recommended methods provided in the California Adaptation Planning Guide and the Resilient IE.

Climate Science Overview
Climate change is a long-term change in the average meteorological conditions in an area. Currently, the global climate is changing due to an increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that trap heat near the Earth’s surface. While some levels of these gases are necessary to maintain a comfortable temperature on Earth, an increased concentration of these gases due to human activity traps additional heat, changing Earth’s climate system in several ways. According to the California Fourth Climate Change Assessment, these effects cause primary climate stressors, which include warmer temperatures and changes in precipitation patterns, which can cause and exacerbate secondary climate stressors. These secondary climate stressors, also known as climate change hazards, can include flooding, severe weather, poor air quality, and drought conditions, among others. According to the California Adaptation Planning Guide, these hazards have the potential to cause fatalities, injuries, property and infrastructure damage, interruption of business, and other types of harm or loss. This Vulnerability Assessment Report presents the local and regional impacts created by climate change hazards and the ability of Ontario’s populations and community to resist these hazards, to assess which aspects of the community are most vulnerable to climate change.
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5 VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT METHOD
The Vulnerability Assessment analyzes how a changing climate may harm the City of Ontario, and which aspects of the community – including people, buildings and infrastructure, services, and economic drivers – are most vulnerable to its effects. The vulnerability assessment primarily follows the recommended process published in the California Adaptation Planning Guide in 2020 by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. This includes a four-step process: (1) characterizing the community’s exposure to current and projected climate hazards; (2) identifying potential sensitivities and potential impacts to community populations and assets; (3) evaluating the current ability of the populations and assets to cope with climate impacts, also referred to as its adaptive capacity; and (4) identifying priority vulnerabilities based on systematic scoring. Figure 2 shows these steps.

Figure 2. California Adaptation Planning Guide Recommended Method

Step 1: Identify Exposure
The goal of this step is to characterize the community’s exposure to current and projected climate change hazards. Many projections of climate change hazards rely on multiple scenarios that reflect different levels of how global GHG emissions and atmospheric GHG concentrations may change over time. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an organization that represents the global scientific consensus about climate change, has identified four climate scenarios, also called Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs), that can be used to project future conditions. RCPs are labeled with different numbers (e.g., RCP 2.6, RCP 6) that refer to the increase in the amount of energy that reaches each square meter of Earth’s surface under that scenario. The four RCPs are:
• RCP 2.6: Under this scenario, global GHG emissions peak around 2020 and then decline quickly. • RCP 4.5: Under this scenario, global GHG emissions peak around 2040 and then decline. • RCP 6: Global emissions continue to rise until the middle of the century. • RCP 8.5: Global emissions continue to increase at least until the end of the century.

Step 1. Identify Exposure
Step 2. Identify Sensitivities and Potential Impacts
Step 3. Assess Adaptive Capacity
Step 4. Prioritize Vulnerability Scoring
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6 The Cal-Adapt database, which provides California-specific climate change hazard projections, uses RCP 4.5 for a low emissions scenario and RCP 8.5 for a high emissions scenario.

The Governor’s Office of Planning and Research Planning and Investing for a Resilient California document and the
Adaptation Planning Guide recommend using RCP 8.5 for
analyses considering impacts through 2050, as there are minimal differences between emission scenarios for the first half of the century. This guide also recommends using RCP 8.5 for late-century projections, for a more conservative and risk-adverse approach. The City used the RCP 8.5 GHG emission scenario to input into global climate models on the Cal-Adapt database and other resources.i The first step of this vulnerability assessment was to confirm which climate change hazards are expected to affect Ontario. The City identified eight climate change hazards for this assessment, listed here and discussed in more detail in the Climate Change Hazards section.

1. Agriculture Pests and Diseases

2. Air Quality

3. Drought

4. Extreme Heat and Warm Nights

5. Flooding

6. Human Health Hazards

7. Severe Weather

8. Wildfire and Smoke
The City derived the climate change hazard data from up-to-date information, including the state CalAdapt database, the California Adaptation Planning Guide, the California 4th Climate Change Assessment, the National Weather Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the San Bernardino County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, and the San Bernardino County Vulnerability Assessment conducted as part of Resilient Inland Empire (IE). i The IPCC recently released “The Physical Science Basis” of the Sixth Assessment Report that updates global climate change projections for the near-term, mid-term, and long-term based on greenhouse gas emission trends from the past decade. It moves away from using RCPs, instead using five different scenarios called “shared socioeconomic pathways”, which consider socioeconomic trends underlying each scenario. This Vulnerability Assessment does not use these updated projections because at time of writing they are not available at a local scale. However, the IPCC report does reaffirm the use of projections comparable to RCP 8.5 as the suggested emission scenario to use for Cal-Adapt data.

Exposure: The presence of people,
infrastructure, natural systems, and
economic, cultural, and social
resources in areas that are subject to
harm.

Source: California Adaptation Planning Guide
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7 Step 2. Identify Sensitivities and Potential Impacts
This step included evaluating past and potential future climate change impacts to community populations and
assets. The City first identified a list of populations and assets to include in the assessment with the following five categories:

1. Populations: People that experience a heightened
risk or increased sensitivity to climate change or
have a lower capacity or fewer resources to adapt
to or recover from climate impacts.

2. Infrastructure: Structures that provide essential
services to Ontario community members and visitors.

3. Buildings: Homes, nonresidential buildings, and other building types.

4. Important Economic Assets: Properties and activities that make significant contributions to the Ontario economy.

5. Key Community Services: Important and essential functions to community members provided by government agencies and private companies.

This list included 17 populations, 17 infrastructure types, 9 building types, 7 economic drivers, and 9 key community services. After confirmation of this list, the City looked at which hazards are applicable in Ontario, or likely to affect which populations and assets, because not all hazards affect all populations or assets. For example, human health hazards are likely to impact most populations, but would not physically affect community parks or school buildings.

The outcome of this step was a matrix that identified whether a population or asset is likely to be exposed to a hazard. If a population or asset has the potential to be affected directly or indirectly by a hazard, a “yes” was indicated in the appropriate box. Direct impacts affect buildings and infrastructure, health or populations, or immediate operations of economic drivers or community services, and they can lead to indirect impacts on the broader system or community, including populations or asset types in a different category. For example, severe weather can directly damage electrical transmission lines causing power outages, which can indirectly impact persons with chronic illnesses who depend on the electricity for life support systems. Therefore, the City marked both electrical transmission lines and persons with chronic illnesses as “yes” for being affected by severe weather and would be evaluated in the assessment.

After the applicability review, the City evaluated potential impacts to the applicable populations and community assets. To identify how great the impacts of each relevant hazard are on the populations and community assets, the City considered a number of different questions that helped ensure the assessment broadly covered a range of potential harm. Examples of these questions include:
• Could the hazards cause injury or damage? Is there a risk of behavioral or mental harm, loss of economic activity, or other nonphysical effects?
• How many people or community assets could be harmed both directly and indirectly? • How long would the impacts persist?
• Is there a substantial chance of death or widespread destruction? Sensitivity: The level to which a species,
natural system, or community,
government, etc., would be affected by
changing climate conditions.

Impact: The effects (especially the
negative effects) of a hazard or other
conditions associated with climate
change.

Source: California Adaptation Planning Guide
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8 Based on the results of the impact assessment, the City ranked each sensitivity as low, medium, or high impact for each relevant exposure. Impact is considered a negative quality, and therefore a higher impact score means that there is a higher potential for harm to a population or asset. A lower impact score means that there is a lower potential for harm to a population or asset. Table 1 provides more detail about what each score means.

Table 1. Rubric for Impact Scoring
Impact Score Meaning (People and Ecosystems) Meaning (Buildings, Infrastructure, Services, and Economic Drivers)
Low Impact
Community members may not notice any
change. If noticed, effect would be minor with
only occasional disruptions.

Damage, interruption in service, or impacts on
the local economy is small or intermittent
enough to mostly go unnoticed. If noticed,
effects are only minor.

Medium
Impact
There is a marked impact to the community.

Quality of life may decline. Impacts may be
chronic, and at times substantial.

Damage, service interruptions, and other
impacts are clearly evident. Impacts may be
chronic and occasionally substantial.

High Impact
The well-being of the community declines
significantly. The community’s current lifestyle
and behavior may no longer be possible. There
is a severe risk of widespread injury or death
to people, or of significant or total ecosystem
loss.

Buildings, infrastructure, and services may be
often or always cannot function as intended or
needed to meet community demand. Large
sections of the economy experience major
hardships or are not feasible.

Step 3. Assess Adaptive Capacity
Adaptive capacity is the ability of populations and community assets to prepare for, respond to, and recover from the impacts of climate change. The City evaluated each population and assets for adaptive capacity by considering the following questions:

1. Are there existing programs, policies, or funding to provide assistance?

2. Are there barriers that limit response or recovery? Are these barriers, financial limitations, political
challenges, lack of access to technology or other
resources, or others?

3. Do alternatives exist in or near Ontario that community members can use? Based on the results of the adaptive capacity assessment, the City ranked each population or asset as low, medium, or high adaptive capacity. Adaptive capacity is considered a positive attribute, so a higher adaptive capacity score will mean that a population or asset may be more adaptable to the hazard. A lower adaptive capacity score means that a population or asset may have a harder time adjusting to the changing conditions. Table 2 provides more detail about what each score means.

Adaptive Capacity: The “combination
of the strengths, attributes, and
resources available to an individual,
community, society, or organization
that can be used to prepare for and
undertake actions to reduce adverse
impacts, moderate harm, or exploit
beneficial opportunities”.

Source: California Adaptation Planning Guide
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9 Table 2. Rubric for Adaptive Capacity Scoring
Step 4. Prioritize Vulnerability Scoring
The City used the impact and adaptive capacity scores for each population and asset for each relevant hazard to determine the vulnerability score. The vulnerability (V) score reflects how susceptible the population or asset is to harm from a particular hazard. Vulnerability is assessed on a scale as low, medium, or high. The Vulnerability Scoring Matrix (Figure 3) shows how impact and adaptive capacity scores combine and translate into a vulnerability score. For example, extreme heat would create a high impact on energy delivery because mechanical failures, heat damage, and high demand for electricity from cooling equipment can disrupt this service. Adaptive capacity is low because many community members need to use more electricity on extreme heat days to keep cool, especially since over half of homes were built prior to 1980 and may not be well insulated and retrofitting electrical equipment can be expensive. Therefore, energy delivery services are highly vulnerable to extreme heat.

Figure 3. Vulnerability Scoring Matrix
Impact Score
Low Medium High
Adaptive
Capacity Score
Low Medium High High
Medium Low Medium High
High Low Low Medium
Adaptive Capacity Score Meaning
Low Adaptive Capacity
Adaptive solutions are available, but they are expensive, technologically difficult, and/or politically unpopular. Alternatives may not exist that can provide similar services. Some assets may not have feasible means to adapt.

Medium Adaptive Capacity
Some adaptation methods are available, but not always feasible. Adapting may create significant challenges for some sensitivities. Some alternatives exist within the jurisdiction area that can provide similar services.

High Adaptive Capacity
Adaptation solutions are feasible for most or all sensitivities. There may be occasional or small-scale challenges to implementing adaptation methods, but populations and assets can adapt with little or no effort. Many alternatives exist in the area that can provide similar services.

Vulnerability: The degree to
which natural, built, and human
systems are susceptible “…to
harm from exposure to stresses
associated with environmental
and social change and from the
absence of capacity to adapt”.

Source: California Adaptation Planning
Guide
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10 HAZARDS OF CONCERN
As described in the California Adaptation Planning Guide, hazards are events or physical conditions that have the potential to cause fatalities, injuries, property and infrastructure damage, interruption of business, and other types of harm or loss. Some natural hazards, such as earthquakes, do not have a known connection with climate change, but have been included in this report to provide an overview of those hazards for TOP 2050.

Climate Change Hazards
Climate change hazards focus on natural hazards that can change in frequency and intensity due to climate change. The Vulnerability Assessment assesses the climate change hazards that are most relevant to the City of Ontario, as stated previously. This section discusses the climate change hazards based on projections provided by Cal-Adapt, the California Fourth Climate Change Assessment, the Resilient IE Toolkit, the San Bernardino County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, FEMA, and scholarly research.

AGRICULTURE PESTS AND DISEASES
According to the 2020 San Bernardino County Crop Report, agriculture and livestock had total gross production of over $420 billion in 2020, with milk, milk products, and cattle being the largest-grossing crop. Agricultural pests and diseases can affect livestock and crops supporting the livestock in the Ontario Ranch area of the city. This hazard is measured by the number of pests and disease incidents, which are likely to increase as higher temperatures allow insects to reproduce more rapidly. In 2020, the San Bernardino County Agriculture/Weights & Measures inspected 406 samples of incoming plant materials from other states and countries, of which, 44 samples contained pests or diseases and 69 samples were rejected.

These pests and diseases, such as the scales, mealybugs, whitefly, Asian Citrus Psyllid, and European Pine Shoot Moth, can slow the growth of plants and animals, damage them so that their products are less appealing and harder to sell, or even kill them. Though there are treatment options for many agricultural pests and diseases, some have no cure. Many pests and organisms that carry diseases are most active during warmer months, so the threat of infection or infestation is higher during that time of year.

Projection trends show temperatures getting warmer earlier in the year and remaining warmer until later in the year due to increases in air temperature, which creates a wider activity window for pests and diseases. However, agriculture production within the City of Ontario is projected to transition to residential, mixed-use, and commercial land uses by 2050.

AIR QUALITY
The dominant sources of air pollution in the City of Ontario are ozone pollution from vehicle exhaust and agricultural soils, fine particulate matter and diesel particulate matter from vehicles and stationary sources, and smoke from wildfires in the region. According to the California Office of Health Hazard Assessment, in 2016, ozone levels in Ontario were higher than 83 percent of census tracts in California and fine particulate matter concentrations were higher that 97 percent of census tracts in California.

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11 Southern California valley cities like Ontario, which are already experiencing high levels of this pollutant.

Ground-level ozone is associated with a variety of negative health outcomes, including reduced lung function, pneumonia, asthma, cardiovascular diseases, and premature death. Smoke from wildfires in the region can also increase air pollution levels and create a significant health risk in the region.

DROUGHT
A drought occurs when conditions are drier than normal for an extended period, making less water available for people and ecosystems. Droughts are a regular occurrence in California; however, according to the California Fourth Climate Change Assessment, it is expected that climate change will lead to more frequent and more intense droughts statewide. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, San Bernardino County and Ontario are in severe drought conditions and much of California is in Extreme or Exceptional Drought conditions. Based on the Infrastructure Report for Hydrology, Sewer, Water, and Water Quality prepared for TOP 2050, the City of Ontario receives water from three primary sources: (1) local groundwater sources; (2) imported water, primarily from the State Water Project, treated and distributed by the Water Facilities Authority, Chino Basin Desalter Authority, and the San Antonio Water Company; and (3) recycled water from the Inland Empire Utility Agency. Of these sources, most of the community’s water supply is from the Chino Groundwater Basin (52 percent) and the State Water Project via the Rialto feeder and Agua de Lejos Treatment Plant in Upland (28 percent).

Snowpack levels in the Sierra Nevada, which feed the State Water Project, dropped by 25 percent during the 2011 to 2016 drought, and average springtime snowpack is expected to drop 64 percent by 2100. In 2021, the snowpack in the Northern Sierra was 70 percent of the average, but the rain was less than 50 percent of the annual average, making it the third-driest year on record. During drought conditions, water stored in the State Water Project’s primary reservoirs could decrease due to lack of rainfall and reduction in snowpack due to higher temperatures. This can cause water shortages for water agencies relying on the State Water Project and heavier reliance on groundwater supplies to meet the needs of Ontario residents and businesses. The City of Ontario and Cucamonga Valley Water District directly provide water to residents and businesses, and both agencies have Water Shortage Contingency Plans as part of their 2020 Urban Water Management Plans. The Water Shortage Contingency Plans provide specific demand reduction actions to conserve water and ensure reliable supplies, including water restrictions for nonessential uses, increased use of recycled water, and penalties for violating water shortage provisions.

EXTREME HEAT AND WARM NIGHTS
Extreme heat occurs when temperatures rise significantly above normal levels. In Ontario, an extreme heat day occurs when temperatures reach above 103.2 o
F. As shown in Figure 4, the number of extreme
heat days in Ontario is projected to increase from a historic annual average (1961 to 1990) of 4 days per year to an average of 25 extreme heat days per year by mid-century and an average of 41 extreme heat days per year by end of century.
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12 Figure 4. Projected Extreme Heat Days in Ontario

Extreme heat can also occur in the form of warmer nights, as temperatures do not cool down overnight and provide relief from the heat. In Ontario, a warm night occurs when the temperature remains above

68.6 o
F. As shown in Figure 5ii, the number of warm nights in Ontario is projected to increase from a historic annual average (1961 to 1990) of 5 days per year to an average of 41 warm nights per year by mid-century and an average of 74 warm nights per year by the end of the century.

Figure 5. Project Warm Nights in Ontario

ii The visual change from 2020 and 2021 is due to using a combination of sources to fill in gaps from 2005 to 2020.

The data from 1950 to 2005 and 2020 to 2100 is derived from Cal-Adapt. The data from 2006 to 2020 is from the National Weather Service. Therefore, the observed extreme heat days/warm nights differ slightly from the projections. This is showing that the observations exceed what the average projections are showing. 0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
1950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025203020352040204520502055206020652070207520802085209020952100 Number of Extreme Heat Days
Year
Observed Projected
Sources: Cal-Adapt, 2021; National Weather Service, 2021 Historic Future
0 20
40 60
80 100
120
1950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025203020352040204520502055206020652070207520802085209020952100 Number of Warm Nights
Year
Observed Projected
Sources: Cal-Adapt, 2021; National Weather Service, 2021 Historic Future
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13 Extreme heat can cause heat-related illnesses, such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke, in addition to exacerbating respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. Some homes in Ontario may lack air conditioning, and as a result, people living in these homes may be more susceptible to harm from extreme heat events. If homes have air conditioning, residents may find increased use cost prohibitive, especially for older or less-efficient systems, typically found in buildings built prior to 1990. Some types of infrastructure, including power lines and roadways, face greater stresses during high temperatures that make failure more likely.

FLOODING
Flooding can cause significant harm to buildings, people, and infrastructure. Floodwater can be deep enough to drown people and may move fast enough to carry people or heavy objects (such as cars) away.

Flooding can be caused by heavy rainfall, extended periods of moderate rainfall, or clogged drains during periods of rainfall. In rare instances, a break in a dam, water pipe, or water tank can also cause flooding.

Flash floods are floods that develop very quickly, and they can be especially dangerous because they give little or no warning. Persons experiencing homelessness and others who may be outdoors in the path of a flood can face particularly high risks from these events.

Figure 6 shows the current 100-year and 500-year flood hazard areas within Ontario. FEMA defines a 100- year floodplain as areas with a one in 100-year chance, or 1 percent, annual chance of flooding in any given year and a 500-year floodplain as an area with a one in 500-year, or 0.2 percent, annual chance of flooding in any given year. According to the City of Ontario 2018 Hazard Mitigation Plan, approximately 580 acres, or 1.8 percent, of land within the city is within the FEMA-designated 100-year flood zone, and 26,526 acres, or 83 percent, of land is within the FEMA-designated 500-year flood zone, with 2,260 acres, or 7 percent, of land within the FEMA 500-year floodplain protected by a levee.

According to the City of Ontario 2018 Hazard Mitigation Plan, historic flooding has occurred periodically within Ontario, primarily consisting of urban street flooding due to the storm drain system exceeding capacity. According to the California Fourth Climate Change Assessment, Los Angeles Regional Report, storm drainage systems throughout the city collect stormwater runoff and convey water to prevent flooding, although these systems are typically designed based on winter storms recorded in the past and may not be designed to accommodate more extreme storms.

According to the California Fourth Climate Change Assessment, climate change will likely increase the frequency and intensity of floods within Ontario, although total annual precipitation levels are only expected to increase slightly. Up to half of California’s precipitation comes from a relatively small number of intense winter storms, which are expected to become more intense with climate change. For example, what is currently a 100-year flood, or a flood that has a 1-percent chance of occurring annually, may occur every 20 or 50 years.
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14 Figure 6. FEMA Flood Hazard Zones
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15 HUMAN HEALTH HAZARDS
There are several diseases, such as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, Lyme disease, West Nile virus, and influenza, which are linked to climate change and can be debilitating or fatal for some of the population.

Pests, such as mice, rats, ticks, and mosquitos carry these diseases. Climate change can increase the rates of infections because many of the animals that carry diseases are more active during warmer weather and may expand in population size due to higher levels of rainfall during storm events and stagnant water after flooding, increasing the time for disease transmittal.

Some diseases and illnesses have the potential to become epidemics or pandemics if they spread within communities, regions, or over multiple countries. Epidemics and pandemics, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, can worsen existing health conditions as well as cause economic disruptions within the city and region. Additionally, following natural disasters, such as flooding or severe weather events, mental health and stress-related disorders can make people even more vulnerable. The City evaluated health hazards from air pollutants as part of the air quality hazard discussion.

SEVERE WEATHER
Severe weather can include high winds, hail, and lightning, which are usually caused by intense storm systems, although types of high winds and sandstorms can occur without a storm. Severe winds, such as the Santa Ana winds, tend to be most frequent during October to April and can have average speeds of 40 miles per hour. These winds can destroy buildings, knock over trees, damage power lines and electrical equipment, and fan small sparks into large wildfires in the region. Severe weather can also include heavy rainfall, which can cause flash floods and ponding in areas not protected by a levee in the city. While less common in the city, hail and lightning can damage the buildings and infrastructure supporting economic sectors and key services within the city. As described in the Los Angeles Summary Report from the California Fourth Climate Change Assessment, the connection between climate change and severe weather is not as well established as other hazards, but new evidence suggests that these forms of severe weather may occur more often than in the past.

WILDFIRE AND SMOKE
Wildfires are a regular feature of the landscape in much of California. They can be sparked by lightning, malfunctioning equipment, vehicle crashes, or many other causes. Warmer temperatures, an increase in drought conditions, and extreme wind events, are likely to create more fuel for fires in natural and rural areas, leading to a greater chance that a spark will grow into a potentially dangerous blaze. Climate change is also expected to extend the fire season throughout much (or even all) of the year.

According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, there are no fire hazard severity zones within or surrounding the City of Ontario and the city is not located within the Wildland-Urban Interface. The nearest Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones are located in Upland and Rancho Cucamonga to the north, Fontana and Jurupa Valley to the east, and Norco and Chino Hills the south. According to the City of Ontario 2018 Hazard Mitigation Plan, there have been two major wildfires in the City of Ontario, including the 1958 Pole Line Fire in northeast Ontario, and the 2007 Walker Fire in southern Ontario. 948
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16 While there are no fire hazard severity zones within the city limits, the smoke from wildfires increases air pollution levels, creating a significant health risk in the region. Most of the populations within Ontario have a high or medium vulnerability to wildfire and smoke conditions. In addition, planned Public Safety Power Shutoffs, which occur during red flag days when wind speeds are high and humidity is low, to prevent wildfires in the region have already impacted persons who depend on electricity for air conditioning or their medically necessary equipment. Public Safety Power Shutoffs can last for hours or days depending on the severity of the wind event and the wildfire conditions.

Natural Hazards Not Evaluated in the Vulnerability Assessment Seismic and geologic hazards are caused by the movement of different parts of the Earth’s crust, or surface. Seismic hazards include earthquakes and hazardous events caused by them. Geologic hazards are other hazards involving land movements that are not linked to seismic activity and are capable of inflicting harm to people or property. While climate change is unlikely to increase earthquake frequency or strength, the threats from seismic and geologic hazards are expected to continue in the future. The Safety Element of TOP 2050 contains mapping related to seismic and geologic hazards. However, these hazards were not included in the Vulnerability Assessment evaluation.

SEISMIC HAZARDS
Seismic activity occurs along boundaries in the Earth’s crust, called faults. Pressure along the faults builds over time and is ultimately released, resulting in ground shaking that we refer to as an earthquake.

Earthquakes can also trigger other hazards in Ontario, including surface rupture (cracks in the ground surface) and liquefaction (causing loose soil to lose its integrity). Earthquakes and other seismic hazards often damage or destroy property and public infrastructure, including roadways and utility lines.

Additionally, falling objects or structures due to earthquakes pose a risk of injury or death. In Southern California, earthquakes have the greatest potential for loss of life and/or property and economic damage compared to other hazards, especially when they trigger secondary effects that overwhelm the ability of local jurisdictions to respond. Earthquakes can also cause human-caused hazards, such as urban fires, dam failures, and toxic chemical releases.

Earthquake risk is very high in Ontario due to the presence of several active faults in the region. Major fault zones in the region include the San Andreas Fault approximately 14 miles northeast of the city, the San Jacinto Fault approximately 7 miles northeast of the city, the Elsinore Fault approximately 3 miles southeast of the city, and the Sierra Madre Fault approximately 5 miles north of the city. These faults are all capable of producing earthquakes of magnitude 6.7 or greater. A major earthquake along any of these four faults could result in substantial casualties and damage resulting from collapsed buildings, damaged roads and bridges, fires, flooding, and other threats to life and property.

In the event of an earthquake, the location of the epicenter, as well as the time of day and season of the year, would have a profound effect on the number of deaths, injuries, and property damage. There are a number of small-scale earthquakes that happen weekly, but larger scale or catastrophic shaking is less likely. Property and human life in Ontario are at risk from a significant earthquake causing catastrophic damage and strains on response and recovery resources. Most of the loss of life and injuries from earthquakes are from damage and collapse of buildings and structures. The California Building Standards Code, adopted by reference into Ontario Municipal Code Title 8, Building Regulations, provides more 949
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17 stringent requirements for new construction intended to protect life safety and prevent collapse of structures. However, in Ontario, structures built prior to the enactment of these improved building codes may not have been upgraded to current standards and could be vulnerable to earthquakes.

Comprehensive hazard mitigation programs that include the identification and mapping of hazards, prudent planning and enforcement of building codes, and expedient retrofitting and rehabilitation of weak structures can significantly reduce the scope of an earthquake disaster.

Liquefaction is a potentially destructive secondary effect of strong seismic shaking. Liquefaction occurs when the force of an earthquake causes loosely packed sediment and saturated layers to lose strength and integrity and behave like a fluid. In addition to the composition of the soil—sand and gravel are more porous and hold more water—the liquefaction risk also depends on the height of the groundwater table.

Areas with a shallow groundwater table, such as areas near water bodies, are at more risk of liquefaction.

During an earthquake, highly saturated soil can lose much or all its stability, which can damage any structure built on it. In some cases of liquefaction, structures built on the soil may collapse completely.

Liquefied soils may also damage or destroy underground utility lines. This can cause flooding if water lines are broken or create a risk of fire if there is damage to natural gas lines.

Liquefaction-related effects include loss of bearing strength, ground oscillations, lateral spreading, and flow failures or slumping. Site-specific geotechnical studies are the only practical and reliable way of determining the specific liquefaction potential of a site; however, a determination of general risk potential can be provided based on soil type and depth of groundwater. Ontario has delineated areas of known and potential liquefaction hazards in the New Model Colony in the Policy Plan of TOP 2050. Areas that contain loosely packed sandy or silty materials saturated with water, includes areas with a high groundwater table, are also vulnerable to liquefaction.

In most cases, proper design and construction of subgrade soils and building foundations provide a mechanism to mitigate the risk of seismic hazards to an acceptable level in conformance with the California Building Code. The representation of areas having a liquefaction potential is only intended as notification to seek further site-specific information and analysis of this potential hazard as part of future site development. It should not be solely relied upon, without site-specific information and analysis, for design or decision-making purposes.

GEOLOGIC HAZARDS
Subsidence is the major geologic hazard in Ontario. Subsidence refers to the sudden sinking or gradual downward settling and compaction of soil and other surface material with little or no horizontal motion.

It may be caused by a variety of human and natural activities, including underground mining, groundwater extraction, sinkholes, or drainage and decomposition of organic soils. Most of the early documented cases of subsidence affected only agricultural land or open space. As urban areas have expanded, so too have the impacts of subsidence on structures for human occupancy. Although there is no data currently available documenting the precise areas where subsidence could occur, it is most likely to occur near active groundwater wells as a result of seismic shaking or changes in subsurface conditions. 950
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18 POPULATIONS AND ASSETS
Populations and assets are the people, infrastructure, services, and economic drivers in the City of Ontario that can be affected by climate change. The Vulnerability Assessment looks at how each population and community asset may be affected by each of the climate change hazards discussed previously. The California Adaptation Planning Guide provides a general list of populations and assets, which the City of Ontario refined and used to develop five distinct asset categories: (1) populations, (2) buildings, (3) infrastructure, (4) economic drivers, and (5) key services. In total, Ontario identified 59 distinct populations and assets, as shown in Table 3. Appendix A provides additional details on the populations and assets selected for the Vulnerability Assessment. Figure 1 shows the location of key community and critical facilities for the Vulnerability Assessment.

Table 3. Populations and Assets Included in the Vulnerability Assessment

CATEGORY POPULATION OR ASSET
Populations
Children (under 10)
Cost-burdened households
Households in poverty
Immigrants and refugees
Linguistically isolated populations
Low-income households
Outdoor workers
Overcrowded households
Persons experiencing homelessness
Person living in mobile homes
Persons with chronic illnesses
Persons with disabilities
Persons without access to lifelines
Renters
Seniors (65+)
Seniors living alone
Undocumented persons
Infrastructure
Airports
Bike routes
Bridges
Communication facilities
Electrical substations and transmission lines
Electric vehicle charging stations
Evacuation routes
Flood control infrastructure
Hazardous materials sites
Major roads and highways
Natural gas pipelines
Parks and open space
Power plants
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19 CATEGORY POPULATION OR ASSET
Railways
Solid waste facilities and landfills
Transit stops
Water and wastewater infrastructure
Buildings
Community centers
Commercial business, shopping, and entertainment centers Homeless shelters
Government buildings
Homes and residential structures
Libraries
Medical and care facilities
Public safety buildings
Schools
Economic Drivers
Agriculture
Education services
Major employers
Ontario International Airport
Outdoor recreation
Retail centers
Warehouses and logistics centers
Key Services
Communication services
Emergency medical response
Energy delivery
Freight and shipping
Government administration & community services
Public safety response
Public transit access
Solid waste removal
Water and wastewater treatment, delivery, and collection

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20 VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT RESULTS
The Vulnerability Assessment evaluates the impact and adaptive capacity of each population and asset for each relevant hazard to assess vulnerability. As discussed in Section 2, Vulnerability Assessment Method, the City assigned vulnerability scores of low, medium, or high to reflect how susceptible the population or asset is to harm posed by the hazard. Out of the 472 possible hazard and asset pairing, the City assessed 302 different pairings for vulnerability. This section provides a summary of the key vulnerabilities within the city. For a complete list of vulnerability scores for all populations and assets, refer to Appendix B.

Population and Asset Considerations
While selecting and assessing various populations and assets to include in the Vulnerability Assessment, the City considered the differences in the population sample pool between datasets and how some populations and asset categories may appear to refer to the same thing.

Statistics, especially statistics related to population, use the concept of a “sample pool”. In the context of this Vulnerability Assessment, the sample pool draws from the overall group of people that are being measured or studied. For example, in a political poll among registered voters, the sample pool only includes registered voters, since unregistered voters do not fall into this category.

This concept is important because some of the demographics used in the Vulnerability Assessment have different sample pools. Most of the demographic data come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS), and most of these data have a sample pool of either all residents or all households in the city. However, a few are different, such as:
• Data on linguistically isolated populations only count people who are at least 14 years old instead of the total population, since young children generally are not proficient in any language. • Statistics that only count the noninstitutionalized population (e.g., people not in prisons or longterm care homes).

This does not affect the outcome of the Vulnerability Assessment, but it creates slight differences in the number of people counted as part of each population.

Of the 59 populations and assets in the Vulnerability Assessment, a few may appear redundant. For example, the Vulnerability Assessment looked at both public safety buildings (as a Buildings asset) and at public safety response (as a Key Service asset). In the same way, the Vulnerability Assessment looks at frontline or underserved populations separately from the homes they live in or the industries where they work.

To be as comprehensive as possible, the Vulnerability Assessment looks at physical structures separately from the services or benefits they provide. This is because the effects of climate change on one type of population or asset can be different from the effects on related populations and assets. For example, if a flood damaged or blocked a major highway, such as I-10, it would have a significant impact on public safety services in and around the city. However, the loss of I-10 would not cause physical damage to public safety facilities, such as police or fire stations. Similarly, a drought can have a major effect on water and wastewater services by reducing the amount of water available for water supply and wastewater conveyance, but droughts have little or no physical effect on water and wastewater infrastructure, such as pipelines or pumps.
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21 Populations
Of the 17 populations evaluated in the vulnerability assessment, 13 are highly vulnerable to at least one hazard type. Populations in Ontario are most vulnerable to extreme heat and flooding. The most vulnerable populations include households in poverty and undocumented persons. The list below summarizes the high vulnerabilities, grouping together populations where similar impacts or adaptive capacity occur.

Households with financial instability, which are households that may have limited incomes or be costburdened (paying at least a third of their gross income on housing costs), are highly vulnerable to all hazards, except agriculture pests and diseases, that will impact Ontario. These persons, especially households in poverty, are more likely to live in older homes with less insulation, less structural stability, or lack of air conditioning, increasing exposure to unsafe living conditions due to mold and mildew damage from flooding, high indoor air temperatures from extreme heat and warm nights, and poor indoor air quality from air pollution and severe weather. Households with financial instability may lack the financial means and health insurance to recover from property damage or illnesses caused by climate change hazards.

Persons that spend an extended amount of time outdoors, including children and outdoor workers, are highly vulnerable to air quality, extreme heat, flooding, human health hazards, severe weather, and smoke from wildfires. Children tend to spend more time outdoors than many adults and may not be aware of the onset of heat-related illnesses, such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Reduced air quality from smoke, ozone, or particulate matter can also decrease the ability of young children to adapt to warmer temperatures over time. Outdoor workers are directly exposed to extreme heat, human health hazards, and the poor air quality due to the outdoor nature of their occupations. Outdoor work often involves physically intense work, which can increase the risk of medical complications. Outdoor work can be halted during hazardous conditions, such as severe weather, poor air quality, or flooding, creating economic hardships for outdoor workers. This may also limit the ability of outdoor workers to seek medical attention for heat or air quality-related illnesses.

Persons with existing health conditions or limited mobility, such as seniors, seniors living alone, persons with chronic illnesses, persons with disabilities, and persons without access to lifelines, are highly vulnerable to air quality, extreme heat, human health hazards, severe weather, and wildfire smoke.

Extreme heat, pathogens from human health hazards, and smoke from wildfires can cause cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses, which may be difficult for many people, especially those with compromised immune systems or chronic illnesses, to recover from. According to the Southern California Association of Governments, Ontario’s obesity rate was nearly 40 percent and asthma rate was nearly 13 percent in 2018. Seniors, especially, are usually more susceptible to heat-related illnesses, pathogens, and smoke conditions because they are more likely to have medical conditions that can worsen with extreme heat and poor air quality, and often take medicine that makes it harder for them to stay cool. These individuals may also have difficulty evacuating during emergencies caused by flooding or severe weather. Power outages can also isolate these persons and potentially cause life-support systems to fail if battery backups are not available.
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22 Persons with language barriers and citizenship uncertainty are highly vulnerable to multiple hazards.

Most of these populations may be hesitant to seek help or may not qualify for financial assistance programs that can help them prepare and recover from a disaster. People with citizenship or immigration concerns, such as undocumented immigrants, are highly vulnerable to nearly all climate change hazards, because this population may not live in structures that adequately shelter from these hazards and they may be required to work in extreme heat or poor air quality conditions. According to the Asian Pacific Environmental Network’s Mapping Resilience Report, these populations may not feel welcome or safe to participate in government-provided support services or assistance programs. If employers halt work because of hazardous conditions, undocumented persons may face financial hardship. These individuals may also live in low-lying areas or in structures that are less resilient to damage, and therefore are highly vulnerable to severe weather and flooding.

Persons experiencing homelessness lack permanent and often temporary shelters, which can leave them directly exposed to high temperatures, poor air quality, flooding, severe weather, and smoke from wildfires. These persons may not have access to cool locations, water, sunscreen, or protective equipment to increase resiliency to poor air quality, extreme heat, and human health hazards. Persons experiencing homelessness are also severely vulnerable to severe weather and may have a challenging time recovering if high winds and intense rain events damage or destroy temporary shelters and personal property.

Persons living in mobile homes are located throughout the city and are highly vulnerable to extreme heat, flooding, and severe weather because mobile homes are generally not as resilient as permanent structured homes, making them more susceptible to damage from intense rain events and high winds.

Mobile homes may have less insulation than permanent structures, causing indoor air temperatures to rise during extreme heat events. Mobile homes can typically be retrofitted to protect against damage from flooding and severe storms; however, persons living in mobile homes may have lower or fixed incomes that can make it more difficult to make appropriate retrofits or repairs and mobile homes may be ineligible for recovery funding due to the home type.

Overcrowded households are highly vulnerable to human health hazards because persons in these households may be living in conditions that increase their chances of catching vector-borne illnesses.

Persons living in overcrowded households may be unable to quarantine if a contagious illness is contracted. These persons may lack financial means to acquire different housing and may not be able to install air filtration devices.

Built Systems and Services
The built system includes vulnerabilities to infrastructure, buildings, and services that the City of Ontario and other organizations provide. The built systems are most vulnerable to flooding and severe weather.

Of the 36 infrastructure, building, and service assets included in the assessment, 18 are highly or severely vulnerable (scored V4 or V5) for at least one hazard.

Public Transit Services and Infrastructure is highly vulnerable to poor air quality, extreme heat, flooding, severe weather, and wildfire, because these hazards create unhealthy conditions for those riding public transit and may disrupt public transit routes. Many of the Omnitrans bus routes and Metrolink railway are also within a flood hazard zone. Flooding and severe weather can prevent buses or other vehicles from 955
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23 traveling on certain roadways in the city, causing delays or preventing people from using public transit.

According to a recent survey conducted through Resilient IE, poor air quality, extreme heat, and smoke conditions can cause fewer people to use public transit, since it may be more difficult to wait outside for buses or trains. While there are some alternative roadways buses can use and shade structures can be installed to ensure people can access public transit, delays or negative health outcomes may be unavoidable.

Energy infrastructure and delivery services are highly or severely vulnerable to extreme heat, flooding, severe weather, and wildfire. Energy delivery services are dependent on regional and local overhead power lines and underground natural gas pipelines owned and operated by Southern California Edison (SCE) and Southern California Gas Company (SoCal Gas), which are susceptible to extreme heat, flooding, high winds, and wildfire.

Extreme heat can cause power outages due to mechanical failure of electrical equipment, heat damage to the above-ground infrastructure, and a high demand for electricity due to air conditioning units.

Increased electricity usage for air conditioning during heat waves can overtax electrical transmission lines and transformers, which may disfunction or fail, causing power outages. Solar and wind energy production could also decrease due to extreme heat. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, solar photovoltaic panels experience a decrease in efficiency due to excessive heat of converting solar energy to electric energy due to an increase in current but a larger decrease in voltage. SCE and its partners incentivize reducing energy demand during peak-energy usage times of the day, which may help reduce the amount of energy demand on extreme heat days. Severe weather can also have wind speeds that cause transmission lines to sway in close proximity of each other, potentially leading to arcing. This can generate sparks, excessive heat, and damage the lines. High winds from severe weather can also cause SCE to conduct a Public Safety Power Shutoff and turn off electricity to prevent sparks, which disrupts energy delivery to the city. SCE and SoCal Gas can retrofit power lines and other equipment to insulate them against extreme heat events and severe weather, as well as underground utilities to protect them from severe winds and wildfires.

Evacuation route and transportation infrastructure are highly or moderately vulnerable to extreme heat, flooding, and severe weather. Extreme heat and prolonged periods of high temperatures can crack, heave, or deform roadway and railway materials, damaging major roads, transit corridors, and evacuation routes or making them difficult to drive on. Evacuation routes, such as I-10 and SR-60, have sections that are within the 100-year or 500-year floodplain. Floodwaters can cause these major routes, including bridges and underpasses, to become impassable and prevent people from evacuating during an emergency. The Ontario International Airport and Union Pacific railways are also in the 100-year or 500- year floodplain. Flooding can inundate runways, damage terminal buildings, and damage railway tracks, disrupting the regional transportation network. Roadways and railways can be retrofitted with materials with higher temperature thresholds, evacuation-designated roadways can be raised to prevent flooding, and the airport can be hardened to prevent damage to facilities. While Caltrans may have the funds for increased maintenance of roadways, is may be expensive for Ontario to increase maintenance and repairs on repetitive loss roadways.
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24 Public safety services and buildings are highly vulnerable to flooding, which can cause the facilities supporting the services to be inundated and damaged. Three police stations and six fire stations are within the 100-year or 500-year floodplain. Floodwaters can damage these buildings or cause mold and mildew to grow, causing the space to become unusable and unhealthy indoor air quality. Chronic flooding may make these buildings difficult to maintain. Public safety response services rely heavily on major roads and highways, which can be blocked by floodwaters and prevent personnel from traveling through the city to respond to public safety needs. Alternative routes may be available, but not always the most efficient way to travel to important destinations.

Flood-control infrastructure is highly vulnerable to flooding and severe weather, which have the potential to overwhelm these systems and cause them to fail. During periods of heavy rainfall, flood-control channels and basins have a higher risk of overflowing their banks, causing flooding in residential, commercial, and industrial areas of Ontario. The flood-control systems and storm drains are maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, California Department of Water Resources, the San Bernardino County Flood Control District, and Ontario Public Works Department; therefore, coordination would have to occur across agencies to maintain adequate flood-control structures.

Homes and residential structures are highly vulnerable to flooding and severe weather. Homes throughout the city are within the 100-year or 500-year floodplains and can be destroyed by large floods or flash floods. If flooding does not destroy a home, it can leave mold and mildew, making the structure uninhabitable without remediation, repair, and replacement. Homes, especially older homes, can also be damaged by high winds and other severe weather. The Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County and La Cooperativa Campesina de California can help low-income residents and homeowners retrofit their homes and protect them from flooding and severe weather. However, some retrofits may not be economically feasible for all residents that do not qualify for this program.

Freight and shipping services are dependent on roadways and railways, and therefore are highly vulnerable to flooding and severe weather. Freight and shipping services can be disrupted if highways and major roadways become impassable during severe weather or flooding events. Delays in services may last days or weeks depending on the severity. Smaller freight and shipping services can use alternative roadways outside of flood zones to meet deliveries. However, large freight trucks and train cars may not be able to use alternative routes if they require designated truck routes.

Water and wastewater treatment, delivery, and collection are highly vulnerable to drought and flooding.

Flooding can cause a wastewater treatment plant to be inundated with wet weather flows due to higher levels of stormwater, preventing the system from functioning properly. Failure of the wastewater treatment plant could cause sewer collection systems to back up and potentially overflowing raw sewage into streams and water systems. Water and wastewater systems can be retrofitted to prevent damage from flooding and ensure continuity of service. However, wastewater cannot be easily rerouted if the system is damaged or disrupted.

Drought conditions can stress water agencies that provide water to Ontario, as supplies from the State Water Project and groundwater may be significantly reduced due to lack of snowmelt into the system or recharge into the groundwater basins. Water agencies may apply demand-reduction actions, such as water restrictions for non-essential uses, increased use of recycled water, and penalties for violating 957
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25 water shortage provisions. Water delivery agencies can also provide water rebate or retrofit programs to help businesses and residents in the area reduce overall water consumption.

Parks and open space are highly vulnerable to drought. Severe drought conditions would require agencies to curtail watering of parks, causing drought stress and plant damage that can limit aesthetic appeal and recreational potential. The City of Ontario has recycled water that can be used to irrigate parks and sports fields with highly treated wastewater. The installation of drought-tolerant plants and low-water use landscaping can also reduce water use and improve drought resiliency. However, these retrofits may be expensive for the city to complete.

Homeless shelters and supportive facilities are highly vulnerable to severe weather, which can be damaged by high winds, hail, and lightning. The services supported by these buildings may be prevented from providing adequate services if the facilities are damaged. Homeless shelters are typically managed by nonprofit or faith-based organizations that may not get financial support from local agencies and may not have the funding for repairs if their facilities are damaged. However, these facilities have the potential to obtain grant funding to be converted into multi-use resilience hubs with resilient energy options and retrofitted structures to minimize disruptions from high winds and flooding events.

Communication services, including phone, cable, and internet, are highly vulnerable to severe weather that includes high winds. This can cause power outages that turn off communication infrastructure, preventing businesses and residents from receiving emergency notifications and evacuation notices.

Communication facilities can be retrofitted to prevent damage and keep communication capabilities on.

However, there may not be many redundancies in the communication system in the city that can be brought online if others fail.

Emergency medical response is highly vulnerable to human health hazards, as an increase in vector-borne and other illnesses may cause the demand to outweigh the capacity of emergency medical response services. There may be shortages of health care facilities, equipment, pharmaceuticals, and personnel if health care workers become sick or if supply chains are disrupted. Local and regional medical centers and providers can strengthen medical supply chains and prepare emergency contingency plans for if or when human health hazards increase in frequency and intensity. However, this may take time and require extensive coordination with multiple agencies and companies.

Economic Drivers
Economic drivers are the main contributors to the economy and employment within the City of Ontario.

Important economic sectors are most vulnerable to extreme heat and flooding. Of the seven economic assets included in the assessment, five were highly vulnerable to at least one hazard.

Outdoor recreation is highly vulnerable to poor air quality, extreme heat, and wildfire smoke. Outdoor recreation can be curtailed due to unhealthy air quality conditions resulting from increased ozone or particulate matter or high temperatures in the region. Intense physical exertion from running or bicycling can be dangerous during poor air quality conditions and extreme heat, and people must stay hydrated to avoid heat and respiratory illnesses. Although parks and open space are not in wildfire-prone areas, visitors and residents could be deterred from traveling to the city if smoke and extreme heat create unfavorable conditions, especially if water stations are not available at outdoor recreation sites. 958
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26 Alternative locations for outdoor activities may be available in other parts of San Bernardino County, where temperatures are lower or there is better air quality, but these locations would likely not be in Ontario or nearby cities.

Agriculture, which consists of livestock and crops for livestock in Ontario, is highly vulnerable to drought and extreme heat. Many livestock species, especially cattle, require large amounts of water. The problem is particularly significant for animals raised on feed, as feed crops themselves require large amounts of water. Insufficient access to water can cause livestock growth to slow or stop and may increase the risk of sickness or animal mortality. Temperatures above 100 degrees can create heat stress, increasing the risk of infection, reducing milk production and fertility, and may lead to death, particularly among animals that are already stressed by illness. Livestock facility operators can purchase feed, reduce herd size, wean animals (as applicable) early, and seek assistance through government relief programs. Extreme heat is also highly harmful to livestock animals. Providing shade structures, misters, and making water available can help reduce heat stress. However, these may not be feasible options for all operations.

Ontario International Airport is severely vulnerable to extreme heat and flooding because airplanes may not be able to take off or land during dangerous conditions. During extreme heat events that reach 115o F
to 120o
F, aircraft may be unable to generate enough lift during take-off because of less dense air. This can ground airplanes and cause delays in air services that can last hours. Flooding can create unsafe conditions for planes to take off or land on the airport runways, preventing the airport from functioning properly. These events can delay air services that could last hours or days, depending on the severity.

Visitors and residents that use Ontario International Airport may be able to use alternative airports, but these may not have the same commercial flights or be farther away.

Major employers, warehouses, and logistics centers are highly vulnerable to flooding. Several warehouses and logistics centers on the eastern portion of the city, which include many of the major employers in the city, are within the 100-year or 500-year floodplain. Warehouses can be damaged by floodwaters and impassable roadways, or freight rail, can prevent logistics centers from shipping the goods they need to.

Other major employers may experience a disruption in business from flooding that blocks roadways and damages facilities, preventing the movement of goods, services, and people. Existing levee and flood channel systems prevent flooding of some facilities and roadways in the city. However, employees may not be able to get through major intersections to travel to warehouses, logistics centers, and major employers in the city until the water recedes.
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27 IMPLICATIONS FOR TOP 2050
Emergency Preparedness and Response
The City is prepared to meet emergency situations, such as fire, medical, or hazardous events. The Ontario Office of Emergency Management, Fire Department, and Police Department conduct emergency preparedness and response activities in Ontario. The Office of Emergency Management leads the update and implementation of the City’s Hazard Mitigation Plan and Emergency Operations Plan, which provides employee and citizen education in preparedness, or CERT programs, and trains City employees in disaster response, management, and recovery. The Ontario Fire Department provides a variety of public safety services, including fire protection, medical aid, rescue, vector control, sandbag distribution, hazardous materials response, and educational safety programs, such as CPR, first aid classes, and Fire Explorers.

Other services include fire code enforcement and regulation, plan reviews, home, and business inspections, and fire code permits. The Ontario Police Department provides evacuation and traffic control during emergencies and disasters.

The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at Ontario Fire Station No.1, provides a centralized location for emergency management in the event of a major emergency or disaster within the city. The EOC operations are directed by the Office of Emergency Management, emergency management staff (City Department heads), and representatives from organizations who are assigned emergency responsibilities (Red Cross, schools, hospitals, etc.). The EOC is equipped with essential administrative supplies to sustain operations for an extended period. In addition, all necessary forms, i.e., communications message forms, separate journals for each emergency service, shelter registration cards, volunteer registration forms, emergency requisition forms, and damage assessment survey sheets for all possible contingencies, are stocked in the EOC.

The City of Ontario uses AlertOntario, an Everbridge mass notification system, to notify the community and distribute emergency information and instructions before, during, and after a disaster. This system alerts all residents in the area about disasters, major emergencies, and other urgent information via text messages, email, phone, landline, and other means of communication. The Telephone Emergency Notification System is used by the San Bernardino County Sheriff and Fire Departments to quickly communicate information on impending dangers using telephone and text messages.

Other emergency alert systems include the Emergency Alert Systems (EAS) and the Emergency Digital Information System (EDIS). The EAS is a national public warning system commonly used by state and local authorities to deliver important emergency information, such as weather and AMBER alerts, to affected communities. EAS participants include radio and television broadcasters, cable systems, satellite radio, and television providers, and wireline video providers. FEMA, the Federal Communications System, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) National Weather Service work collaboratively to maintain the EAS and Wireless Emergency Alerts, which are the two main components of the national public warning system and enable authorities at all levels of government to send urgent emergency information to the public. EDIS is a wireless emergency and disaster information service operated by the State of California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and is an enhancement to the EAS. These systems are available in multiple languages. 960
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28 MUTUAL-AID AGREEMENTS
The City of Ontario participates in the California Master Mutual-Aid Agreement. The Standardized Emergency Management System have adopted the California Master Mutual-Aid Agreement, and is designed to ensure that adequate resources, facilities, and other support are provided to jurisdictions whenever their own resources are insufficient to cope with the needs of a given emergency. The State Office of Emergency Services Southern Region (Mutual Aid Region I) serves the mutual-aid region that encompasses San Bernardino County. Automatic aid pacts with the San Bernardino County Office of Emergency Services and local fire departments or offices of emergency services in nearby cities provide additional emergency management and response services in Ontario.

EVACUATION NEEDS
With advanced warning, evacuation can be effective in reducing injury and loss of life during a catastrophic event. Primary emergency access and evacuation routes in Ontario, as shown on Exhibit S-11 of the TOP 2050 Safety Element, include I-15, I-10, SR-83, and SR-60; Fourth Street, Holt Boulevard, Mission Boulevard, Riverside Drive, Chino Avenue, and Edison Avenue (east-west roadways); and South Mountain Avenue, Euclid Avenue, Grove Avenue, Archibald Avenue, and Haven Avenue, (north-south roadways). All evacuation routes in Ontario face a potential disruption from a flood or earthquake event, which may block roadways, damage the roadway surface, or collapse overpasses. In the event of widespread disruption to local evacuation routes, remaining evacuation routes may become congested, slowing down evacuation of the community or specific neighborhoods. This issue may be compounded since evacuation routes for Ontario will also likely serve as evacuation routes for surrounding communities, and so potential disruptions may have regional effects. An analysis of the City’s roadway network and parcels conducted as part of The Ontario Plan preparation has determined that there are currently several residential parcels within the city with evacuation constraints, as shown on Exhibit S-10 of the TOP 2050 Safety Element. All parcels within an evacuation constraint are in at least one hazardprone area and most are clustered in cul-de-sac designed neighborhoods that feed into the same roadway. The lack of multiple emergency access points in these neighborhoods limits roadway access for these properties, which may create congestion and difficulties if there is a need to evacuate.

Equity and Uncertainty
When addressing vulnerability and adaptation through TOP 2050 and the associated implementation plan, the Adaptation Planning Guide and General Plan Guidelines recommend consideration of equity and uncertainty.

Equity means that all people are justly and fairly included in society, and that everyone can participate, prosper, and achieve their full potential. Equitable climate adaptation planning involves identifying persons who are most vulnerable to climate change hazards, and ensuring that the planning process, distribution of resources, and efforts to address systematic wrongs are all conducted in an equitable manner. This Vulnerability Assessment identifies 17 vulnerable populations and assesses climate change impacts and the ability of these populations to prepare for, respond to, and recover from climate change hazards (see list in Populations and Assets Section).

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29 affected by how our communities use resources and how we regulate those uses through local, state, federal, and international GHG-reduction goals, regulations, plans, and programs. As more action is taken to reduce GHG emissions, the less severe the effects of climate change are expected to be. Climate change models consider the concentrations of atmospheric GHG emissions and the changes in these levels over time to project future extent or intensity of hazardous events.

Even with the extensive modeling, potential impacts are projections of more likely future conditions and are not certain. Similarly, there is also substantial uncertainty about the future state of technology, socioeconomic conditions, and other factors. According to recent studies, the best approach to uncertainty is to prepare and adapt by monitoring how the future evolves and allow for adjustments over time as new climate data and studies are completed. The State and the City have ample evidence to support science-based policy and decision-making.

Adaptation and Resilience Opportunities
Ontario currently experiences a wide range of climate change hazards that are projected to increase in frequency and intensity in the future. While GHG reduction measures will help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, adaptation strategies will be needed to increase the resilience of residents and businesses in Ontario. The general plan is required to integrate adaptation measures into the update process that will help the community prepare for, respond to, and recover from climate change hazards.
• Safety. Due to the recent update of the California Government Code Section 653029(g) with the approval of SB 379, Safety Elements are required to address climate adaptation and resilience strategies. The Safety Element’s goals, policies, and implementation actions can provide resilience strategies that support both reduced impacts and improved adaptive capacity of the community to climate change-related hazards, along with policies on required hazards, such as flooding, fire, and geologic hazards. Policies within this element can ensure that health, safety, and economic concerns of the community are met, even with an increase in frequency and intensity of climate change hazards. Examples of specific policies or implementation actions could include:
o Create an extreme heat response plan that includes establishment of community cooling centers, weatherization of City buildings, and cooling strategies for persons engaged in outdoor work and persons experiencing homelessness.
o Expand participation of programs and services that provide funding resources for economically disadvantaged households and businesses to conduct water conservation and weatherization retrofits.
o Collaborate with Omnitrans and San Bernardino County Transportation Authority to help in evacuation efforts of seniors, persons with reduced mobility, and people without vehicles during emergency events.
o Provide alerts about potential, developing, and ongoing emergency situations through extensive early-warning and notification systems that convey information to all residents, in multiple languages and formats to ensure it is widely accessible. 962
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30 o Focus hazard mitigation planning in in evacuation constrained residential areas identified on Exhibit S-10, Evacuation Constrained Areas, of the TOP 2050 Safety Element. • Mobility. The Mobility Element includes policies for roadway systems, public transit, airport environs, and regional transportation. Transportation and public transit infrastructure are included in the Vulnerability Assessment Results discussion above, and therefore resilience strategies for these systems would be appropriate to add to the Mobility Element goals and policies. Potential policies may include coordinating with regional transit providers to identify alternative routes and stops if normal infrastructure is damaged or closed as a result of flooding; raising or hardening roadways to protect them from flooding; ensuring heat-resistant materials are used on roadways; and implementation of other transportation-related resilience features.

This element can also have evacuation related policies to improve evacuation access throughout the city, including requiring new development to have at least two ingress and egress routes. • Environmental Resources. The Environmental Resources Element discusses water, wastewater, energy, and other utilities assessed as vulnerable in this Vulnerability Assessment. To address these vulnerabilities, policies can include funding efforts to underground electricity lines citywide, create redundances in the communication infrastructure, and provide sustainable back-up power supplies. The City can also encourage or incentivize residential and on-site solar energy systems, especially when paired with battery storage to provide a resilient energy supply for homes. To protect infrastructure and services from flooding, policies can include the promotion of water conservation measures, low-impact development, and green stormwater infrastructure that can help convey stormwater. The Environmental Resources Element can also include policies to increase tree canopy cover, which can have the added benefit of reducing the urban heat island effect and filter out air pollutants.
• Community Design. The Community Design Element discusses the design of buildings, streets, and neighborhoods in Ontario. The design of streets, specifically for evacuation purposes, is included in the Emergency Response and Preparedness section above. To address neighborhood scale evacuation vulnerabilities, the Community Design Element can include policies for new neighborhoods to be designed to ensure at least two ingress and egress route in all new neighborhoods.
• Social Resources. The Social Resources Element includes goals and policies for health, education, community and leisure activities, libraries, and other community facilities. Many of these facilities, or the services they provide, are identified as vulnerable, as described earlier in this report. To address health impacts, the City can add policies to coordinate with San Bernardino County Public Health to ensure emergency and public health services can meet the needs of the population during poor air quality and extreme heat days, as well as human health hazard events.

The Social Resources Element also provides goals and policies for some public facilities, including community centers and libraries, throughout the city. Resilient IE provides a key resilience strategy for public facilities, the integration of physical and virtual resilience hubs. These can serve as centralized locations for resources about climate change, opportunities to reduce emissions, and techniques to increase resilience, showcases for sustainability, energy efficiency, and low carbon building, and to help residents obtain essential resources and information during and after a disaster. Examples of specific implementation actions could include:
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31 o Identify equitably located existing facilities, outside of flood hazard zones, to serve as resilience hubs and cooling centers that open during emergencies or specific temperature triggers for residents to go to seek refuge from extreme heat days or emergency shelter.
o Coordinate with emergency management services to establish backup power, preferably from renewable energy sources, and water resources at emergency shelters, resilience hubs, and cooling centers in case of power outages.

Resilience in Other Planning Mechanisms
Resilience policies and programs should not be limited to TOP 2050. Adaptation and resilience rely on a cross-department, multi-disciplinary approach to successful implementation. The City should consider how adaptation and resilience can also be incorporated into other City plans, codes, projects, and implementation programs. Addressing climate change hazard events in TOP 2050 can support other essential safety documents, such as the Ontario Annex of the San Bernardino County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan. Development standards such as residential building codes for buildings in flood zones and development of adequate evacuation routes can be integrated into the Ontario Municipal Code. Policies that focus on emergency response to hazards can be included in an evacuation plan or an emergency operations plan. Adaptation measures that also reduce GHG emissions can be integrated into the Ontario Community Climate Action Plan and may support the Ontario Active Transportation Master Plan. Coordination between the City and its energy providers can incentivize energy-related GHG reduction measures. Policies related to drought and flooding may be integrated into the City of Ontario’s and Cucamonga Valley Water District’s Urban Water Management Plans and the Ontario Storm Drain Master Plan. Furthermore, programs such as the Ontario Municipal Code and Capital Improvement Program can help implement the resilience policies developed in the General Plan through specific projects, development codes, and budgeting.
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32 BIBLIOGRAPHY
Printed References
Ackerly, David, Andrew Jones, Mark Stacey, Bruce Riordan. (University of California, Berkeley). 2018. San Francisco Bay Area Summary Report. California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment. Publication number:

CCCA4-SUM-2018- 005.

ARCCA, 2018, From Mountain to Cities: Exploring California’s Urban Connections to Sierra Nevada Ecosystems. https://arccacalifornia.org/wpcontent/uploads/2018/08/ARCCA-UrbanRural-Whitepaper.pdf.

Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN). 2019. Mapping Resilience: A Blueprint for Thriving in the Face of Climate Change. https://apen4ej.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/APEN-Mapping_ResilienceReport.pdf Bedsworth, Louise, Dan Cayan, Guido Franco, Leah Fisher, Sonya Ziaja. (California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, California Energy Commission, California Public Utilities Commission). 2018. Statewide Summary Report. California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment. Publication number: SUM-CCCA4-2018-013.

California Climate and Agricultural Network. 2019. Cultivating Climate Resilience in Farming: Ensuring California Farms and Ranches Thrive in the Face of Climate Change. https://calclimateag.org/wpcontent/uploads/2019/07/Cultivating-Resilience-August-2019.pdf.

California Office of Emergency Services. 2020. California Adaptation Planning Guide. https://www.caloes.ca.gov/HazardMitigationSite/Documents/CA-Adaptation-Planning-Guide-FINAL-June2020-Accessible.pdf.

Caltrans. 2019. Caltrans Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Summary Report: District 8. https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/programs/transportation-planning/documents/2019-climatechange-vulnerability-assessments/ada-remediated/d8-summary-report-a11y.pdf.

City of Ontario. 2021. City of Ontario 2020 Urban Water Management Plan. https://www.ontarioca.gov/sites/default/files/Ontario-Files/Municipal-UtilitiesCompany/Final%20Draft%20Ontario%202020%20Ontario%20UWMP.pdf.

Cucamonga Valley Water District. 2021. 2020 Urban Water Management Plan. https://www.cvwdwater.com/DocumentCenter/View/4741/Final-Cucamonga-Valley-Water-District-2020- UWMP.

Fuscoe Engineering, Inc. 2021. City of Ontario General Plan Infrastructure Report for Hydrology, Sewer, Water, and Water Quality.

Governor’s Office of Planning and Research. 2017. Planning and Investing for a Resilient California. https://opr.ca.gov/docs/20180313-Building_a_Resilient_CA.pdf. 965
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33 Hall, Alex, Neil Berg, Katharine Reich. 2018. Los Angeles Summary Report. California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment. Publication number: SUM-CCCA4-2018-007. Los Angeles, California: University of California, Los Angeles.

Pacific Energy Center. 2006. California Climate Zones.
https://www.pge.com/includes/docs/pdfs/about/edusafety/training/pec/toolbox/arch/climate/california _climate_zones_01-16.pdf.

PlaceWorks. 2021. Ontario Housing Element Public Review Draft. https://www.ontarioplan.org/wpcontent/uploads/sites/4/2021/10/Ontario-Housing-Element-Update_Public-Review-Draft_October2021.pdf.

San Bernardino County Agriculture/Weights & Measures. 2021. 2020 Crop Report. http://cms.sbcounty.gov/Portals/13/AWM%20CROP%20REPORT%202020%20080521.pdf?ver=2021-08- 05-160649-640.

Southern California Association of Governments. 2019. Profile of the City of Ontario. https://scag.ca.gov/sites/main/files/file-attachments/ontario_localprofile.pdf?1606014835 Roos, Michelle. (E4 Strategic Solutions). 2018. Climate Justice Summary Report. California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment. Publication number: SUM-CCCA4-2018-012.

Websites
American Community Survey. 2019. American Community Survey, Table B25034, "Year Structure Built." https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?t=Year%20Structure%20Built&g=1600000US0655254&tid=ACSDT5Y 2019.B25034&hidePreview=false accessed February 22, 2022.

California Department of Finance. 2020. E-1 Population Estimates for Cities, Counties, and the State:

January 1, 2019, and 2020. Data table. http://www.dof.ca.gov/Forecasting/Demographics/Estimates/E-1/ accessed January 28, 2021.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. 2021. “FHSZ Viewer.” https://egis.fire.ca.gov/FHSZ/, accessed November 24, 2021.

California Department of Water Resources. 2021. “Statewide Snowpack Well Below Normal as Wet Season Winds Down.” https://water.ca.gov/News/News-Releases/2021/April-21/Statewide-SnowpackWell-Below-Normal-as-Wet-Season-Winds-Down.

California Energy Commission. 2018. “Extreme Heat Days and Warm Nights.” https://caladapt.org/tools/extreme-heat/, accessed November 24, 2021.

California Energy Commission. 2018. “Annual Averages.” https://cal-adapt.org/tools/annual-averages/ accessed November 24, 2021.

California Energy Commission. 2018. “Extreme Precipitation.” https://cal-adapt.org/tools/extremeprecipitation/ accessed January 29, 2021.

California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. 2021. “CalEnviroScreen 4.0.” https://oehha.ca.gov/calenviroscreen/report/calenviroscreen-40, accessed November 23, 2021. 966
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34 FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency). 2018. FEMA Flood Zones (Map Service). https://tpc.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=6a010cc179554536ac70a9637db8f245 accessed January 28, 2021.

National Weather Service. 2021. “Climate: NOWData.” https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=sgx, accessed November 16, 2021.

Native Lands Digital. 2021. “Native Land Digital.” https://native-land.ca/.

U.S. Climate Data. 2021. “Climate Ontario – California.” https://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/ontario/california/united-states/usca2487, accessed November 23, 2021.

U.S. Department of Energy. N.d, “Solar Performance and Efficiency.” https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/solar-performance-and-efficiency, accessed February 23, 2022.

U.S. Drought Monitor. 2021. “California.”
https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?CA, accessed November 23, 2021.

Western Riverside Council of Governments, San Bernardino County Transportation Authority. 2020. “Resilient IE.” https://wrcog.us/285/Resilient-IE, accessed November 24, 2021. 967
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35 LIST OF PREPARERS
Lead Agency
City of Ontario
303 East B Street
Ontario, California 91764
PlaceWorks, Consultant to the City of Ontario
Brian Judd, Managing Principal, TOP 2050 Principal-in-Charge Colin Drukker, Principal, TOP 2050 Project Manager
Halley Grundy, Associate II, TOP 2050 Assistant Project Manager Tammy L. Seale, Principal, Climate Action and Resiliency Jacqueline Protsman Rohr, Associate II, Climate Action and Resiliency Renata Langis, Project Planner, Climate Action and Resiliency Kim Herkewitz, Southern California GIS Manager
Erin Guy, Associate II, GIS Coordinator
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36 APPENDIX A: LIST OF POPULATIONS AND ASSETS
List of Items to Include in the Ontario Plan Vulnerability Assessment PlaceWorks proposed the following populations and other assets for inclusion in the Vulnerability Assessment. Each list includes a description and source of data needed to support the Vulnerability Assessment.

POPULATIONS
PlaceWorks collected population data from the U.S. Census, the California Healthy Places Index, and Homeless Point-in-Time Count. These populations include:
• Children (under 10)1
• Cost-burdened households: households paying 30 percent or more of their income towards housing expenses2
• Households in poverty: households with an income below the poverty line, which is $26,500 for a household of four in the United States.3
• Immigrants and refugees4
• Linguistically isolated populations: especially Spanish, Tagalog, and Chinese5 • Low-income households: households with an income of 80 percent or less of the median household income. The low-income threshold is approximately $52,037 in Ontario. 6 The State of
California identifies $77,500 as the low-income threshold for a household of four people in San Bernardino County.7
• Outdoor workers (e.g., construction, farmworkers, outdoor recreation workers, landscapers)8 • Overcrowded households: housing units that have 1.0 persons or more per room (excluding bathrooms and kitchens).9
• Persons experiencing homelessness: 2020 point-in-time count reported 28 sheltered and 74 unsheltered (102 total) persons experiencing homelessness in the city.10 • Persons living in mobile homes
• Persons with chronic illnesses
• Persons with disabilities11
• Persons without access to lifelines: Persons without access to a car, transit, or communication systems.12
• Renters13
• Seniors (65+)14
• Seniors living alone15
• Undocumented persons
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37 INFRASTRUCTURE
PlaceWorks collected infrastructure data from a variety of sources. These infrastructure assets include:
• Airports: Ontario International Airport (Data source: Caltrans, Division of Aeronautics) • Bike routes: City routes, West Cucamonga Creek Trail System (Data source: City of Ontario website: Parks and Street Maintenance)
• Bridges (Data source: Caltrans GIS)
• Communication facilities (e.g., cell phone towers, ham radio antennae, AT&T switching buildings) (Data source: TBC)
• Electrical substations and transmission lines: 11 substations and transmission lines operated by Southern California Edison. (Data source: California Energy Commission) • Electric vehicle charging stations: 27 public stations (Data source: Alternative Fuels Data Center) • Evacuation routes (Data source: Resilient IE, 2020)
• Flood-control infrastructure: levees along Cucamonga Creek and the City’s stormwater management system (Data source: DWR Levee Protection Zones) • Hazardous materials sites (Data source: EnviroStor)
• Major roads and highways: I-10, I-15, SR-60 (Data source: Caltrans) • Natural gas pipelines: Southern California Gas Company (Data source: Cal OES) • Parks and open space: 30 City parks, including Creekside Park and Golf Course, De Anza Park, Guasti Regional Park, Homer Briggs Park, John Galvin Park, Munoz Park, Ontario Soccer Complex, Westwind Park, and Whispering Lakes Golf Course (Data source: Parks Department website) • Power plants: 8 natural gas facilities, 11 solar energy facilities, 1 landfill gas facility, 3 battery energy storage facilities, and small-scale energy generation facilities (Data source: California Energy Commission)
• Railways: Alhambra and Los Angeles railway subdivisions, Metrolink, Amtrak, Union Pacific (Data source: California Active Rail Lines, Amtrak)
• Solid waste facilities and landfills: 8 facilities including Caltrans Upland Maintenance Station, Recycled Wood Products, Ontario Agricultural Commodities, Residual Recovery Group, Beneficial Agriculture Services, Recycled Wood Products Ontario 2, Partida Fertilizer, and Chino Valley Rock, all of which are active. (Data source: CalRecycle)
• Transit stops: Ontario Metrolink Station, East Ontario Metrolink Station, Omnitrans (Data source:

SBCTA)
• Water and wastewater infrastructure: Inland Empire Utilities Agency Regional Water Recycling Plant, City of Ontario

BUILDINGS
PlaceWorks collected buildings data from Google maps, the Ontario Parks & Recreation Department, the City of Ontario land use GIS layer, and the California School Database. These assets include:
• Community centers: Armstrong Community Center, De Anza Community & Teen Center (designated cooling center), Anthony Munoz Community Center, Dorothy A. Quesada Community Center, Ontario Senior Center, Veterans Memorial Community Center, Westwind Community Center.
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38 • Commercial business, shopping, and entertainment centers: Toyota Arena, Ontario Mills Shopping Center, Ontario Convention Center, Ontario Auto Center, Stater Bros Plaza, Archibald Ranch Town Center, Archibalds Plaza, Pacific Plaza, Ontario Airport Commerce Center, Ontario Business Center, Ontario Center, Prologis Park.
• Homeless shelters: Mercy House Ontario Access Center, House of Ruth, Foothill Family Shelter. • Government buildings: Ontario City Hall and City facilities, San Bernardino Department of Human Services.
• Homes and residential structures
• Libraries: Ovitt Family Community Library (designated cooling center), Lewis Family Branch, South Ontario Library.
• Medical and care facilities: Healthcare Center of Bella Vista, Inland Christian Home, Kaiser Foundation Hospital, Kindred Hospital Ontario, Las Colinas Post Acute, Ontario Dialysis Center, Ontario Healthcare Center, Ontario Holt Dialysis Center, Ontario Mills Dialysis (48 total – only medical facilities with patient capacity of 20 or more listed) • Public safety buildings: City of Ontario Police Department, Ontario Policy Department Mills Station, City of Ontario Fire Department Stations #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, and San Bernardino County – West Valley Detention Center.
• Schools: Cambridge College, American Career College, Pacific College Inland Empire, Platt Collage, SJVC Ontario, Carrington College, University of La Verne College of Law, 8 private schools, 1 unaffiliated pre‐school, 5 high schools with CJUHSD, 2 elementary schools with CSD, 3 middle or elementary schools with CVUSD, 4 middle or elementary schools with MVSD, 22 middle or elementary schools with OMSD.

ECONOMIC DRIVERS
PlaceWorks determined important economic assets based on the 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and land uses surrounding the City of Ontario. These assets include:
• Agriculture
• Education services
• Major employers: Ontario International Airport, United Parcel Service, Ontario Montclair School District, Niagara Bottling LLC, Chaffey Joint Union High School District, QVC Ontario LLC, Home Depot, ULINE, FedEx, Cardinal Health.16
• Ontario International Airport
• Outdoor recreation (i.e., walking, biking, and court or field sports) • Retail centers
• Warehouses and logistics centers

KEY COMMUNITY SERVICES
These assets are based on typical services provided in cities throughout California, which are supported by the infrastructure and buildings listed above. Key community services include the operation and functions needed to provide and maintain services instead of just the structures that support them. These assets include:
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39 • Communication services
• Emergency medical response: City of Ontario Fire Department • Energy delivery: Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas Company • Freight and shipping
• Government administration and community services
• Public safety response: City of Ontario Police Department • Public transit access: Metrolink, Omnitrans, SBCTA
• Solid waste removal: Ontario Integrated Waste Management • Water and wastewater treatment, delivery, and collection: City of Ontario Municipal Utilities Company, Inland Empire Utilities Agency Regional Water Recycling Plan No. 1.

Endnotes for Appendix A
1 American Community Survey. 2019. 2019: ACS 5-Year Estimates, Age and Sex, S0101. https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Ontario&t=Age%20and%20Sex&tid=ACSST5Y2019.S0101&hidePreview=fals e.
2 American Community Survey. 2019. 2019: ACS 5-Year Estimates, Financial Characteristics, S2503. https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?t=Financial%20Characteristics&g=1600000US0653896&tid=ACSST5Y2019.S25 03&hidePreview=false. 3 American Community Survey. 2019. 2019: ACS 5-Year Estimates, Financial Characteristics, S2503. https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?t=Financial%20Characteristics&g=1600000US0653896&tid=ACSST5Y2019.S25 03&hidePreview=false. 4 American Community Survey. 2019. 2019: ACS 5-Year Estimates, Selected Social Characteristics in the United States, DP02.
https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?t=Foreign%20Born&g=1600000US0653896&tid=ACSDP5Y2019.DP02&hidePre view=false. 5 American Community Survey. 2019. 2019: ACS 5-Year Estimates, Limited English Speaking Households, S1602. https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?t=Language%20Spoken%20at%20Home&g=1600000US0653896&tid=ACSST1Y 2019.S1601&hidePreview=false. 6 American Community Survey. 2019. 2019: ACS 5-Year Estimates, Financial Characteristics, S2503. https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?t=Financial%20Characteristics&g=1600000US0653896&tid=ACSST5Y2019.S25 03&hidePreview=false. 7 Department of Housing and Community Development. April 2021. State Income Limits for 2021. https://www.hcd.ca.gov/grants-funding/income-limits/state-and-federal-income-limits/docs/income-limits2021.pdf.. 8 American Community Survey. 2018. 2018: ACS 5-Year Estimates, B24011 and B24021. 9 American Community Survey. 2019. 2019: ACS 5-Year Estimates, Tenure by Occupants per Room, B25014. https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?t=Occupants%20Per%20Room&g=1600000US0653896&tid=ACSDT5Y2019.B2 5014&hidePreview=false. 10 County of San Bernardino. 2020. San Bernardino County Homeless Count and Subpopulation Survey Final Report. https://wp.sbcounty.gov/dbh/sbchp/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/04/2020-SBC-Homeless-Count-Report.pdf. 11 American Community Survey. 2019. 2019: ACS 5-Year Estimates, Disability Characteristics, S1810. https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?t=Disability&g=1600000US0653896&tid=ACSST5Y2019.S1810&hidePreview=f alse.
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40 12 American Community Survey. 2019. 2019: ACS 5-Year Estimates, Household Size by Vehicles Available, B08201. https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?t=Transportation&g=1600000US0653896&tid=ACSDT5Y2019.B08201&hidePre view=false.
13 American Community Survey. 2019. 2019: ACS 5-Year Estimates, Financial Characteristics, S2503. https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?t=Financial%20Characteristics&g=1600000US0653896&tid=ACSST5Y2019.S25 03&hidePreview=false. 14 American Community Survey. 2019. 2019: ACS 5-Year Estimates, Age and Sex, S0101. https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Ontario&t=Age%20and%20Sex&tid=ACSST5Y2019.S0101&hidePreview=fals e.
15 American Community Survey. 2019. 2019: ACS 5-Year Estimates, Selected Social Characteristics in the United States, DP02.
https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?t=Foreign%20Born&g=1600000US0653896&tid=ACSDP5Y2019.DP02&hidePre view=false. 16 City of Ontario. June 2020. Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. https://www.ontarioca.gov/FiscalServices/BudgetFinancialReports. 973
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POPULATIONS AND ASSETS

AGRICULTURE

PESTS &

DISEASES
AIR

QUALITY DROUGHT

EXTREME HEAT
& WARM
NIGHTS

FLOODING
HUMAN
HEALTH

HAZARDS
SEVERE

WEATHER

WILDFIRE
&
SMOKE
Populations
Children (Under 10) - High Low High High Medium Medium High Cost-burdened households - Medium Low Medium Medium Low Low Medium Households in poverty - High High High High High High High Immigrants and refugees Low High Medium High High High High High Linguistically isolated
populations - Medium Low Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium Low-income households - Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium Outdoor workers Medium High Medium High High High High High Overcrowded households - Medium Low Medium Medium High Low Medium Persons experiencing
homelessness - High Medium High High High High High
Persons living in mobile homes - Medium Low High High Medium High Medium Persons with chronic illnesses - High High High Medium High High High 975
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43 POPULATIONS AND ASSETS

AGRICULTURE

PESTS &

DISEASES
AIR

QUALITY DROUGHT

EXTREME HEAT
& WARM
NIGHTS

FLOODING
HUMAN
HEALTH

HAZARDS
SEVERE

WEATHER

WILDFIRE
&
SMOKE
Persons with disabilities - Medium Low Medium High Medium Medium Medium Persons without access to
lifelines - Medium Medium High High Medium Medium Medium Renters - Medium Low Medium Medium Low Low Medium
Seniors (65+) - High Low High High High Medium High
Seniors living alone - High Low High High High High High Undocumented persons Medium High High High High High High High Infrastructure
Airports - - - Medium High - Medium -
Bike routes - - - Low Medium - Low -
Bridges - - - Medium High - Medium -
Communication facilities - - - Medium Low - Low Low
Electrical substations and
transmission lines - - - High High - High Medium
Electric vehicle charging
stations - - - Medium Medium - Low -
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44 POPULATIONS AND ASSETS

AGRICULTURE

PESTS &

DISEASES
AIR

QUALITY DROUGHT

EXTREME HEAT
& WARM
NIGHTS

FLOODING
HUMAN
HEALTH

HAZARDS
SEVERE

WEATHER

WILDFIRE
&
SMOKE
Evacuation routes - - - High High - High Low
Flood control infrastructure - - - - High - High -
Hazardous materials sites - - - Low Low - Low -
Major roads and highways - - - High High - High Low
Natural gas pipelines - - - - Low - - -
Parks and open space Low - High Low Medium - Low -
Power plants - - - Medium Medium - Low -
Railways - - - High High - Medium Low
Solid waste facilities and
landfills - - - Low - - Low -
Transit stops - - - - Medium - Low -
Water and wastewater
infrastructure - - Low - Medium - - -
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AGRICULTURE

PESTS &

DISEASES
AIR

QUALITY DROUGHT

EXTREME HEAT
& WARM
NIGHTS

FLOODING
HUMAN
HEALTH

HAZARDS
SEVERE

WEATHER

WILDFIRE
&
SMOKE
Buildings
Community centers - - - Low Medium - Medium Low
Commercial business,
shopping, and entertainment
centers
- - - Low Medium - Low Low
Homeless shelters - - - Medium - - High Medium
Government buildings - - - Low - - Low Low
Homes and residential
structures - - - Medium High - High Medium
Libraries - - - Low - - Medium Low
Medical and care facilities - - - Medium Medium - Low Low Public safety buildings - - - Low High - Low Low
Schools - - - Medium Medium - Medium Medium
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46 POPULATIONS AND ASSETS

AGRICULTURE

PESTS &

DISEASES
AIR

QUALITY DROUGHT

EXTREME HEAT
& WARM
NIGHTS

FLOODING
HUMAN
HEALTH

HAZARDS
SEVERE

WEATHER

WILDFIRE
&
SMOKE
Economic Drivers
Agriculture Medium Medium High High Medium Medium Medium Medium Education services - Medium - Medium Low Medium Low Medium Major employers - Low Medium Low High Low Low Low
Ontario International Airport - Medium - High High Low Medium Medium Outdoor recreation Low High - High Low Medium Medium High Retail centers - Low - Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium Warehouses and logistics
centers - Low - Low High Low Low Low
Key Services
Communication services - - - Low Low - High Low
Emergency medical response - Medium - Medium Medium High Medium Medium Energy delivery - - Low High Medium - High High
Freight and shipping - - - Medium High Low High Low
Government administration &
community services - - - Low Low Low Low Low
979
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47 POPULATIONS AND ASSETS

AGRICULTURE

PESTS &

DISEASES
AIR

QUALITY DROUGHT

EXTREME HEAT
& WARM
NIGHTS

FLOODING
HUMAN
HEALTH

HAZARDS
SEVERE

WEATHER

WILDFIRE
&
SMOKE
Public safety response - - - Medium High Medium Medium Medium Public transit access - High - High High Low High High
Solid waste removal - Medium - Medium Medium Low Medium Medium Water and wastewater
treatment, delivery, and
collection
- - High Medium High - Medium Medium
980
RESOLUTION NO. PC22-043

A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF

ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA, RECOMMENDING THE CITY COUNCIL
APPROVE FILE NO. PADV22-002 TO AMEND THE COMMUNITY

CLIMATE ACTION PLAN, AN IMPLEMENTATION COMPONENT OF THE

ONTARIO PLAN SUPPORTING THE SUPPLEMENTAL
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT (SCH No. 2021070364).

WHEREAS, the City of Ontario Certified the Environmental Impact Report prepared for The Ontario Plan and associated Statement of Overriding Considerations, and issued Resolution No. 2010-003; and
WHEREAS, the City of Ontario adopted the Policy Plan (General Plan) as part of the component framework for The Ontario Plan on January 27, 2010, and issued Resolution No. 2010-004; and
WHEREAS, on July 17, 2021, the City of Ontario adopted a Municipal Climate Action Plan and issued Resolution No. 2012-055, and on December 16, 2014, The City of Ontario adopted the Community Climate Action Plan and issued Resolution No. 2014- 122, to comply with The Ontario Plan in January 2010. Since the adoption of the Municipal and Community Climate Action, the City has made progress to the 2020 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Target of 30% Below 2020 Business-as-Usual through implementation of 42 environmental sector measures; and WHEREAS, the 2022 Update to the Ontario Community Climate Action Plan (CCAP) serves as the strategic plan for how the City of Ontario (City) will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and foster a sustainable community through 2050 and beyond; and
WHEREAS, the 2022 CCAP Identifies and updates sources of both municipal and community GHG emissions within the City’s municipal boundaries for the calendar year of 2019 and estimates how these emissions may change over time; and WHEREAS, the 2022 CCAP serves as the programmatic tiering document for review of the climate change impacts of projects under CEQA. The 2022 CCAP is included in the Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) for The Ontario Plan 2050; and
WHEREAS, the 2022 CCAP includes a greenhouse gas inventory baseline for the Year 2019, a future "business-as-usual" projection of greenhouse gas emissions for the Year 2030 and Year 2050, an emissions reduction target consistent with the State's emissions reduction goals and an implementation plan identifying specific measures and a timeline for implementation of said measures to reach the reduction targets for Year 2030 and Year 2050; and
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Planning Commission Resolution
File No. PADV22-002 - Community Climate Action Plan

WHEREAS, the SEIR for File Nos. PGPA22-002 and PADV22-002 were circulated for a 45-day public review period and a notice of its availability was published in a local newspaper and posted in the Office of the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors of San Bernardino County; and
WHEREAS, by way of the 2022 CCAP's Implementation Plan, the City Council directs Staff to implement the 2022 CCAP's measures in phases; and WHEREAS, the Staff has authority to revise and/or adjust said measures as required and provide yearly updates, led by the City’s Sustainability Program Manager; and
WHEREAS, the CCAP meets the functional and legal mandate of a general plan; and
WHEREAS, on July 26, 2022, the Planning Commission of the City of Ontario conducted a hearing and recommended the City Council approve the 2022 Community Climate Action Plan; and
WHEREAS, all other legal prerequisites to the adoption of this Resolution have occurred.

NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY FOUND, DETERMINED, AND RESOLVED by the Planning Commission of the City of Ontario, as follows:

SECTION 1: Environmental Determination and Findings. Based on the entire record before the Planning Commission and all written and oral evidence presented to the Planning Commission, the Planning Commission recommends that the City Council finds that the TOP 2050 SEIR, which includes the 2022 CCAP, complies with CEQA (Public Res. Code, § 21000 et seq.), the State CEQA Guidelines (14 CCR § 1500 et seq.), and the City's CEQA Guidelines. The Planning Commission further recommends that the City Council find that the SEIR was prepared in compliance with CEQA, that the City complied with CEQA’s procedural and substantive requirements, and that the SEIR is an accurate and objective statement that fully reflects the independent judgement of the City.

SECTION 2: Planning Commission Action. As the recommending body for the Project, the Planning Commission does hereby make the following recommendations:

1. The 2022 CCAP meets the requirements of TOP 2050 SEIR and its mitigation measures and identifies goals and strategies to reduce GHG emissions 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 and 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050; and

2. The 2022 CCAP serves as the programmatic tiering document for review of the climate change impacts of projects under CEQA.
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Planning Commission Resolution
File No. PADV22-002 - Community Climate Action Plan

SECTION 3: Recommendation. Based upon the findings and conclusions set forth in Sections 1 and 2 above, the Planning Commission hereby recommends that the City Council approve an update to the CCAP.

SECTION 4: Custodian of Records. The documents and materials that constitute the record of proceedings on which these findings have been based are located at the City of Ontario City Hall, 303 East “B” Street, Ontario, California 91764. The custodian for these records is the City Clerk of the City of Ontario.

SECTION 5: Certification to Adoption. The Secretary shall certify to the adoption of the Resolution.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
983
984
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Planning Commission Resolution
File No. PADV22-002 - Community Climate Action Plan

ATTACHMENT A:

COMMUNITY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN
A Component of The Ontario Plan 2050
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Ontario
Community
Climate
Action Plan
Public Review Draft
May 2022
987
ORANGE COUNTY • BAY AREA • SACRAMENTO • CENTRAL COAST • LOS ANGELES • INLAND EMPIRE www.placeworks.com
Prepared By: PlaceWorks
3 MacArthur Place, Suite 1100
Santa Ana, CA 92707
714.966.9220
Ontario
Community
Climate
Action Plan
Public Review Draft | May 2022
988
City of Ontario
Climate Action Plan
Public Review Draft, May 2022

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Ontario City Council
Mayor Paul S. Leon
Mayor Pro Tem Alan D. Wapner
Council Member Jim W. Bowman
Council Member Debra Dorst-Porada
Council Member Ruben Valencia
City Manager
Scott Ochoa, City Manager
Darlene Sanchez, Assistant City Manager
City Staff
Scott Murphy, Executive Director, Development Agency
Rudy Zeledon, Planning Director
Kimberly Ruddins, Sustainability Program Manager
Thomas Grahn, Senior Planner
Robert Morales, Assistant Planner
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City of Ontario
Climate Action Plan
Public Review Draft, May 2022
City Climate Action Plan Technical Advisory Committee
Charles Mercier, Principal Planner, Development
Jamie Richardson, Senior Landscape Planner, Development Raymond Lee, Assistant City Engineer, Development
Jay Bautista, Transportation Manager, Development
Choon Lam, Principal IT Analyst, Information Technologies Michael Trani, Facilities Maintenance Supervisor, Public Works Nick Gonzales, Recreation/Community Services Director, Community Life & Culture Shawn Thrasher, Library Director, Community Life & Culture Hector Camacho, Parks and Maintenance Supervisor, Public Works Angela Magana, Community Improvement Director, Development Katryna Gonzalez, Housing Director, Development
James Caro, Building Official, Development
Derrick Womble, Administrator Officer, Development
Doreen Nunes, Assistant Finance Director, Financial Services Michelle Nguyen, Departmental Administrator, Financial Services Jordan Villwock, Fire Administrative Director, Fire Department Sagar Patel, Emergency Manager, Fire Department
Mindy Decker, Human Resources Analyst, Human Resource
Ellie Christov, Innovation Director, Management Services Lilyan Villarreal, Performance and Optimization Manager, Management Services Charity Hernandez, Principal Project Manager, Management Services Dennis Mejia, Utilities Engineering Division Manager, OMUC Claudia Hernandez, Utilities Customer Services Director, OMUC Sergeant Joe Estrada, Police Department
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City of Ontario
Climate Action Plan
Public Review Draft, May 2022 i

TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Abbreviations
Executive Summary...................................................................................................... ES-1 Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Forecast ....................................................................ES-3 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategies ........................................................................ES-5

1. Introduction....................................................................................................................1 Purpose of the Community Climate Action Plan..............................................................1 2014 Community Climate Action Plan...............................................................................1 2022 Community Climate Action Plan...............................................................................2 How to Use This Plan.............................................................................................................3

2. Background ...................................................................................................................5 Community Profile and History............................................................................................5 Sustainability in Ontario .......................................................................................................7 Climate Change and Equity...............................................................................................9 Regulatory Framework.......................................................................................................13

3. Ontario’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions........................................................................23 Climate Science.................................................................................................................23 Local GHG Emissions..........................................................................................................25 Community-Wide GHG Inventory.....................................................................................26 Community-Wide Forecast ...............................................................................................41

4. GHG Reduction Targets ..............................................................................................45 Background........................................................................................................................45 2014 CCAP GHG Reduction Targets................................................................................45 State Targets and Recommendations.............................................................................45 2022 CCAP GHG Reduction Targets................................................................................46 991
Climate Action Plan
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5. Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Strategy........................................................47 Introduction ........................................................................................................................47 Calculating Credit .............................................................................................................47 Progress Toward GHG Reduction Goals..........................................................................47 New GHG Reduction Strategies.......................................................................................50 Summary of Total GHG Emissions Reductions..................................................................73

6. Implementation ...........................................................................................................75 Implementation Strategies................................................................................................76 Work Plan ............................................................................................................................77

7. Glossary........................................................................................................................85 Appendix A. GHG Technical Appendix.......................................................................A-1 Community-Wide Forecast .............................................................................................A-1 State GHG Emission Reductions......................................................................................A-5 Technical Data for Existing and Planned Activities.......................................................A-6 TABLES
Table ES-1 Ontario Community-Wide Per Capita GHG Emissions by Sector, 2008 to 2019 (MTCO2e) ..................................................................................... ES-4 Table ES-2 Ontario Community-wide GHG Emissions Forecast, 2008 to 2050 (MTCO2e)............................................................................................................ ES-5 Table ES-3 Ontario Community-Wide Emission Reductions from Existing State, Regional, and Local Actions, 2030–2050 ......................................................... ES-6 Table ES-4 List of 2022 CCAP GHG Reduction Strategies................................................. ES-6 Table ES-5 Progress to Absolute and Per Capita GHG Emissions Targets...................... ES-11 Table ES-6 List of Implementation Strategies .................................................................. ES-11 Table 1 Emissions Factors, 2008 to 2019............................................................................ 27 Table 2 City of Ontario Community-Wide Demographic Change, 2019...................... 29 Table 3 Annual Per Capita GHG Emissions by Sector, 2008 to 2019.............................. 30 Table 4 Proportions of Annual Per Capita GHG Emissions by Sector in 2008 to 2019 .......................................................................................................... 31 Table 5 Transportation Activity Data and Per Capita GHG Emissions by Subsector, 2008 to 2019 .......................................................................................................... 33 Table 6 Nonresidential Electricity Activity Data and Per Capita GHG Emissions, 2008 to 2019 ......................................................................................................... 33 992
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Climate Action Plan
Public Review Draft, May 2022 iii
Table 7 Residential Electricity Activity Data and Per Capita GHG Emissions, 2008 to 2019 .......................................................................................................... 34 Table 8 Nonresidential Natural Gas Activity Data and Per Capita GHG Emissions, 2008 to 2019 .......................................................................................................... 35 Table 9 Residential Natural Gas Activity Data and Per Capita GHG Emissions, 2008 to 2019 ......................................................................................................... 35 Table 10 Solid Waste Activity Data and Per Capita GHG Emissions by Subsector, 2008 to 2019 .......................................................................................................... 36 Table 11 Off-Road Equipment Per Capita GHG Emissions by Subsector, 2008 to 2019. 37 Table 12 Agriculture Activity and Per Capita GHG Emissions by Subsector, 2008 to 2019 .......................................................................................................... 38 Table 13 Water and Wastewater Activity Data and Per Capita GHG Emissions by Subsector, 2008 to 2019........................................................................................ 39 Table 14 Land Use and Sequestration Activity Data and GHG Emissions by Subsector, 2008 to 2019........................................................................................ 40 Table 15 Stationary Source GHG Emissions, 2008 to 2019................................................. 41 Table 16 City of Ontario Community-Wide Demographic Projection, 2019 to 2050...... 41 Table 17 Forecast Per Capita GHG Emissions, 2019–2050 ................................................ 43 Table 18 Per Capita Targets for Ontario ............................................................................ 46 Table 19 Ontario Per Capita GHG Emission Reductions from State Actions, 2019 to 2050 .......................................................................................................... 49 Table 20 Absolute and Per Capita GHG Emission Reduction Potential by Sector......... 73 Table 21 Progress to Absolute and Per Capita GHG Emissions Targets........................... 74 Table 22 GHG Reduction Strategy Implementation Work Plan....................................... 79 Table A-1 City of Ontario Community-Wide Demographic Projection, 2019 to 2050.... A-1 Table A-2 Forecast Per Capita GHG Emissions, 2008–2050 .............................................. A-2 Table A-3 Ontario Community-Wide Forecast Activity Data........................................... A-4 Table A-4 Ontario Per Capita GHG Emission Reductions from State Actions, 2019 to 2050 ........................................................................................................ A-6 Table A-5 Emissions Factors with State Reductions........................................................... A-7 993
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FIGURES
Figure 1 Map of Ontario..................................................................................................... 11 Figure 2 The Greenhouse Effect ........................................................................................ 23 Figure 3 Annual Per Capita GHG Emissions by Sector, 2008 to 2019.............................. 31 Figure 4 City of Ontario Community-Wide Per Capita GHG Emissions, 2019–2050 ....... 44 Figure 5 Ontario Per Capita GHG Emissions with Reduction Strategies, 2019 to 2050 .. 74 994
City of Ontario
Climate Action Plan
Public Review Draft, May 2022 v

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
AB Assembly Bill
ACS American Community Survey
ADC alternative daily cover
AQMP air quality management plan
BRT bus rapid transit
CARB California Air Resources Board
CCAP community climate action plan
CEQA California Environmental Quality Act
CH4 methane
CO2 carbon dioxide
CO2e carbon dioxide equivalent
CALGreen California Green Building Standards Code
DOE Department of Energy (U.S.)
EIR Environmental Impact Report
EO Executive Order
EPA Environmental Protection Agency (U.S.)
EV electric vehicle
FMMP Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program
GHG greenhouse gas
Global Protocol Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Inventories GWP global warming potential
HCD Housing and Community Development Department (California) HFC hydrofluorocarbon
IEUA Inland Empire Utilities Agency
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IT information technology
kWh kilowatt-hour
LED light-emitting diode
LEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
LCFS low-carbon fuel standard
MMT million metric tons
MT metric ton
MTCO2e metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent
MSW Municipal solid waste
N2O nitrous oxide
NF3 nitrogen trifluoride
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Climate Action Plan
List of Abbreviations
Page vi Public Review Draft, May 2022

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS (CONTINUED)
OMUC Ontario Municipal Utilities Company
PFC perfluorocarbon
PV photovoltaic
RPS Renewable Portfolio Standard
RTTAC Regional Transit Technical Advisory Committee
SB Senate Bill
SBCOG San Bernardino Council of Governments
SBCTA San Bernardino County Transportation Authority
SCAQMD South Coast Air Quality Management District
SCAG Southern California Association of Governments
SF6 sulfur hexafluoride
SoCalREN Southern California Regional Energy Network
TOP The Ontario Plan
TOD transit-oriented development
U.S. Community Protocol United States Community Protocol for Accounting and Reporting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions
VMT vehicle miles traveled
ZEV zero-emission vehicle
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City of Ontario
Climate Action Plan
Public Review Draft, May 2022 Page ES-1

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The 2022 Community Climate Action Plan (CCAP) is Ontario’s strategic plan to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and foster a sustainable community through 2050 and beyond. The Ontario Plan (TOP), the City’s comprehensive plan or general plan, directs the preparation, ongoing implementation, and update of the CCAP, providing the framework for Ontario to reduce its community-wide GHG emissions in a manner consistent with the adopted state reduction target for 2030 and the longer-term goals for 2045 and 2050. The CCAP allows the City of Ontario decision-makers, staff, and community to understand the sources and magnitude of local GHG emissions, reduce GHG emissions, and prioritize steps to achieve GHG emission-reduction targets.

The CCAP is consistent with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines for Plans for the Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (California Code of Regulations Section 15183.5). This allows the 2022 CCAP to support and streamline environmental review of GHG emissions for future development projects in the city. The 2022 CCAP serves as the programmatic tiering document for review of the climate change impacts of projects under CEQA and is included in the Supplemental Environmental Impact Report for TOP 2050.

The 2022 CCAP is an update of the 2014 Community Climate Action Plan (2014 CCAP), providing updated analyses and background information, an expanded set of GHG reduction strategies, and a planning horizon out to 2050. The CCAP contains an inventory of the community’s GHG emissions from the transportation, energy, waste, off-road equipment, agriculture, water, and wastewater sectors; land use sequestration; stationary sources; and goals, strategies, and actions to address climate change adaptation and GHG emissions. The CCAP also presents a work plan for the City to implement strategies and track progress over time.

The City of Ontario prepared the 2022 CCAP to update the community’s strategic path to reducing GHG emissions beyond 2020, consistent with State requirements and TOP 2050. Specifically, the CCAP does the following:
• Provides an introduction and context for the CCAP in Chapters 1 and 2, including community history and demographics, an overview of the City’s existing actions to address climate change, a discussion of climate change and equity, and the relationship between the CCAP and state and regional planning efforts in.
• Identifies and updates sources of GHG emissions within the City of Ontario’s municipal boundaries for the calendar year of 2019 and estimates how these emissions may change over time (Chapter 3).
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Climate Action Plan
Executive Summary
Page ES-2 Public Review Draft, May 2022
• Presents the GHG emission reduction targets established by state regulations and guidance and the City’s GHG reduction targets (Chapter 4). Chapter 4 shows where the City currently stands in its efforts to reduce GHG emissions and the GHG reductions required by the 2022 CCAP to meet its targets.
• Provides strategies (see Chapter 5) in various sectors to meet or exceed the state targets of reducing emissions 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 and 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, consistent with the direction of the State of California via Assembly Bill (AB) 32, Governor’s Executive Order S-03-05, and California Public Resources Code Section 21083.3.

Chapter 5, GHG Emission Reduction Strategy, has two sections:
− The Existing GHG Reduction Strategies section outlines the existing and planned local and state initiatives that are expected to reduce Ontario’s future GHG emissions and move the community closer to achieving its targets.
− The New GHG Reduction Strategies section outlines the new 2022 strategies that show a viable path for Ontario to reach its established GHG emission reduction targets. This includes goals, strategies, and actions; their impacts on GHG emissions; and the cobenefits they provide to enhance ecological, economic, and social well-being. These strategies include actions that will be led by City staff and actions or project features for inclusion in certain development projects as identified by the strategy. • Provides substantial evidence that the emission reductions estimated in the CCAP are feasible in Chapter 5, with supporting technical detail in Appendix A. • Provides an implementation program (see Chapter 6) and discusses the various outcomes of reduction efforts and how these reduction efforts can be implemented.

The CCAP is summarized in Section 5.8, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, of the Supplemental Environmental Impact Report for The Ontario Plan 2050. The measures in this 2022 CCAP are not substantially different than those of the 2014 CCAP, and therefore there is no change in the environmental impacts associated with the CCAP.

The CCAP allows community members, City staff and officials, and other stakeholders to understand Ontario’ existing efforts and strategies to achieve its GHG reduction goals. It builds on the 2014 CCAP and is consistent with the regional San Bernadino County GHG Reduction Plan. 998
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Climate Action Plan
Public Review Draft, May 2022 Page ES-3
Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Forecast
A GHG inventory is a summary of the GHG emissions generated by activities that take place within a community. The GHG emissions inventories and the GHG forecast lay the groundwork for the CCAP, which seeks to align the City’s GHG reduction efforts with state-recommended targets. The community-wide GHG inventories, which include both community-wide sectors and municipal operations, assess GHG emissions for the years 2008, 2016, and 2019. The 2022 CCAP update is informed by the latest science in GHG accounting, best practices, and emissions factors.

The community-wide GHG inventory assessed GHG emissions from nine categories of activities, known as sectors.
• Transportation. GHG emissions created by driving on-road vehicles in Ontario, including passenger and freight vehicles.
• Residential energy. GHG emissions attributed to the use of electricity and natural gas in residential buildings.
• Nonresidential energy. GHG emissions attributed to the use of electricity and natural gas in nonresidential buildings.
• Solid waste. GHG emissions released from trash collected from residents and businesses. • Off-road equipment. GHG emissions from equipment that does not provide on-road transportation (excluding agricultural equipment), such as tractors for construction or equipment used for landscape maintenance.
• Agriculture. GHG emissions from various agricultural activities, including agricultural equipment, crop cultivation and harvesting, and livestock operations. • Water and wastewater. This sector accounts for the electricity used to transport every gallon of water to or wastewater from city residents and businesses, as well as direct emissions from processing wastewater.
• Land use and sequestration. Emissions released into the atmosphere from development of previously undeveloped land and GHG emissions absorbed and stored in trees and soils on locally controlled lands as part of healthy ecosystems. • Stationary sources. Emissions from fuel use at major industrial facilities permitted by state and regional air quality authorities. Stationary source emissions are informational and are not included in the community total.
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Throughout the CCAP, emissions are provided in terms of per capita GHG emissions. Per capita emissions show the average number of emissions per service population, which is the sum of community residents and employees in Ontario. Per capita GHG emissions show changes in emissions over time and are helpful for showing consistency with state-recommended GHG reduction targets. The City’s per-capita emissions targets are 6.0 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e) per capita by 2030 and 2.0 MTCO2e per capita below 1990 levels by 2050.

As shown in Table ES-1, per capita GHG emissions have declined steadily from 2008 levels. Per capita emissions in Ontario decreased from approximately 8.25 MTCO2e in 2008 to approximately

5.55 MTCO2e per person in 2019, a decrease of 33 percent. Transportation was highest-emitting sector, responsible for approximately 55 percent of the city’s total GHG emissions in 2019, followed by the nonresidential and residential energy sectors as the second- and third-largest sources of GHG emissions. The four sectors that experienced the largest decreases in annual GHG emissions between 2008 and 2019 are land use and sequestration, agriculture, water and wastewater, and nonresidential energy, which reduced emissions by 77 percent, 75 percent, 56 percent, and 54 percent, respectively.

Table ES-1 Ontario Community-Wide Per Capita GHG Emissions by Sector, 2008 to 2019 (MTCO2e)
Sector 2008 2016 2019 Percentage Change,
2008–2019
Transportation 3.51 3.00 3.04 -13%
Nonresidential energy 2.77 1.80 1.29 -54%
Residential energy 0.72 0.55 0.50 -30%
Solid waste 0.28 0.22 0.27 -4%
Off-road equipment 0.17 0.08 0.21 23%
Agriculture 0.63 0.21 0.16 -75%
Water and wastewater 0.15 0.08 0.06 -56%
Land use and sequestration 0.01 0.00 0.00 -77%
Total annual per capita MTCO2e 8.25 5.95 5.54 -33%
Informational Items
Stationary sources 1.50 0.25 1.05 -30%
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The community-wide forecast is a projection of future GHG emissions based on the results of the 2019 inventory and estimates of future community population and job growth. The CCAP includes a GHG forecast for the calendar years 2030 and 2050, relying on population, housing, and employment projections based on the estimates of future buildout in TOP 2050. As shown in Table ES-2, the city’s forecast per-capita emissions are expected to decrease by approximately 45 percent between 2008 and 2050.

Table ES-2 Ontario Community-wide GHG Emissions Forecast, 2008 to 2050 (MTCO2e) Sector 20081 20161 20191 2030 2050
Percentage
Change,
2008–2050
Transportation 3.51 3.00 3.04 2.84 2.15 -39%
Nonresidential energy 2.77 1.80 1.29 1.30 1.29 -54%
Residential energy 0.72 0.55 0.50 0.53 0.57 -21%
Solid waste 0.28 0.22 0.27 0.27 0.27 -4%
Off-road equipment 0.17 0.08 0.21 0.21 0.21 23%
Agriculture2 0.63 0.21 0.16 0.08 0.00 -100%
Water and wastewater 0.15 0.08 0.06 0.06 0.06 -56%
Land use and
sequestration 0.01
Less
than

0.01 Less
than

0.01 Less
than

0.01 Less
than

0.01 -81%
Total 8.25 5.95 5.54 5.30 4.56 -45%

1. Data shown for 2008, 2016, 2019 are the actual per capita GHG emissions. The data shown for 2030, 2040, and 2050 are GHG per capita emission forecasts, calculated based on projections from the 2019 inventory.

2. GHG emission projects for the agriculture are based on the assumption that, by 2050, all agricultural land will be developed and converted to other land uses, so agricultural emissions will decrease to zero by 2050.

Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategies
To evaluate the City’s current progress toward meeting its emissions reductions targets, this CCAP acknowledges existing climate action policies and programs, planned future actions, and actions soon-to-be implemented at the state and local level.

The CCAP quantifies GHG emissions reductions associated with the implementation of these actions. As shown in Table ES-3, with the implementation of existing and planned state and local actions, the community’s GHG emissions are projected to be 3.54 MTCO2e per capita and 1.31 MTCO2e per capita in 2030 and 2050, respectively.
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Table ES-3 Ontario Community-Wide Emission Reductions from Existing State, Regional, and Local Actions, 2030–2050
Changes in Per Capita Emissions 2030
MTCO2e
2050
MTCO2e
Forecast per-capita emissions without state actions 5.30 4.56 Emission reductions from existing and planned state actions -1.09 -2.15 Emission reductions from planned local actions without CCAP -0.15 Less than -

0.01 Community-wide emissions with existing and planned state and local actions 4.06 2.40
Though implementation of existing state and local actions will help the City meets its GHG reduction targets, these actions are insufficient on their own. Thus, the CCAP identifies future strategies that, if implemented at the levels specified in the technical appendix, will allow the community to achieve its emissions-reductions targets. Refer to Table ES-4 for a list of the CCAP strategies, explained in more detail in Chapter 5.

Table ES-4 List of 2022 CCAP GHG Reduction Strategies
Strategy
Number Strategy Name Strategy Language
Per Capita
Emission
Reductions
2030
MTCO2e
2050
MTCO2e
1 Building
electrification
Promote and incentivize the phase-out of
gas appliances in new and existing homes
and businesses throughout the community
to advance GHG reductions, increase
energy efficiency, and protect public
safety and environmental health.

0.0257 0.1453
2 Onsite solar
energy for
existing
residential
development.

Continue to support and facilitate
installation of rooftop solar photovoltaic
and onsite solar energy systems in existing
residential development.

0.0051 0.0000
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Strategy
Number Strategy Name Strategy Language
Per Capita
Emission
Reductions
2030
MTCO2e
2050
MTCO2e
3 Onsite solar
energy systems
for
nonresidential
development.

Ensure new large nonresidential
development, including City facilities,
includes onsite renewable energy to
support the site's energy needs by requiring
solar photovoltaic panels or other
appropriate onsite renewable energy
generation systems for the following types
of projects:
• New commercial and office buildings,
or existing commercial and office
building expansions greater or equal to
45,000 square feet in size.
• New industrial or existing industrial
buildings expansions greater or equal to
100,000 square feet in size.

0.0659 0.0000
4 Green roofs
Promote and incentivize residents and
business owners to install green roofs to
conserve energy and reduce surface water
runoff.

0.0000 0.0000
5 Urban cooling
Maintain and expand the city's existing tree
canopy, with a goal of planting 500 trees
annually through 2050 and promote the use
of pervious concrete and cool pavement
for pavement projects.

0.0140 0.0180
6 Energy
efficiency
retrofits for lowincome
households
Promote and incentivize voluntary energy
efficiency retrofits of homes to reduce
natural gas and electricity usage, with the
goal of retrofitting 9,000 low-income homes
by 2050. Partner with community services
agencies to fund energy efficiency
projects, including heating, ventilation, air
conditioning, indoor lighting, water heating
equipment, insulation, and weatherization
for low-income residents.

0.0023 0.0020
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Strategy
Number Strategy Name Strategy Language
Per Capita
Emission
Reductions
2030
MTCO2e
2050
MTCO2e
7 Energy
efficiency
retrofits
Promote and incentivize voluntary energy
efficiency retrofits to reduce in natural gas
and electricity usage. Partner with regional
agencies to expand access to existing
energy efficiency and conservation
opportunities, incentives, and technical
assistance for residents and businesses.

0.0288 0.0221
8 Smart Growth
and Infill
Encourage revitalization of neighborhoods
through higher-density, mixed-use, infill
development and creative reuse of underutilized sites within the urban core.

0.0000 0.0000
9 TransitOriented
Development
Encourage development of compact,
mixed-use, and transit-oriented
development to improve the regional jobshousing balance, especially on corridors served by high-ridership transit and bus
rapid transit (BRT), such as Holt Avenue.

0.0008 0.0020
10 Increase
Transportation
Ridership
Ensure a reliable and responsive transit
system with dedicated and secure funding
and resources to support increased
ridership.

0.0697 0.0445
11 Traffic signal
synchronization
and roadway
management
Implement traffic and roadway
management strategies to improve mobility
and efficiency and reduce associated
emissions.

0.0000 0.0000
12 Community
vehicle
electrification
Promote and incentivize the adoption of
electric vehicles (EV) citywide, including
light-duty and heavy-duty vehicles, for
municipal, commercial, and residential
uses.

0.1565 0.6584
13 Active
transportation
networks
Work with transit agencies, school districts,
and employers to facilitate an
interconnected transportation system that
allows a shift in travel from private
passenger vehicles to alternative modes,
including public transit, ride sharing, car
sharing, bicycling, and walking.

0.0045 0.0054
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Strategy
Number Strategy Name Strategy Language
Per Capita
Emission
Reductions
2030
MTCO2e
2050
MTCO2e
14 Vehicle idling
Limit idling of heavy-duty trucks. Support
the South Coast Air Quality Management
District (SCAMQD) and ARB anti-idling
requirements and provide signage in key
areas where idling that is not consistent with
SCAMQD or ARB requirements might occur.

0.0049 0.0025
15 Parking policy
and event
parking
Adopt a comprehensive parking policy that
encourages carpooling and the use of
alternative transportation, including
providing parking spaces for car-share
vehicles at convenient locations with
access to public transportation.

0.0056 0.0115
16 Electrification
of construction
and
landscaping
equipment
Promote and incentivize the transition to
electric construction and landscaping
equipment.

0.0120 0.0368
17 Idling
ordinance for
construction
equipment
Limit idling of heavy-duty off-road
construction equipment to reduce air
pollution and GHG emissions from
construction activity.

0.0001 0.0001
18 Methane
capture at
landfills
Support efforts to reduce methane
emissions from regional landfills. 0.0558 0.0812
19 Waste
diversion
Exceed waste diversion goals
recommended by AB 939 and CALGreen
by adopting a citywide diversion target of
at least 75 percent of waste.

0.0361 0.0547
20 Construction
and Demolition
Waste
Recovery
Ordinance
Increase the amount of waste recycled
during construction and demolition of
buildings.

0.0000 0.0000
21 Indoor water
efficiency
Encourage water-efficient retrofits of new
and existing buildings by working with water
providers and regional agencies.

0.0114 0.0036
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Strategy
Number Strategy Name Strategy Language
Per Capita
Emission
Reductions
2030
MTCO2e
2050
MTCO2e
22 Water efficient
landscapes
and water
recycling
Promote drought-tolerant and fire-wise
landscaping. Encourage increased use of
reclaimed water for landscape irrigation,
agricultural, and industrial use.

0.0085 0.0000
23 Water system
and
wastewater
operations
efficiency
Maximize efficiency at drinking water
treatment, pumping, and distribution
facilities, including development of offpeak demand schedules for heavy commercial and industrial users.

0.0004 0.0000
24 Methane
capture for
wastewater
treatment
Work with Inland Empire Utilities Agency
(IEUA), the local wastewater treatment
provider, to increase methane capture
rate.

0.0024 0.0032
25 Methane
capture for
dairy
operations
Encourage and incentivize local dairy
operations to reduce methane emissions
through methane capture technology.

0.0079 0.0000
26 Climate
change
awareness and
education
Promote climate change awareness and
GHG reduction community-wide through a
variety of mechanisms, including through
support of climate change education in
schools or community colleges.

0.0000 0.0000
27 Carbon
sequestration
Establish a citywide carbon sequestration
project and sequestration goal of 5,000 MT
CO2 per year.

0.0000 0.0000
28 Green jobs
Support green job trainings and
opportunities to create sustainable, living
wage, quality employment opportunities.

0.0000 0.0000
Total GHG emission reductions from all CCAP strategies 0.52 1.09 Community-wide emissions with CCAP 3.54 1.31
In conjunction with existing and planned local and state programs, these updated strategies provide a flexible path to reduce the community’s GHG emissions to meet the City’s 2030 and 2050 emission targets and to support the State’s adopted target for 2030 and its goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. The City’s GHG reduction targets are to reduce emissions to a level below 6.0 MTCO2e per capita by 2030 and 2.0 MTCO2e per capita by 2050 as shown in Table ES-5. Refer to 1006
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Chapter 5 for additional detail on GHG emissions reductions from state actions, existing City actions, and planned City actions.

Table ES-5 Progress to Absolute and Per Capita GHG Emissions Targets Target 2030 Description 2050 Description
Baseline Emissions 8.25 MTCO2e per person 8.25 MTCO2e per person Target 6.0 MTCO2e per person 2.0 MTCO2e per person
Emissions with All Reductions 3.52 MTCO2e per person 1.31 MTCO2e per person Implementing the CCAP will require City leadership to put the CCAP strategies into effect and report progress. To ensure that the implementation process is efficient and transparent, this CCAP includes a work plan that identifies responsible departments, partners, time frames, and relative costs associated with each strategy. Implementation strategies are shown in Table ES-6.

Table ES-6 List of Implementation Strategies
CCAP Implementation Strategies
Implementation Strategy 1. Annually monitor and report progress toward CCAP target achievement.

Implementation Strategy 2. Continue collaborative partnerships with agencies and community groups that support implementation of the CCAP.

Implementation Strategy 3. Secure necessary funding to implement the CCAP.

Implementation Strategy 4. Continue to update the baseline emissions inventory and CCAP every five years.

Implementation Strategy 5. Maintain and update the CCAP to promote greater resilience. 1007
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1. INTRODUCTION
Purpose of the Community Climate Action Plan
The Ontario Community Climate Action Plan (CCAP) serves as the strategic plan for how the City of Ontario (City) will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and foster a sustainable community through 2050 and beyond. The Ontario Plan (TOP), the City’s comprehensive plan or general plan, directs the preparation, ongoing implementation, and update of the CCAP, providing the framework for Ontario to reduce its community-wide GHG emissions in a manner consistent with the adopted state reduction target for 2030 and the longer-term goals for 2045 and 2050. This document describes the City’s successes to date in reducing GHG emissions and provides a framework for continued progress. The 2022 CCAP is an update to the 2014 CCAP.

This chapter includes an updated description of the regulatory framework for the CCAP, a community profile, guiding principles for the City’s climate action planning, and a summary of this update process. Subsequent chapters analyze Ontario’s progress to date in meeting its adopted GHG reduction targets and contain new information to achieve more significant and longer-term GHG reductions.

The CCAP is consistent with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines for Plans for the Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (California Code of Regulations Section 15183.5). This allows the 2022 CCAP to support and streamline environmental review of GHG emissions for future development projects in the city.
2014 Community Climate Action Plan
On December 16, 2014, the City Council adopted the City’s first Community Climate Action Plan (2014 CCAP), which assembled the City’s existing climate action efforts into one centralized plan informed by technical analyses. The 2014 CCAP described specific strategies, actions, and costeffective opportunities for existing and future residents, businesses, and development projects. The 2014 CCAP also served as a qualified GHG reduction strategy under CEQA, streamlining development review.

A key task of the 2014 CCAP was to establish a baseline of community GHG emissions to measure future changes and to inform actions the community could take to reduce emissions by 2020. In April 2012, Ontario developed the 2008 Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and 2020 Forecast as part of a regional partnership with San Bernardino County, led by the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA). (Also referred to as the San Bernardino 1009
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Council of Governments or SBCOG.) The 2008 community-wide inventory report, included as Appendix A in the 2014 CCAP, revealed the major sources of emissions from community activities and gave a basis of comparison for the 2014 CCAP and future assessment reports. The 2014 CCAP also included a GHG emissions forecast that projected future emissions from community activities in 2020.

The 2014 CCAP included 42 measures to reduce GHG emissions across various sector such as new development; building energy; renewable energy; wastewater treatment; solid waste management; on-road transportation; off-road equipment; and water transport, distribution, and treatment. The largest potential reductions in GHG emissions came from strategies in the renewable energy, transportation, and off-road equipment sectors. The City has made continued progress in implementing the measures in the 2014 CCAP.
2022 Community Climate Action Plan
The City of Ontario prepared the 2022 CCAP to update the community’s strategic path to reducing GHG emissions beyond 2020, consistent with State requirements and TOP 2050. Specifically, this CCAP does the following:
• Identifies and updates sources of GHG emissions within the City of Ontario’s municipal boundaries for the calendar year of 2019 and estimates how these emissions may change over time, as presented in Chapter 3.
• Identifies GHG reduction targets in Chapter 4 that are consistent with State targets. • Provides strategies (see Chapter 5) in various sectors to meet or exceed the state target and goals of reducing emissions 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 and 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050 and in support of the State’s pathway to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045, consistent with the direction of the State of California via Assembly Bill (SB) 32, Governor’s Executive Order S-03-05, California Public Resources Code Section 21083.3, and Governor’s Executive Order B-55-18.
• Provides substantial evidence that the emission reductions estimated in the CCAP are feasible in Chapter 5, with supporting technical detail in Appendix A. • Provides an implementation program (see Chapter 6) and discusses the various outcomes of reduction efforts and how these reduction efforts can be implemented. 1010
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The CCAP is summarized in Section 5.8, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, of the Supplemental Environmental Impact Report for The Ontario Plan 2050. The measures included in this 2022 CCAP are not substantially different than those of the 2014 CCAP, and therefore there is no change in the environmental impacts associated with the CCAP.

How to Use This Plan
The following chapters of the 2022 CCAP provide details of the community’s GHG emissions and strategies to reduce emissions.
• Chapters 1 and 2 provide an introduction and context for the CCAP, including community history and demographics, an overview of the City’s existing actions to address climate change, a discussion of climate change and equity, and the relationship between the CCAP and state and regional planning efforts.
• Chapter 3, Ontario GHG Emissions, provides an introduction to climate science and describes the results of Ontario’s recent-year GHG inventories and forecast GHG emissions for 2030 and 2050. This allows the community to see how its emissions have changed over time and charts progress toward state and local emissions reduction targets, informing emissions reduction strategies.
• Chapter 4, GHG Reduction Targets, outlines the GHG emission reduction targets established by state regulations and guidance and the City’s GHG reduction targets. This chapter shows where the City currently stands in its efforts to reduce GHG emissions and the GHG reductions required by the 2022 CCAP to meet its targets. • Chapter 5, GHG Emission Reduction Strategy has two sections:
− The Existing GHG Reduction Strategies section outlines the existing and planned local and state initiatives that are expected to reduce Ontario’s future GHG emissions and move the community closer to achieving its targets.
− The New GHG Reduction Strategies section outlines the new 2022 strategies that show a viable path for Ontario to reach its established GHG emission reduction targets. This includes goals, strategies, and actions; their impacts on GHG emissions; and the cobenefits they provide to enhance ecological, economic, and social well-being. These strategies include actions that will be led by City staff and actions or project features for inclusion in certain development projects as identified by the strategy. • Chapter 6, CCAP Implementation Strategy, describes the implementation details for the strategies in the CCAP and a potential approach to putting these strategies into effect. 1011
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2. BACKGROUND
Community Profile and History
This section provides an overview of Ontario, highlighting key community characteristics, natural resource use, development patterns, and notable history.

Community History
Ontario is in the west San Bernardino Valley, bordered by the cities of Chino and Montclair to the west, Eastvale and Jurupa Valley to the south, Fontana to the east, and Upland and Rancho Cucamonga to the north. Ontario is well connected to the neighboring counties of Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside by four major highways—Interstate 10 and State Route 60 traveling eastwest, and State Route 83 (Euclid Avenue) and Interstate 15 traveling north-south—and by Amtrak and Metrolink stations.

Archaeological evidence dating back to 10,000 BC shows that the San Bernardino Valley has been inhabited for over 12,000 years. The Gabrieleno native peoples flourished in the west San Bernardino Valley for 3,000 years. Shortly after Spanish explorers entered the area in the 1770s, pioneers established ranching operations in the valley. Spanish rancher Don Antonio Lugo and his family managed the Rancho San Bernardino, which encompassed the entire valley, between 1842 and 1851. Subsequently, the Mormon Colony acquired the ranch. The discovery of gold in the San Bernardino Mountains initiated a period of gold and silver mining in the 1860s to 1880s.1 Ontario was established in the 1880s based on the founders’ vision of a planned community and guiding principles that including a mutual water company, prohibition of liquor, a grand thoroughfare through the city (Euclid Avenue), and an agricultural college for general education.

Ontario was incorporated in 1891, and in 1903, Ontario was declared the “Model Colony” by an Act of Congress for its establishment of a new standard for urban living.2 The City first developed as an agricultural community, primarily producing citrus and dairy. The town expanded around Euclid Avenue, creating what are now two of Ontario’s historic districts, the Historic Downtown and the College Park Historic District. Ontario’s population grew in the 1950s as the city shifted from an agricultural-based economy to an industry-based economy and manufacturing jobs became increasingly available. Mass production housing was constructed in a grid development pattern, radiating from the city’s historic core, and establishing most of the suburban residential neighborhoods that dominate northwestern Ontario today. 1013
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Ontario’s rapid job growth continued through the 1980s and 1990s, especially in industrial expansion of automotive plants, air cargo, commerce centers, and housing to match the growing job opportunities. During the 1980s, Ontario was ranked the seventh-fastest-growing city in California. Housing development during this period focused on master-planned communities south of Riverside Drive in the southern and eastern areas of Ontario. Today, these communities are areas of medium and high resources.3
As the Ontario population and economy continues to grow, urban development is transitioning the remaining agricultural land within the city limits. By 2050, all the city’s agricultural land is expected to be converted to urban uses. Western Ontario Ranch (west of Archibald Avenue to Euclid Avenue), which is largely dairy and other farms, is expected to transition into a mixed-use area of residential homes, commercial centers, and industrial and business parks.

Population, Income, and Employment
Ontario is the third most populous city in San Bernardino County after San Bernardino and Fontana, with a population of 178,606 residents in 2019, which is the baseline year of the 2022 CCAP. Approximately 68 percent of the city’s adult residents were below age 44 as of 2019, and nearly 37 percent of all residents were below age 24.4
Ontario, much like California as a whole, is experiencing racial and ethnic diversification. The percentage of non-White residents has increased to 84 percent in 2019 from 79 percent in 2010. The population of Hispanics increased by 14.5 percent between 2010 and 2019, and it is the largest ethnic group in Ontario.5 Based on the 2019 American Community Survey, Ontario’s population is 70 percent Hispanic, 16 percent non-Hispanic White, 7 percent Asian, 5 percent African American, and 2 percent multiracial. Approximately 58 percent of Ontario residents primarily speak a language other than English at home, compared with 42 percent in San Bernardino County.6 In Ontario, the most spoken language at home is Spanish, followed by English, Tagalog, and Chinese.7
According to the American Community Survey (ACS), median household income has increased by 30 percent since 2010, from $57,771 to $75,266 in 2019. 8 The discrepancy in median income between Ontario and San Bernardino County has widened in the past decade. In 2010, the median income in Ontario was only 3.3 percent higher than in the county, but in 2019 the gap in median income between the city and county grew to 10 percent—$75,266 in Ontario compared with $67,903 in San Bernardino County.
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The cost of housing can be particularly vexing for lower-income families, with 56 percent of families paying more than 30 percent of their income on housing. According to data from ACS, citywide median rent increased by approximately 122 percent between 2000 and 2019, outpacing the countywide median rent increase of 110 percent. On a neighborhood level, the eastern and southern areas of Ontario experienced the highest increases in rent in the city (157 and 139 percent median rent increase, respectively).9
Ontario’s economy today is still largely dominated by industrial sectors. The largest economic sector in Ontario is the logistics industry, facilitated by the city’s proximity to major Southern California transportation networks and the Ontario
International Airport. In 2019, the three sectors with the highest shares of employment were transportation and warehousing, waste management and remediation, and retail trade, which made up 17 percent, 13 percent, and 11 percent of jobs in Ontario, respectively.

Sustainability in Ontario
Since adopting the 2014 CCAP, Ontario has made progress in improving energy efficiency and reducing GHG emissions in both municipal operations and community-wide sectors.

To improve energy efficiency of municipal buildings and operations, the City launched the Smart Ontario initiative, which involves an energy audit of City properties,
comprehensive upgrade of municipal utility infrastructure, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment improvements. As of March 2022, the City has retrofitted all city streetlights with light-emitting diode (LED) light fixtures as well as all interior and exterior light fixtures in City buildings (approximately 15,000); has replaced over 100 HVAC
components in City facilities; and replaced 350 thermostats in all City buildings. The City has installed 1.8 megawatts of solar photovoltaic systems at the Ontario Convention Center and the Ontario Police Department, generating 2,571,125 kilowatt-hours of energy in 2019. The Smart Ontario initiative will save an estimated $75 million over the lifetime of the new equipment. To reduce the GHG emissions of newly constructed City buildings, the City

EV CHARGING

STATIONS
The City of Ontario
currently owns 21
electric vehicle (EV)
charging stations. The
City partnered with
Southern California
Edison through the
Charge Ready program
to install EV charging
stations at the Citizens
Business Bank Arena,
Ontario Convention
Center, City Hall,
Library, and the
community center. The
City continues to invest
in expansion of citywide
electric vehicle charging
infrastructure to
promote electric vehicle
use. Through the Smart
Ontario initiative, 4 EV
charging stations are
planned at City
facilities. In downtown,
the City plans to install
17 additional electric
vehicle charging stations
through a partnership
with Tesla funded by the
South Coast Air Quality
Management District.
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committed to all new municipal buildings achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The City has also implemented numerous projects to reduce GHG emissions from the transportation sector, including installation of 21 EV charging stations, adoption of an Active Transportation Master Plan, synchronization of 30 percent of traffic signals in Ontario, and completion of pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure
improvements through Safe Routes to School and Active
Transportation Program grants. Future projects include a citywide e-scooter share program (projected to launch in March 2023), the Multimodal Transportation Center (needs assessment completed in March 2022), and the West Valley Corridor Bus Rapid Transit, a zero-emission bus line (completion expected in 2024).

Since adopting the 2014 CCAP, the City has implemented its GHG reduction measures in new development projects through the Development Review Process. This process involves
documentation of GHG reduction measures incorporated into the design and construction of development projects using “screening tables” that assign point values for each measure that correspond to the minimum emission reduction expected from that measure. The use of screening tables to document
implementation of CCAP strategies ensures that they will be implemented as part of the construction of new developments, helps to reduce GHG emissions in construction of new
development, supports improved monitoring and evaluation of GHG reduction strategies, and ensures compliance with CEQA provisions for evaluating and mitigating climate change impacts. Implementation of the 2022 CCAP will update and continue use of screening tables for eligible projects.

NONRESIDENTIAL

ELECTRICITY

SAVINGS
Between 2008 and 2019,
the city substantially
reduced its GHG
emissions from the
nonresidential electricity
sector, including
commercial and
industrial electricity
use.

Absolute GHG emissions
from thi s sector
decreased by 31 percent,
from 375,540 MTCO2 e in
2005 to 257,820 MTCO2 e
in 2019.

Energy use or activity in
this sector only
decreased slightly
during this period; the
substantial decline in
emissions is attributed
to procurement of more
renewable energy by
Ontario’s energy
providers, in accordance
with State law, and to
greater energy efficiency
in commercial and
industrial facilities and
equipment.
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Climate Change and Equity
Historically and currently, institutions and structural systems drive and perpetuate inequitable distribution of resources, access to opportunities, and poor life outcomes that many frontline communities face. Examples include redlining, exclusionary housing policies, forced removal of Indigenous communities, and Jim Crow segregation. Not only did these policies exacerbate the wealth and income gap between white families and families of color, they also resulted in a greater number of lower-income and communities of color living in areas at greater exposure to environmental pollution and adverse health outcomes.

According to a citywide analysis of Housing and Community Development (HCD) Opportunity Areas, Ontario’s mixture of high-resource, moderate-resource, and low-resource areas have varying urban infrastructure and levels of exposure to environmental pollutants. The State’s Opportunity Mapping is a data-driven approach to measure and map the distribution of resources and opportunity in California communities. It was developed by the California Fair Housing Task Force, a group of independent organizations and research centers convened by the Department of Housing and Community Development and the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee. The approach measures opportunity through an assessment of positive or negative outcomes related to economic, educational, and health indicators across communities in comparable areas (nine identified regions in California with common economic, political, and geography characteristics), and in specific areas classified as high-poverty, racially segregated areas in which over 30 percent of the population is below the federal poverty line. The aggregate assessment of the indicators and outcomes are converted into composite scores that are used to categorize areas as “high resource”, “medium resource”, and “low-resource”, and they are mapped to show geographic trends. The composite scores and opportunity area maps are used primarily to inform the allocation of lowincome housing tax credits for eligible projects. The maps are also used to inform analyses of fair housing issues in long-term policy and planning efforts such as housing elements.

Ontario neighborhoods can be grouped into three major geographic areas based on the HCD analysis of resource distribution across the city. These areas, listed below and shown in Figure 1, share common socioeconomic characteristics that can be traced back to historical urban development patterns.
• Northwestern Ontario. West of Archibald Avenue, inclusive of Ontario International Airport to the city’s western limits and north of Riverside Drive to the city’s northern limits. • Eastern area/Eastern Ontario. East of the Ontario International Airport and Archibald Avenue to the city limits and north of Riverside Drive. • South Ontario. South of Riverside Drive, bounded by the city’s southern limits. 1017
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Currently, southeastern Ontario has higher rates of owner-occupied housing and generally higher median incomes than northwestern Ontario. The southeast areas, considered Ontario’s highresource areas, are characterized by good access to employment, higher median incomes, and higher rates of home-ownership than households in northwestern Ontario. Southeastern Ontario includes much of the city’s recent and future planned development, including single-family housing south of Highway 60 in eastern Ontario Ranch and business parks and industrial commerce centers in east Ontario north of Highway 60. By contrast, households in the northwestern area are primarily renter occupied, and more than half of households in this area are considered low resource, with relatively low access to education and employment opportunities.

CalEnviroScreen, a mapping tool developed by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, has identified similar issues. This tool uses environmental, health, and socioeconomic indicators to map and compare community environmental scores on a scale of 0 to 100. A community with a high score has higher levels of pollution and other negative environmental or social indicators. All neighborhoods in Ontario score 50 or higher, meaning that they score higher (i.e., worse) than 50 percent of neighborhoods in the state. In particular, most or all of Ontario scores high for several types of air pollution, releases of toxic materials from major goods movement transportation corridors and industrial facilities, levels of cardiovascular disease, levels of poverty, and limited educational attainment. However, the highest scores in Ontario for these and numerous other factors are concentrated in the city’s low-resource areas, showing that residents of these areas are disproportionately burdened by multiple sources of pollution and socioeconomic inequities. 1018
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Figure 1 Map of Ontario
Source: City of Ontario Draft Housing Element, 2022
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Although the 2022 CCAP is not a dedicated equity plan, many of the factors that contribute to inequities are related to GHG emissions. For example, many sources of air pollution are also sources of GHGs, so reducing air pollution from these activities often helps to reduce Ontario’s GHG emissions. Additionally, the 2022 CAP recommends numerous strategies to reduce GHG emissions that provide other co-benefits that enhance quality of life in Ontario, including improving inequities and supporting efforts to expand resources and opportunity in low-resource areas.

Through direct reductions in air pollution and indirect improvements to community well-being, the CCAP can contribute significantly in many ways to achieving a more equitable and fair Ontario. CCAP efforts that can address these issues may include:
• Improved transit service can help improve job access, provide greater mobility options for people who are unable to drive, and allow people to meet many of their daily needs at a lower cost than owning a car. Transit also releases less air pollution per rider than a private vehicle, helping to improve air quality.
• Expanded pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure can encourage more active lifestyles and recreational activities. Increased pedestrian and bicycle activity also allows people to reduce their dependencies on private vehicles and associated costs and further improves local air quality.
• Energy efficiency retrofits can result in significant cost savings for homes and businesses and help create more comfortable, safer living and working conditions.

ONTARIO TOGETHER
Ontario Together is a community plan for advancing environmental quality and racial equity in disadvantaged communities in central Ontario. Its mission is to achieve sustainable neighborhood transformation through implementation of various GHG reduction strategies in the project area, a five- square-mile area in the heart of downtown. The strategies include improvements in access to solar energy, public transit, affordable housing, green jobs, and bicycle and pedestrian facilities for residents. Project outcomes include planting 365 trees, distributing 100 free bus passes, and implementing numerous bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure improvements, including five miles of bicycle lanes and three miles of sidewalks along Mission Blvd, and crosswalk installations on Euclid and Holt. Planned projects include Omnitrans Bus service improvements, Workforce Development, Small Business Support, and the Ontario Carbon Farm. The Ontario Carbon Farm is a partnership with Huerta del Valle Community Garden to establish a community composting site that will generate high-quality compost from food waste collected in the city.
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• Green space can encourage recreation, provide shade, and improve neighborhood aesthetics.
• Increased water and energy conservation can improve community resilience to droughts and peak demand energy shortages.
• Increased adoption of solar energy systems can improve community resilience to power outages and power safety shut-off events.
• Increased demand for energy efficiency retrofits, solar and battery energy systems, electric vehicle charging installation, and water-efficient landscaping can provide new job opportunities in the community. These can be well-paying jobs that often can be made available to members of underserved communities, particularly when the community or local agencies provide free or low-cost job-training resources.

Regulatory Framework
California law first directly addressed climate change in 1988, when AB 4420 directed state agencies to prepare a GHG inventory and study the impacts of climate change. Since then, California has adopted several laws to assess climate change, analyze GHG emissions and their effects, reduce emissions, identify climate change impacts, and prepare for the impacts of climate change. Many of these laws and associated regulations affect local governments, although only some create specific requirements for individual communities. In addition to state regulations, there are local and regional planning and regulatory processes that support or direct the reduction of GHGs. These laws and associated regulations are briefly summarized in this section.

The Ontario Plan 2050
TOP 2050 provides direction on how the City will fulfill its strategic vision and manage fiscal sustainability, daily operations, and implementation of the goals and policies during the next 30 years. TOP 2050 is a “business plan” that focuses on conducting technical updates to comply with state law, including regulations that address housing, community health, environmental justice, climate adaption, and mobility. In addition, TOP 2050 focuses on long-term growth and fiscal sustainability and advancing the Implementation Plan’s tracking and feedback component.10 Several TOP policies are relevant to climate change, including policies addressing environmental justice and policies in the Safety Element. Environmental justice policies address inequities in the built environment in compliance with Senate Bill 1000 (SB 1000). SB 1000, approved in 2016, requires local governments to identify disadvantaged communities and address environmental justice in the general plan update through policies that aim to reduce health risks in disadvantaged 1021
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communities, promote inclusive civic engagement in the planning process, and prioritize improvements that address the needs of disadvantaged communities.11 In compliance with SB 1000, TOP 2050 identifies goals, policies, and objectives that reduce health risks caused by environmental pollution and reduce disparities in access to amenities, prioritizing improvements in disadvantaged communities most affected.

The Safety Element addresses public safety concerns related to the natural and built environment, including climate change, in compliance with SB 379. SB 379, approved in 2015, requires local governments to include a vulnerability assessment in the safety element update that identifies the unique risks to the community caused by climate change and informs policies to protect those vulnerabilities.12 The Safety Element provides information about risks from natural and humanmade hazards and includes goals, policies, and actions designed to protect the community and its property from hazards. Other TOP 2050 elements include policies and actions that affect GHG emission reduction and resilience.
• The Land Use Element encourages infill development, mixed-use development, and development around transit to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT). • The Housing Element encourages development of low-income, moderate-income, and market rate housing at higher densities that meet HCD criteria for each income category. • The Mobility Element addresses improvements in active transportation infrastructure based on the Ontario Active Transportation Master Plan and Transit Priority Areas.

Each of these elements plays a role in enhancing the overall sustainability and resilience of the community.

TOP 2050, which is scheduled for adoption in 2022, will reference the 2022 CCAP, recognizing the City’s climate action planning efforts must be updated on a more regular basis than the General Plan to be responsive to changing regulations, guidance, technology, best practices, and science.

The San Bernardino County Regional Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan In 2021, SBCTA adopted an update to the San Bernardino County Regional Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan, a regional effort to address statewide greenhouse gas emissions in response to AB 32. The plan assesses existing and projected GHG emissions for all participating communities in San Bernardino County to identify regional and local strategies to reduce GHGs. The regional effort is the product of an informal partnership among 25 jurisdictions, including the City of Ontario, led by SBCTA. The plan includes a 2016 GHG inventory, GHG emissions forecasts for 2030 and 2045, and strategies for reducing emissions in Ontario, including 7 state measures and 27 local measures. The GHG reduction measures have been vetted and adopted by all 25 partnership 1022
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cities. The plan is accompanied by an assessment, monitoring, and implementation tool, called the San Bernardino County GHG Reduction Tool, which allows the City to quantify emissions reductions and measure progress in achieving emissions reductions from state and local measures.

The 2022 Ontario CCAP is consistent with the regional plan and draws from the plan’s GHG reduction strategies.

Title 24: Building Standards Code
Title 24 is the section of the California Code of Regulations that establishes standards to promote energy efficiency, public health, and greenhouse gas reduction standards for the construction of new commercial, residential, and public school buildings. Title 24 includes Part 6, Building Energy Efficiency Standards (also known as the Energy Code), which is focused on reducing energy consumption of new buildings, and Part 11, CALGreen Code, which is focused on reducing environmental impacts and improving public health through mandatory measures in the building sector.13
Title 24 is applied at the local level through the building permit and development review process, implemented through the municipal building code. On November 19, 2019, the City enacted an ordinance to amend the municipal code and adopt by reference the 2019 California Building Standards Code, which includes the CALGreen Code. This ordinance will require compliance with statewide Title 24 standards that improve energy efficiency, public health, and environmental sustainability in new homes and nonresidential buildings, such as high-efficiency electric air and water heating systems, improved ventilation systems, and rooftop solar and battery storage systems.14 This CCAP was prepared with the 2019 standards in effect. The next update, the 2022 Title 24 standards, will go into effect on January 1, 2023.

South Coast Air Quality Management District
The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) is the regional air district responsible for air quality regulation in most of Southern California, including Ontario and the rest of the valley region of San Bernardino County. The SCAQMD’s primary responsibility is to regulate stationary sources and develop plans to achieve and maintain air quality standards.

Released in 2016, the latest update to the SCAQMD’s Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP) provides a regional strategy to protect public health and the environment to eliminate health risk disparities from exposure to air pollution among Southern California communities. To make progress toward all state and federal air quality standards, the 2016 Air Quality Management Plan includes a wide range of goals in partnership with other agencies to decrease critical pollutants, greenhouse gases, and toxins as well as improve efficiency of energy use, on-road transportation, and goods movement. The most effective way to reduce air pollution impacts to residents of the 1023
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Southern California region, especially disproportionately impacted communities along transportation corridors, is to reduce emissions from mobile sources such as vehicles, buses, and trucks. The SCAQMD has partnered with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to update the AQMP to address mobile sources, including transportation control measures developed by the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG). The 2016 plan emphasizes collaboration between agencies to develop new regulations that monitor and control emissions and the pursuit of grant funding and incentives to accelerate the adoption of cleaner technologies in vehicles, buildings, and industrial facilities.

The South Coast Air Basin is classified as an extreme nonattainment area for ground-level ozone under the EPA’s current National Ambient Air Quality Standards, which means that it greatly exceeds the threshold for ozone levels deemed acceptable for human health. The 2022 AQMP is in the process of being updated and will include requirements for meeting the 2015 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards. According to the EPA, GHG emissions and ozone levels are correlated because ozone formation in the atmosphere accelerates as temperature increases. Ozone exposure can exacerbate human health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, asthma, and other respiratory diseases.15
Warehouse Indirect Source Rule 2305
On May 8, 2021, South Coast AQMD adopted Warehouse Indirect Source Rule 2305, which includes the Warehouse Actions and Investments to Reduce Emissions (WAIRE) Program and Rule 316. Rule 2305 establishes for the first time in Ontario a regulatory program designed to reduce air pollution (and indirect GHG emissions) caused by warehouse-related activities and is focused on emissions from vehicles that service large warehouses.

State of California Regulations and Guidance
California has adopted several laws to assess climate change, analyze GHG emissions and their effects, reduce emissions, and prepare for the impacts of climate change. These laws and associated regulations are briefly summarized here.

Executive Order S-03-05
In 2005, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued Executive Order (EO) S-03-05, which established the first statewide GHG reduction goals for California: reduce emissions to 2000 levels by 2010, reduce emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, and reduce emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.
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Assembly Bill 32: California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 State of California guidance and targets for reductions in GHG emissions are generally embodied in the Global Warming Solutions Act, adopted with passage of AB 32 by the California state legislature on August 31, 2006. AB 32 follows the 2020 emissions reduction goal established in EO S-03-05. AB 32 includes the major GHGs and groups of GHGs that are being emitted into the atmosphere. These gases include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3).

Through the adoption of AB 32, the California Legislature declared:
(a) Global warming poses a serious threat to the economic well-being, public health, natural resources, and the environment of California. The potential adverse impacts of global warming include the exacerbation of air quality problems, a reduction in the quality and supply of water to the state from the Sierra snowpack, a rise in sea levels resulting in the displacement of thousands of coastal businesses and residences, damage to marine ecosystems and the natural environment, and an increase in the incidences of infectious diseases, asthma, and other human health-related problems. (b) Global warming will have detrimental effects on some of California’s largest industries, including agriculture, wine, tourism, skiing, recreational and commercial fishing, and forestry. It will also increase the strain on electricity supplies necessary to meet the demand for summer air-conditioning in the hottest parts of the state.

Climate Change Scoping Plan
The Climate Change Scoping Plan (Scoping Plan), adopted in 2008 and updated in 2014 and 2017, employs a variety of GHG reduction strategies that include direct regulations, alternate compliance mechanisms, incentives, voluntary actions, and market-based approaches like a capand-trade program. The 2008 Scoping Plan identified local governments as strategic partners to achieving the state goal and translated California’s 2020 GHG reduction goal of returning to 1990 emission levels to a 15 percent reduction of “existing” emissions by 2020 (emissions between 2005 and 2008). On December 14, 2017, CARB adopted the 2017 Climate Change Scoping Plan Update (2017 Scoping Plan) to address the 2030 target and 2050 goal for the state. The 2017 Scoping Plan lays out a path to reduce statewide GHG emissions 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.

California’s climate strategy outlined in the 2017 Scoping Plan requires contributions from all sectors of the economy, including enhanced focus on zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) and near-ZEV technologies; continued investment in renewables such as solar roofs, wind, and other types of distributed generation; greater use of low carbon fuels; integrated land conservation and development strategies; coordinated efforts to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants 1025
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(methane, black carbon, and fluorinated gases); and an increased focus on integrated land use planning to support livable, transit-connected communities and conserve agricultural and other lands. Requirements for GHG reductions at stationary sources complement local air pollution control efforts by the local air districts to tighten criteria air pollutant and toxic air contaminant emissions limits on a broad spectrum of industrial sources.

In addition to these statewide strategies, the 2017 Climate Change Scoping Plan identified local governments as essential partners in achieving the state’s long-term GHG reduction goals and recommended local actions to reduce GHG emissions. It proposes goals for local governments to reduce their GHG emissions to 40 percent below 2020 levels by 2030 (1,128,580 metric tons of CO2 equivalent [MTCO2e]) and 80 percent below 2020 levels by 2050, consistent with statewide reduction goals. In per capita terms, statewide guidance recommends targets of to 6 MTCO2e per capita by 2030, and 2 MTCO2e per capita by 2050 (376,190 MTCO2e). CARB recommends that local governments evaluate and adopt robust and quantitative, locally appropriate goals that align with the statewide per capita targets and sustainable development objectives and develop plans to achieve the local goals.

As of April 2022, CARB is working on a third update to the Scoping Plan in response to the adoption of Senate Bill 32 in 2016 and the governor’s 2018 goal of achieving statewide carbon neutrality by 2045. The updated Scoping Plan was released for public review in May 2022 and is set to be adopted sometime in late 2022.

California Cap-and-Trade Program
The Cap-and-Trade Program, which took effect in 2012, was originally developed under AB 32 as a market mechanism-based measure to reduce statewide emissions and move the state toward meeting the year 2020 GHG reduction target. In 2017, passage of Assembly Bill 398 extended the program to 2030, which coincides with the year 2030 GHG reduction target set under SB 32. The Cap-and-Trade Program would deliver the additional GHG reductions necessary to ensure that the 2030 GHG reduction target is met.16 Overall, the program covers approximately 85 percent of all emissions in California and covers a variety of emissions sectors, such as electricity generators and large industrial facilities, which include refineries that generate 25,000 MTCO2e or more per year. In addition, the program also covers distributors of transportation fuels and requires fuel distributors to reduce GHG emissions by either supplying low carbon fuels or purchasing pollution permits to cover GHG emissions generated from combustion of conventional petroleumbased fuel the distributors supply.17 1026
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Senate Bill 375: Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act of 2008 In 2008, SB 375, the Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act, was adopted to connect the GHG emissions-reductions targets established in the 2008 Scoping Plan to local land use decisions that affect travel behavior. Its intent is to reduce GHG emissions from light-duty trucks and automobiles (excludes emissions associated with goods movement) by aligning regional longrange transportation plans, investments, and housing allocations to local land use planning to reduce VMT and vehicle trips. Specifically, SB 375 required CARB to establish GHG emissionsreduction targets for each of the 18 metropolitan planning organizations. SCAG is the metropolitan planning organization for the Southern California region, which includes the City of Ontario.

Pursuant to the recommendations of the Regional Transit Technical Advisory Committee (RTTAC), CARB adopted per capita reduction targets for each of the metropolitan planning organizations. The reduction targets for the Southern California Association of Governments are to reduce GHG emissions from passenger vehicles and light duty trucks by 8 percent per capita by 2020 and 19 percent by 2035 relative to 2005 emissions levels.18 Executive Order B-30-15
EO B-30-15 was signed April 29, 2015, by Governor Jerry Brown and set a goal to reduce GHG emissions in the state to 40 percent below 1990 levels by year 2030. EO B-30-15 directed CARB to update the Scoping Plan to quantify the 2030 GHG reduction goal for the state and requires state agencies to implement strategies to meet the interim 2030 goal. It also requires the California Natural Resources Agency to conduct triennial updates of the California adaption strategy, Safeguarding California, to ensure climate change is accounted for in state planning and investment decisions.

Senate Bill 32 and Assembly Bill 197
In September 2016, Governor Brown signed SB 32 and AB 197, making the Executive Order goal for year 2030 into a statewide, mandated legislative target. AB 197 established a joint legislative committee on climate change policies and requires CARB to prioritize direct emissions reductions rather than the market-based cap-and-trade program for large stationary, mobile, and other sources.

Executive Order B-55-18
Executive Order B-55-18, signed September 10, 2018, sets a goal “to achieve carbon neutrality as soon as possible, and no later than 2045, and achieve and maintain net negative emissions thereafter”. EO B-55-18 directs CARB to work with relevant state agencies to ensure future Scoping Plans identify and recommend measures to achieve the carbon neutrality goal. The goal of carbon neutrality by 2045 is in addition to other statewide goals, meaning that not only should emissions 1027
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be reduced to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, but that, by no later than 2045, the remaining emissions should be offset by equivalent net removals of CO2e from the atmosphere, including through sequestration in forests, soils, and other natural landscapes.

Executive Order N-79-20
On September 23, 2020, Governor Newsom issued EO N-79-20, which sets a time frame for the transition to ZEVs, including passenger vehicles, trucks, and off-road equipment. It directs CARB to develop and propose passenger vehicle and truck regulations requiring increasing volumes of new ZEVs sold in the California toward the target of 100 percent of in-state sales by 2035, and similar regulations for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles to achieve a target of 100 percent fleet electrification by 2045. In addition, Executive Order N-79-20 provides strategies—in cooperation with other state agencies, the EPA, and local air districts—to achieve 100 percent zero emissions from all off-road vehicles and equipment operations in California by 2035.

State Regulations of GHG Emissions from Medium- and Heavy-Duty Trucks Existing heavy-duty vehicle regulations in California include engine criteria emission standards, tractor-trailer GHG emission reduction requirements, and in-use fleet retrofit requirements, such as the Truck and Bus Regulation. The following state strategies reduce GHG emissions from medium- and heavy-duty trucks:
• CARB’s Phase 1 and 2 Heavy-Duty Vehicle GHG Standards establish emission limits on truck and engine manufacturers and harmonize with the EPA rule for new trucks and engines nationally.
• CARB’s Mobile Source Strategy focuses on reducing GHGs through the transition to ZEVs and low-emission vehicles and from medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks.19 • CARB’s Advanced Clean Fleets regulation, starting in 2025, will require public agencies, drayage operations, and high-priority fleets to prepare for the transition to zero-emission trucks and buses where feasible.
• CARB’s Advanced Clean Trucks regulation, starting in 2025, will require that manufacturers of trucks meet a minimum sales requirement for ZEVs. • CARB’s Sustainable Freight Action Plan establishes a goal to improve freight efficiency by 25 percent by 2030, deploy over 100,000 freight vehicles and equipment capable of zeroemission operation, and maximize both zero-emissions and near-zero emission freight vehicles and equipment powered by renewable energy by 2030.20 1028
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• CARB’s Emissions Reduction Plan for Ports and Goods Movement (Goods Movement Plan) in California focuses on reducing heavy-duty truck-related emissions by the establishment of emissions standards for trucks, fleet turnover, truck retrofits, and restriction on truck idling.
• CARB’s Small Off-Road Engines (SORE) regulation that will require most newly manufactured small off-road equipment, such as leaf blowers and lawn mowers, to meet zero-emission standards by 2024, and portable generators to meet these standards in 2028.

These state regulations would contribute to reducing medium-duty and heavy-duty truck GHG emissions in Ontario.

California Environmental Quality Act
CEQA requires that many proposed development projects conduct an environmental review to identify how the project may impact the environment, including an analysis of GHG emissions from the project and their contribution to climate change. The guidelines encourage the adoption of policies or programs as a means of comprehensively addressing the cumulative GHG emissions and associated impacts of projects (See CEQA Guidelines, Sections 15064(h)(3) and 15130 (c)).

Consistent with the CEQA Guidelines, lead agencies may use adopted GHG reduction plans to assess the cumulative impacts of discretionary projects on climate change. In addition, the CEQA Guidelines provide a mechanism to streamline development review of future projects.

Specifically, lead agencies may use adopted plans consistent with State CEQA Guidelines Section 15183.5 to analyze and mitigate the significant effects of GHGs under CEQA at a programmatic level by adopting a plan for the reduction of GHG emissions. Later, as individual projects are proposed, project-specific environmental documents may tier from and/or incorporate by reference that existing programmatic review in their cumulative impact analysis. If a proposed development within the City of Ontario is consistent with the emission reduction strategies included in the CCAP and the programs are developed as a result of the CCAP, the project would have a less-than-significant impact on climate change.

A project-specific environmental document that relies on this 2022 CCAP for its cumulative impacts analysis must identify specific GHG reduction strategies applicable to the project and demonstrate the project’s incorporation of the strategies. Project applicants and City staff will identify specific strategies applicable to each project during project review. If applicable strategies are not otherwise binding and enforceable, they must be incorporated as mitigation strategies for the project. If substantial evidence indicates that the GHG emissions of a proposed project may be cumulatively considerable, notwithstanding the project’s compliance with specific strategies in this 2022 CCAP, an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) must be prepared for the project. 1029
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This 2022 CCAP meets the CEQA Guidelines and commitments, as follows:
• Quantifies emissions, both existing and projected over a specified time period, resulting from activities within a defined geographic area.
• Establishes a level, based on substantial evidence, below which the contribution of emissions from activities covered by the plan would not be cumulatively considerable. The 2022 CCAP builds off the 2014 CCAP’s GHG reduction targets by establishing two new targets for 2030 and 2050, consistent with State guidance, and provides substantial evidence for how Ontario can meet these targets and provide substantial progress toward the State’s statewide goal of carbon neutrality by 2045.
• Identifies and analyzes the emissions resulting from specific actions or categories of actions anticipated within the geographic area.
• Specifies strategies and associated actions, that, if implemented, substantial evidence demonstrates they would collectively achieve the specified future per capita emissions level.
• Establishes a mechanism to monitor the 2022 CCAP’s progress toward achieving specific levels and to require amendment if the plan is not achieving those levels. • Environmental review of the CCAP has been conducted as a component of the Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) for The Ontario Plan 2050. As identified in the Draft SEIR, the CCAP is summarized in Section 5.8, Greenhouse Gas Emissions. The measures included in the 2022 update to the CCAP are not substantially different than those of the 2014 CCAP, and therefore there is no change in the environmental impacts associated with the CCAP.
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3. ONTARIO’S GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
Climate Science
Climate is the long-term average of weather conditions, such as temperature and precipitation.

While it is normal for Earth’s climate system to experience long-term shifts in these average conditions, human activity is causing global climate change at a much faster pace than in the past.

These activities, predominantly the burning of fossil fuels, emit heat-trapping gases called GHGs that build up in the atmosphere. As GHG levels increase, Earth’s atmosphere traps more heat, triggering changes in the global climate system that may have serious and potentially catastrophic impacts on people, community assets, and natural systems.

The heat-trapping effect of GHGs is known as the “greenhouse effect” because the Earth’s atmosphere acts like a greenhouse, warming the planet in much the same way that an ordinary greenhouse warms the air inside its glass walls. This process is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2 The Greenhouse Effect
Source: Climate Central21
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GHGs are naturally occurring gases, such as water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O), that absorb heat radiated from the Earth’s surface. GHGs are transparent to certain wavelengths of the Sun’s radiant energy, including visible light, allowing sunlight to penetrate deep into the atmosphere or all the way to Earth’s surface. Clouds, ice caps, and particles in the air reflect about 30 percent of this radiation, but oceans and land masses absorb the remaining 70 percent before releasing it back toward space as infrared radiation. GHGs and clouds effectively prevent some of the infrared radiation from escaping; they trap the heat near Earth’s surface where it warms the lower atmosphere. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that if this natural barrier of atmospheric gases was not present, the heat would escape into space, and Earth’s average global temperatures could be as much as 61 degrees Fahrenheit (°F) cooler.22
The IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report summarizes the latest scientific understanding of global climate change and projects future conditions using the most comprehensive set of recognized global climate models. The report, released in 2021, considers all impacts that human activities have on global climate, temperature, natural and managed ecosystems, natural resources, human mental and physical health, human migration, urban infrastructure, and food systems. The report describes the existing impacts of atmospheric warming that are currently being observed as a result of the atmospheric imbalance and projected conditions under different scenarios, depending on the success of climate mitigation on a global scale. The report states that:
... widespread and severe loss and damage to human and natural systems are being driven by human-induced climate changes increasing the frequency and/or intensity and/or duration of extreme weather events, including droughts, wildfires, terrestrial and marine heatwaves, cyclones (high confidence), and flood (low confidence). Extremes are surpassing the resilience of some ecological and human systems, and challenging the adaptation capacities of others, including impacts with irreversible consequences (high confidence).23 Human activities are exerting a major and growing influence on the climate by changing the composition of the atmosphere and by modifying the land surface. Particularly, the increased consumption of fossil fuels (e.g., natural gas, coal, gasoline) has substantially increased atmospheric levels of GHGs. The Sixth Assessment Report projects five different temperature scenarios, all of which project 2021–2040 temperatures 2.16°F to 3.2°F warmer than the 1986–2005 average temperature, and potentially over 10.26°F warmer by 2100 under the highest emissions scenario.

The Sixth Assessment Report notes that if trends remain unchanged, continued GHG emissions above current rates will lead to further changes in the global climate system and pose even greater risks than those currently seen.
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Local GHG Emissions
A community-wide GHG inventory identifies GHG emissions that result from activities of Ontario residents, employees, visitors, and other community members. Examples include residents driving cars, homes using water, and businesses using electricity. A forecast is a projection of these emissions for future years. Preparing the GHG inventory and forecast is the first step in creating a strategy to reduce Ontario’s annual emissions. Determining the annual level of GHG emissions helps the City to establish attainable goals for reducing emissions and develop policies and programs to achieve those goals.

In some cases, the GHG emissions themselves are occurring within the city limits of Ontario, such as emissions from combustion of natural gas used in community homes or businesses. In some cases, the activity occurs within Ontario, but the emissions occur elsewhere, such as GHG emissions from power plants in other communities that generate the electricity used in Ontario. In a few cases, the activity occurs partially in Ontario and partially elsewhere, such as emissions from vehicle trips between Ontario and another community. Overall, the community-wide inventory is an assessment of GHG emissions that are attributed to Ontario, although the emissions themselves or even the activities may not occur within the Ontario city limits.

As part of the preparation of the 2014 CCAP, the City of Ontario and its regional partners and technical consultants prepared community-wide GHG inventories for the calendar year 2008 and a projection of GHG emissions in 2020. The 2014 CCAP identified the year 2008 as the baseline year for emission reductions because this was considered a year with good data availability at the time, consistent with state guidance, and without any unusual factors that might affect GHG emissions.

In 2021, SBCTA prepared a regional GHG inventory for the calendar year 2016 as part of the San Bernardino County Regional GHG Reduction Plan.

As part of the 2022 CCAP, the City prepared a set of new and revised community-wide GHG inventories and forecasts. The project team prepared a new 2019 community-wide GHG inventory, revised the existing 2008 and 2016 inventories to ensure they used the same methods and data sources as the 2019 inventory so they could be accurately compared, and prepared 2030 and 2050 forecasts. The team selected 2019 for the new inventory since 2019 was the most recent year with complete data that was not affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, as the changes in GHG emissions created by the pandemic are expected to be mostly temporary and are not an appropriate basis for long-term GHG emission planning.

This chapter presents the results of the updated and new City of Ontario community-wide GHG inventories and forecasts and a discussion of the methods used to prepare and update the GHG inventories.
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Community-Wide GHG Inventory
Protocols and Methods
A series of guidance documents, called protocols, recommend how to adequately assess GHG emissions. The project team prepared the new GHG inventory and updated the past GHG inventories consistent with the guidance in widely adopted, standard protocol documents. These protocols provide guidance on what activities should be evaluated in the GHG inventories and how emissions from those activities should be assessed. Using standard methods also allows an easy comparison of GHG emission levels across multiple years and communities.

The community-wide GHG inventory uses the United States Community Protocol for Accounting and Reporting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (U.S. Community Protocol), which was first developed in 2012 and updated most recently in 2019. The California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research encourages cities and counties in California to follow the U.S. Community Protocol for community-wide GHG emissions.

The Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Inventories (Global Protocol) was first developed in 2014 for preparing international community-scale GHG inventories. It is mostly consistent with the U.S. Community Protocol, although it contains additional guidance and resources to support a wider range of activities in other countries. The project team used the Global Protocol to assess GHG emissions from sources that are not covered in the U.S. Community Protocol.

GHG inventories are estimates of GHG emissions based on these standard methods and verified datasets. They are not direct measurements of GHG emissions, but when the standard methods in the protocols are used with accurate data from appropriate sources, GHG inventories provide reliable estimates of local emission levels. However, due to potential data limitations, some inconsistencies in methods may remain. Any concerns about inconsistent methods are noted in the appropriate sector discussion.

UNITS OF MEASURE AND EMISSION FACTORS
GHG inventories assess emissions in a unit called carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), which is a combined unit of all GHGs analyzed in the inventory. Because different GHGs have different effects on the processes that drive climate change, CO2e is a weighted unit that reflects the relative potency of the different GHGs. These inventories report amounts of GHGs in metric tons of CO2e (MTCO2e), that is, 1,000 kilograms or approximately 2,205 pounds. 1034
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The project team calculated most of the GHG emissions using data on GHG-generating activities in combination with emission factors. An emissions factor describes how many metric tons of CO2e emissions are released per unit of an activity. For instance, an emissions factor for electricity describes the MTCO2e emissions produced per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity used, and an emission factor for on-road transportation describes the MTCO2e emissions produced per mile of driving. Table 1 shows the emissions factors for 2019. Some sectors do not have specific emission factors, including agriculture and off-road emissions, and were calculated using formulae or models.

Table 1 Emissions Factors, 2008 to 2019
Sector Unit 2008 2016 2019
Percentage
Change,
2008–2019
Source
SCE electricity MTCO2e/
kWh 0.000295 0.000256 0.000208 -29% SCE
Natural gas MTCO2e /
therm 0.005677 0.007341 0.005272 -7%
US
Community
Protocol
On-road
transportation
(light- and
medium-duty
vehicles)
MTCO2e /
mile 0.000432 0.000363 0.000348 -19%
California
Air
Resources
Board
On-road
transportation
(heavy-duty
vehicles)
MTCO2e /
mile 0.001007 0.001248 0.001256 25%
California
Air
Resources
Board
On-road
transportation
(total)
MTCO2e /
mile 0.000478 0.000430 0.000434 -9%
California
Air
Resources
Board
Municipal solid
waste (MSW)
MTCO2e /
ton 0.296215 0.286062 0.286062 -3% CalRecycle
Alternative daily
cover (ADC)
MTCO2e /
ton - - 0.247191 - CalRecycle
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Sectors
The community-wide GHG inventory assessed GHG emissions from nine categories of activities, known as sectors.
• Transportation. GHG emissions created by driving on-road vehicles in Ontario, including passenger and freight vehicles.
• Residential energy. GHG emissions attributed to the use of electricity and natural gas in residential buildings.
• Nonresidential energy. GHG emissions attributed to the use of electricity and natural gas in nonresidential buildings.
• Solid waste. GHG emissions released from trash collected from residents and businesses. • Off-road equipment. GHG emissions from equipment that does not provide on-road transportation (excluding agricultural equipment), such as tractors for construction or equipment used for landscape maintenance.
• Agriculture. GHG emissions from various agricultural activities, including agricultural equipment, crop cultivation and harvesting, and livestock operations. • Water and wastewater. This sector accounts for the electricity used to transport every gallon of water to or wastewater from city residents and businesses, as well as direct emissions from processing wastewater.
• Land use and sequestration. Emissions released into the atmosphere from development of previously undeveloped land and GHG emissions absorbed and stored in trees and soils on locally controlled lands as part of healthy ecosystems. • Stationary sources. Emissions from fuel use at major industrial facilities permitted by state and regional air quality authorities. Stationary source emissions are informational and are not included in the community total.

Per Capita GHG Emissions
In addition to analyzing absolute or total community-wide GHG emissions, the project team also assessed GHG emissions per capita (per person) in Ontario. Per capita emissions show the average number of emissions per service population, which is the sum of community residents and employees in Ontario, so the service population per capita emissions account for activities of both residents and workers in Ontario. Per capita GHG emissions show changes in emissions over time 1036
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and are helpful for showing consistency with state-recommended GHG reduction targets. Table 2 provides demographic context for the GHG inventory by showing a summary of change in population, households, jobs, service population, and VMT between 2008 and 2019. Throughout this document, the GHG emissions are presented in terms of per capita emissions using units of MTCO2e per person in the Ontario service population.

Table 2 City of Ontario Community-Wide Demographic Change, 2019 Metric 2008 2016 2019
Percentage
Change
2008–2019
Relevant
Sectors
Population 163,951 172,249 178,606 9% Off-road
equipment
Households 44,673 46,001 48,275 8%
Residential
energy,
off-road
equipment
Residents
per
household
104,233 113,859 128,637 23% None
Jobs 268,184 286,108 307,243 15%
Nonresidential
energy,
off-road
equipment
Service
population 163,951 172,249 178,606 130%
Solid, water
and
wastewater,
off-road
equipment
Vehicle Miles
Traveled
(VMT)
1,969,786,450 1,995,399,670 2,151,423,590 9% Transportation Sources: 2019 demographic numbers are from US Census, the Department of Finance, and San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA).

Notes: Service population is the sum of populations and jobs. All numbers except residents per household are rounded to the nearest 10.
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Inventory Results
The 2022 CCAP includes 2008 and 2016 community-wide GHG inventories from the San Bernardino Regional GHG Reduction Plan, with a few additional sources of GHG emissions and some changes to the methods to be consistent with current guidance, and a 2019 community-wide GHG inventory.

Table 3 and Figure 3 show the per capita GHG emissions by sector for the three inventory years.

Per capita emissions in Ontario decreased from approximately 8.25 MTCO2e in 2008 to approximately 5.55 MTCO2e per person in 2019, a decrease of 33 percent. In terms of absolute GHG emissions, Ontario’s community-wide GHG emissions decreased from 2,212,900 MTCO2e in 2008 to 1,703,730 MTCO2e in 2019, a decrease of approximately 23 percent. The sectors with the highest per capita emissions corresponded with the highest-emitting sectors, the transportation and nonresidential energy sectors. Table 4 shows how each of the community’s sectors contributes to annual GHG emissions.

Table 3 Annual Per Capita GHG Emissions by Sector, 2008 to 2019 SECTOR 2008
MTCO2e
2016
MTCO2e
2019
MTCO2e
Percentage
Change,
2008–2019
Transportation 3.51 3.00 3.04 -13%
Nonresidential energy 2.77 1.80 1.29 -54%
Residential energy 0.72 0.55 0.50 -30%
Solid waste 0.28 0.22 0.27 -4%
Off-road equipment 0.17 0.08 0.21 23%
Agriculture 0.63 0.21 0.16 -75%
Water and wastewater 0.15 0.08 0.06 -56%
Land use and sequestration 0.01 0.00 0.00 -77%
Total 8.25 5.95 5.54 -33%
Informational Items
Stationary sources 1.50 0.25 1.05 -30%
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Figure 3 Annual Per Capita GHG Emissions by Sector, 2008 to 2019 Table 4 Proportions of Annual Per Capita GHG Emissions by Sector in 2008 to 2019 Sector 2008 Proportion
of Total
2016 Proportion
of Total
2019 Proportion
of Total
Transportation 43% 50% 55%
Nonresidential energy 34% 30% 23%
Residential energy 9% 9% 9%
Solid waste 3% 4% 5%
Off-road equipment 2% 1% 4%
Agriculture 8% 4% 3%
Water and wastewater 2% 1% 1%
Land use and sequestration Less than -1% Less than -1% Less than -1% Total annual MTCO2e per capita 100% 100% 100%
The four sectors that experienced the largest decreases in annual per-capita GHG emissions between 2008 and 2019 are land use and sequestration, agriculture, water and wastewater, and nonresidential energy, which reduced emissions by 77 percent, 75 percent, 56 percent, and 54 percent, respectively. These changes are discussed more in the sector detail discussions below but are likely due to increases in supplies of renewable and carbon-free electricity, declines in natural gas use, and changes in agricultural activities and land use patterns.

0.00 1.00

2.00 3.00

4.00 5.00

6.00 7.00

8.00 9.00
2008 2016 2019
MTCO2e per capita
Transportation Nonresidential energy
Residential energy Solid waste
Off-road equipment Agriculture
Water and wastewater Land use and sequestration
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The only sector that experienced an increase in per capita emissions is the off-road equipment sector. Between 2008 and 2019, emissions from off-road equipment increased by 23 percent. • The transportation sector remains the largest source of GHG emissions in Ontario, and this sector’s share of community-wide GHG emissions has increased over time. Transportation emissions made up 43 percent, 50 percent, and 55 percent of total GHG emissions in 2008, 2016, and 2019, respectively.
• The transportation sector is followed by the nonresidential and residential energy sectors as the second- and third-largest sources of GHG emissions. − The nonresidential energy sector’s share of GHG emissions steadily decreased between 2008 and 2019, from 34 percent in 2008 to 23 percent in 2019. − The residential energy sector’s share of GHG emissions remained constant (9percent) between 2008 and 2019.
• Solid waste is the fourth-largest source of GHG emissions. This sector’s share of GHG emissions increased steadily from 3 percent in 2008 to 5 percent in 2019. Similarly, the offroad equipment sector’s share of GHG emissions increased from 2 percent to 4 percent between 2008 and 2019.
• The agriculture sector’s share of GHG emissions decreased dramatically, from 8 percent in 2008 to 3 percent in 2019. The land use and sequestration sector, the smallest source of GHG emissions in Ontario, remained at less than 1 percent during this period. • The water and wastewater sector’s share of GHG emissions also decreased, from 2 percent in 2008 to 1 percent in 2019.

Sector Details
Transportation
City of Ontario community members drove approximately 1.97 billion vehicle miles in 2008, which increased 9 percent to 2.15 billion vehicle miles in 2019.24 The VMT in 2008 resulted in the release of approximately 942,020 MTCO2e which dropped to approximately 934,590 MTCO2e in 2019, a 1 percent decrease in absolute emissions. In per capita terms, on-road vehicle emissions decreased from 3.51 MTCO2e per capita in 2008 to 3.04 MTCO2e per capita in 2019, a decrease of 13 percent.

There was a slight decrease in emissions despite an increase in VMT during this period due to the increasing use of fuel-efficient and electric vehicles. Table 5 provides a breakdown of the activity data and per capita emissions for on-road transportation in the 2008, 2016, and 2019 communitywide inventory. 1040
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Table 5 Transportation Activity Data and Per Capita GHG Emissions by Subsector, 2008 to 2019
Sector 2008 2016 2019
Percentage
Change,
2008–2019
Activity data (VMT)
Light duty vehicles 1,767,683,550 1,843,389,270 1,945,876,580 10% Heavy duty vehicles 202,102,900 152,010,400 205,547,010 2% Total annual VMT 1,969,786,450 1,995,399,670 2,151,423,590 9% Emissions (MTCO2e per capita)
Light duty vehicles 2.78 2.34 2.20 -21%
Heavy duty vehicles 0.74 0.66 0.84 14%
Total annual MTCO2e per capita 3.51 3.00 3.04 -13%
All absolute numbers are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not equal the sum of individual columns.

Nonresidential Electricity
Ontario’s GHG emissions from nonresidential electricity, including commercial and industrial electricity use, decreased by 31 percent, from 375,540 MTCO2e in 2005 to 257,820 MTCO2e in 2019.

In per capita terms, emissions from nonresidential electricity use decreased from 1.40 MTCO2e per capita in 2008 to 0.84 MTCO2e per capita in 2019, a decrease of 40 percent. Electricity use only decreased slightly during this period; however, the substantial decline in emissions is likely because of increased procurement of renewable energy by Ontario’s energy providers, in accordance with state law, and increased energy efficiency of commercial and industrial facilities and equipment that largely balances out increased energy use from job growth. Table 6 provides a breakdown of the activity data and per capita GHG emissions for nonresidential electricity.

Table 6 Nonresidential Electricity Activity Data and Per Capita GHG Emissions, 2008 to 2019
Sector 2008 2016 2019
Percentage
Change,
2008–2019
Activity data
Nonresidential electricity (kWh) 1,273,004,280 1,275,792,750 1,242,306,720 -2% Emissions (MTCO2e per capita)
Nonresidential electricity 1.40 1.14 0.84 -40%
All absolute numbers are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not equal the sum of individual columns. 1041
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Residential Electricity
Ontario’s GHG emissions from residential electricity decreased by 30 percent, from 93,680 MTCO2e in 2008 to 65,690 MTCO2e in 2019, although residential energy use declined less than 1 percent. In per capita terms, emissions from residential electricity use decreased from 0.35 MTCO2e per capita in 2008 to 0.21 MTCO2e per capita in 2019, a decrease of 39 percent. As with the nonresidential electricity sector, this is attributed to cleaner sources of electricity and gains in energy efficiency despite a growing residential population. Table 7 provides a breakdown of the activity data and per capita GHG emissions for residential electricity.

Table 7 Residential Electricity Activity Data and Per Capita GHG Emissions, 2008 to 2019
Sector 2008 2016 2019
Percentage
Change,
2008–2019
Activity data
Residential electricity (kWh) 317,534,340 309,859,420 316,529,750 Less than -1% Emissions (MTCO2e per capita)
Residential electricity 0.35 0.28 0.21 -39%
All absolute numbers are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not equal the sum of individual columns.

Nonresidential Natural Gas
Emissions from the nonresidential natural gas sector decreased by 63 percent, from 368,460 MTCO2e in 2008 to 137,960 MTCO2e in 2019. In per capita terms, emissions from nonresidential natural gas use decreased from 1.37 MTCO2e per capita in 2008 to 0.45 MTCO2e per capita in 2019, a decrease of 67 percent. This dramatic decline in GHG emissions is attributed to decreased use and combustion of natural gas, reflected in the proportional decline in nonresidential natural gas activity between 2008 and 2019. Table 8 provides a breakdown of the activity data and per capita GHG emissions for nonresidential natural gas.
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Table 8 Nonresidential Natural Gas Activity Data and Per Capita GHG Emissions, 2008 to 2019
Subsector 2008 2016 2019
Percentage
Change,
2008–2019
Activity data
Nonresidential natural gas (therms) 65,367,180 21,861,030 26,168,160 -60% Emissions (MTCO2e per capita)
Nonresidential natural gas 1.37 0.66 0.45 -67%
All absolute numbers are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not equal the sum of individual columns.

Residential Natural Gas
Emissions from the residential natural gas sector decreased by 9 percent, from 98,620 MTCO2e in 2008 to 89,340 MTCO2e in 2019. In per capita terms, emissions from residential natural gas use decreased from 0.37 MTCO2e per capita in 2008 to 0.29 MTCO2e per capita in 2019, a decrease of 21 percent. Natural gas consumption in the residential sector remained fairly constant between 2008 and 2019. Table 9 provides a breakdown of the activity data and per capita GHG emissions for residential natural gas.

Table 9 Residential Natural Gas Activity Data and Per Capita GHG Emissions, 2008 to 2019
Sector 2008 2016 2019
Percentage
Change,
2008–2019
Activity data
Residential natural gas (therms) 16,911,770 14,595,200 16,945,380 Less than 1% Emissions (MTCO2e per capita)
Residential natural gas 0.37 0.28 0.29 -21%
All absolute numbers are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not equal the sum of individual columns.

Solid Waste
Ontario’s GHG emissions associated with solid waste come from the decomposition of solid waste thrown away by community members and alternative daily cover (ADC, i.e., material applied at the landfill as pest and erosion control), and emissions associated with combustion of waste (transform tons). Emissions from the solid waste sector increased by 10 percent, from 75,930 MTCO2e to 83,400 MTCO2e, between 2008 and 2019. In per capita terms, emissions from solid waste decreased from 0.28 MTCO2e per capita in 2008 to 0.27 MTCO2e per capita in 2019, a 1043
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decrease of 4 percent. Although Ontario community members generated more waste in 2019 than in 2008, the growing population helped offset this increase, resulting in a decrease in per capita emissions from the solid waste sector. Table 10 provides a breakdown of activity and per capita emissions for the solid waste sector.

Table 10 Solid Waste Activity Data and Per Capita GHG Emissions by Subsector, 2008 to 2019
Sector 2008 2016 2019
Percentage
Change,
2008–2019
Activity data (Tons)
Solid waste 256,328 220,370 287,980 12%
ADC - - 2,670 -
Transform tons - - 1,030 -
Total activity (Tons) 256,328 220,370 291,680 14%
Emissions (MTCO2e per capita)
Solid waste 0.283 0.220 0.268 -5%
ADC - - 0.002 -
Transform tons - - 0.001 -
Total annual per capita MTCO2e 0.283 0.220 0.271 -4%
All absolute numbers are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not equal the sum of individual columns.

Off-Road Equipment
Emissions from off-road equipment in Ontario increased by 41 percent, from 46,500 MTCO2e to 65,480 MTCO2e between 2008 and 2019. In per capita terms, emissions from off-road equipment increased from 0.173 MTCO2e per capita in 2008 to 0.213 MTCO2e per capita in 2019, an increase of 23 percent. Of the different types of off-road equipment, the three largest emissions sources are construction and mining equipment, portable equipment (compressors, generators, etc.), and industrial equipment such as forklifts and scrubbers. Increases in emissions from these sectors are at least partly due to an increase in construction and industrial/warehouse equipment use. Note that there is no activity data for this sector because emissions from off-road equipment are estimated from a model developed by CARB rather than from measurable metrics such as fuel consumption. Table 11 provides off-road equipment per capita GHG emissions by subsector. 1044
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Table 11 Off-Road Equipment Per Capita GHG Emissions by Subsector, 2008 to 2019 Sector 2008 2016 2019
Percentage
Change,
2008–2019
Emissions (MTCO2e per capita)
Agricultural 0.00004 0.00339 0.00020 424%
Airport Ground Support 0.032 0.000 0.031 -1%
Construction and Mining 0.049 0.036 0.075 53%
Industrial 0.026 0.003 0.026 1%
Lawn and Garden 0.001 0.002 0.001 -8%
Light Commercial 0.008 0.003 0.008 1%
Pleasure Craft 0.001 0.022 0.001 31%
Portable Equipment 0.053 0.000 0.059 11%
Recreational 0.004 0.001 0.004 -1%
Transportation Refrigeration Units 0.001 0.006 0.009 1,113% Total annual per capita MTCO2e 0.173 0.077 0.213 23%
All absolute numbers are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not equal the sum of individual columns.

Agriculture
Ontario has a small agricultural sector that includes approximately 3,000 acres of land for crop production and a small dairy sector with approximately 11,000 head of dairy cows. The sector includes N2O emissions from nitrogen fertilizer (crop production), CH4 gas emissions from livestock (enteric fermentation), and CH4 emissions from livestock waste (manure management).

The largest source of per capita GHG emissions in the agriculture sector is enteric fermentation, which was responsible for three-quarters of the total emissions for agriculture in 2019 (see Table 12).

Emissions from crop production decreased by 26 percent, from 1,150 MTCO2e to 850 MTCO2e, between 2008 and 2019. In per capita terms, emissions from crop production decreased from 0.004 MTCO2e per capita in 2008 to 0.003 MTCO2e per capita in 2019, a decrease of 35 percent. Although crop acreages did not change significantly, less fertilizer was applied in 2019 than in 2008 due to a reduction in the types of crops that require high applications of nitrogen fertilizer. Per capita emissions from enteric fermentation and manure management (methane released from anaerobic decomposition of animal wastes) decreased by 75 percent and 76 percent, respectively, between 2008 and 2019. This dramatic decrease in emissions is the result of a substantial decline in the number of dairy cows in livestock operations within the city limits. According to the San Bernardino County Crop Reports and the USDA Milk Production Report, the number of dairy cows in Ontario decreased by 80 percent between 2008 and 2019. 1045
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Table 12 Agriculture Activity and Per Capita GHG Emissions by Subsector, 2008 to 2019
Sector 2008 2016 2019
Percentage
Change,
2008–2019
Activity data
Crops (acreage) 3,070 3,180 3,180 4%
Livestock (effective annual population) 53,240 18,900 10,890 -80% Emissions (MTCO2e per capita)
Crop production 0.004 0.003 0.003 -35%
Enteric fermentation 0.471 0.157 0.118 -75%
Manure management 0.158 0.051 0.037 -76%
Total annual per capita MTCO2e 0.633 0.211 0.158 -75%
All absolute numbers are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not equal the sum of individual columns.

Water and Wastewater
Emissions associated with the water and wastewater sector are counted as indirect or direct emissions. Indirect water emissions refer to emissions created by the electricity required to treat and move water to where it is used. Indirect wastewater emissions refer to electricity needed to move wastewater to water treatment facilities and to process and discharge it. Direct wastewater emissions refer to biological emissions produced directly by decomposition of wastewater solids during the treatment process.

Overall activity and emissions decreased in Ontario’s water and wastewater sector. Emissions from this sector decreased by 49 percent between 2008 and 2019. • Indirect water GHG emissions declined by 53 percent and indirect water consumption decreased by 40 percent between 2008 and 2019. In per capita terms, emissions from indirect water consumption decreased from 0.11 MTCO2e per capita in 2008 to 0.04 MTCO2e per capita in 2019, a decrease of 60 percent.
• Indirect wastewater GHG emissions decreased by 70 percent between 2008 and 2019.

Emissions reductions in this sector were likely the result of increased water conservation and recycling efforts. In per capita terms, emissions from indirect wastewater decreased from 0.02 MTCO2e per capita in 2008 to 0.01 MTCO2e per capita in 2019, a decrease of 74 percent.
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• Direct wastewater emissions increased by 7 percent from 2008 to 2019. In per capita terms, emissions from direct water consumption decreased from 0.15 MTCO2e per capita in 2008 to 0.06 MTCO2e per capita in 2019, a decrease of 6 percent.

The emissions data in Table 13 provides a breakdown of the activity data and per capita GHG emissions for water and wastewater use.

Table 13 Water and Wastewater Activity Data and Per Capita GHG Emissions by Subsector, 2008 to 2019
Sector 2008 2016 2019
Percentage
Change,
2008–2019
Activity data
Water use (million gallons) 17,315 9,757 10,463 -40%
Water electricity use (kWh) 139,120,870 63,020,780 61,387,950 -56% Wastewater electricity use (kWh) 9,735,890 6,806,891 7,672,160 -21% Total activity (kWh) 148,856,760 69,827,671 69,060,110 -54% Emissions (MTCO2e per capita)
Indirect water 0.10828 0.04851 0.0436 -60%
Indirect wastewater 0.02457 0.01887 0.0064 -74%
Direct wastewater 0.01574 0.01517 0.0147 -6%
Total annual per capita MTCO2e 0.1486 0.0826 0.0648 -56% All absolute numbers are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not equal the sum of individual columns.

Land Use and Sequestration
GHG emissions from land use and sequestration can be positive (a source of emissions) or negative (removing emissions from the atmosphere, creating what is known as a carbon “sink”). Natural and agricultural lands absorb carbon, storing it in biomass such as wood, plants, and soil. As a result, when these lands are preserved or when more street trees are planted, emissions from this sector are negative because GHGs are being removed from the atmosphere. However, developing natural or agricultural lands or converting them to a different form (for example, replacing forests with crop land) or removing street trees causes carbon to be released, creating GHG emissions.

This sector includes emission sources and sinks from two types of activities: sequestration of GHG emissions in street trees in urbanized areas, and emissions caused by permanently removing vegetation from natural lands or farmlands as a part of development. Carbon sequestration by citywide street trees remained fairly constant between 2008 and 2019 (ranging from -710 MTCO2e to -730 MTCO2e), offsetting some of the emissions caused by urban development. Between 2008 1047
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and 2019, emissions from the development of agricultural land decreased by 57 percent (from 2,540 MTCO2e to 660 MTCO2e) due to a reduced rate of urban development during this period. In per capita terms, emissions from development of agricultural land decreased from 0.012 MTCO2e per capita in 2008 to 0.005 MTCO2e per capita in 2019, a decrease of 63 percent.

Most of the land developed between 2008 and 2019 was not land used for agricultural production and was categorized “Other Lands” by the Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program (FMMP).

According to FMMP, these lands include low density rural development, heavily forested land, mined land, or government land with restrictions on use. Table 14 provides a breakdown of the land use change and street tree biomass acreage and per capita emissions.

Table 14 Land Use and Sequestration Activity Data and GHG Emissions by Subsector, 2008 to 2019
Sector 2008 2016 2019
Percentage
Change,
2008–2019
Activity data (acres)
Land use change (conversion of
agricultural to urban land) 3,520 1,700 1,700 -52%
Street tree biomass 740 760 760 3%
Emissions (MTCO2e per capita)
Land use change (conversion of
agricultural to development) 0.012 0.005 0.005 -63%
Street tree biomass -0.003 -0.003 -0.002 -10%
Total annual per capita MTCO2e 0.009 0.002 0.002 -77%
Notes: All absolute numbers are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not equal the sum of individual columns. Methodology assumes that all agricultural land was converted into urban land uses and no street trees were removed on those urban lands.

Stationary Sources
Stationary source emissions result from fuel use, such as natural gas or propane, at major industrial facilities in the community permitted by state and regional air quality authorities. In Ontario, stationary sources include an industrial gas supplier, a paper and pulp mill, and Southern California Edison’s Mira Loma Peaker power plant The natural gas use reported as part of these facilities’ fuel use may be included in the nonresidential natural gas use reported above in Table 8.

Table 15 shows the emissions from stationary sources in Ontario. Per capita emissions from stationary sources decreased by 30 percent between 2008 and 2019. There is no activity data with this subsector, and these emissions are presented for informational purposes only; they are not included in the community total.
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Table 15 Stationary Source GHG Emissions, 2008 to 2019
Sector 2008 2016 2019
Percentage
Change,
2008–2019
Emissions (MTCO2e per capita)
Stationary sources 1.50 0.25 1.05 -30%
Community-Wide Forecast
The community-wide forecast is a projection of future GHG emissions from the sources in Ontario’s GHG inventory. The community-wide forecast of GHG emissions is based on the results of the 2019 community-wide GHG emissions inventory combined with Ontario’s 2019 demographics and future demographic projections. These population, housing, and employment projections are based on the estimates of future buildout in TOP 2050. Table 16 shows the demographic projections used to prepare the community-wide GHG emissions forecast.

Table 16 City of Ontario Community-Wide Demographic Projection, 2019 to 2050 Metric 2019 2030 2050
Percentage
Change
2019–2050
Relevant
Sectors
Population 178,610 232,120 410,490 130% Off-road
equipment
Households 48,280 66,680 124,380 158%
Residential
energy, off-road
equipment
Residents per
household 3.70 3.48 3.30 -11% None
Jobs 128,640 169,600 296,000 130%
Nonresidential
energy, off-road
equipment
Service
population 307,240 401,720 706,500 130%
Solid, water and
wastewater, offroad equipment
Vehicle Miles
Traveled
(VMT)
2,151,423,590 2,631,468,770 3,504,276,490 63% Transportation Sources: 2019 demographic numbers are from US Census, the Department of Finance, and San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA).

Future demographics are from TOP 2050 buildout projections. Vehicle miles traveled are derived from Fehr and Peers (2019).

Service population is the sum of populations and jobs. All numbers except residents per household are rounded to the nearest 10.
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In addition to demographic and economic changes forecasted in TOP 2050, land use changes are expected to impact activity and emissions within the city limits. Although the city’s total land area will not change, intensification of land uses in 2050 are listed as follows:
• All agricultural land is projected to be developed with urban uses by 2050, reducing emissions from the city’s agricultural sector to zero emissions in 2050. • Infill development in select areas will intensify commercial and mixed uses in Downtown, Toyota Arena, and Ontario Mills Mall.
• Select commercial and business park uses will be converted to mixed uses, which may contribute to reduced VMT.
• Residential development will intensify to promote higher density housing, especially in Ontario Ranch and southwest Ontario.
• Mixed use and higher density residential development is planned specifically to align with future bus rapid transit services along multiple north-south and east-west corridors throughout the city, which may contribute to reduced VMT. • Land area dedicated to public open space will increase with the development of the Great Park, a 370-acre planned linear park stretching 3.5 miles from east to west in south Ontario.

This forecast is also referred to as the business-as-usual forecast. It assumes that, for most sectors, each person in Ontario will continue to contribute the same amount of GHG emissions to the community total as they did in 2019, so the amount of GHG emissions changes proportionally to the projected change in community demographics. However, some emissions, notably those from on-road transportation, grow at a slower rate due to the nature of the modeling process. The overall community-wide absolute emissions are projected to grow 89 percent from 2019 to 2050, and Ontario’s service population is projected to grow 130 percent over this period. Since the rate of population increase is greater than the rate of GHG emission increase, the per-capita emissions decrease over time. This is a worst-case projection that assumes that no one at any level takes action, including state, regional, and local agencies. This projection also accounts for emission changes from land use and carbon sequestration. Table 17 and Figure 4 show Ontario’s forecast community-wide GHG emissions through 2050.

Ontario’s residential population and worker population are both projected to grow by 130 percent between 2019 and 2050. During the same period, the city’s per capita emissions are expected to decrease from 5.54 MTCO2e to 4.56 MTCO2e per person in 2050, a decrease of 18 percent (see Table 17).
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The forecast assumes emissions scale proportionally to demographic growth, which means most of the sectors grow at a similar rate to the growth in demographics, as seen by comparing the percentage changes in Table 17.

Table 17 Forecast Per Capita GHG Emissions, 2019–2050
Sector 20191 2030 2050
Percentage
Change,
2019–2050
Transportation 3.04 2.84 2.15 -29%
Nonresidential energy 1.29 1.30 1.29 Less than 1%
Residential energy 0.50 0.53 0.57 12%
Solid waste 0.27 0.27 0.27 Less than 1%
Off-road equipment 0.21 0.21 0.21 Less than 1%
Agriculture2 0.16 0.08 0.00 -100%
Water and wastewater 0.06 0.06 0.06 Less than 1%
Land use and sequestration Less than 0.01 Less than 0.01 Less than 0.01 -15% Total 5.54 5.30 4.56 -18%
Stationary Sources3 1.05 - - -

1. Data shown for 2019 are the actual per capita GHG emissions. The data shown for 2030, 2040, and 2050 are GHG per capita emission forecasts, calculated based on projections from the 2019 inventory.

2. GHG emission projects for the agriculture are based on the assumption that by 2050 all agricultural land will be developed and converted to other land uses, so agricultural emissions will decrease to zero by 2050.

3. Stationary sources are informational; they vary significantly from year to year independent of demographic changes, so they are not forecast.
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Figure 4 City of Ontario Community-Wide Per Capita GHG Emissions, 2019–2050

0.00 1.00

2.00 3.00

4.00 5.00

6.00 2019 2030 2050
MTCO2e per capita
Transportation Nonresidential energy
Residential energy Solid waste
Off-road equipment Agriculture
Water and wastewater Land use and sequestration
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4. GHG REDUCTION TARGETS
Background
Establishing GHG emission reduction targets is a key component of the CCAP to ensure that Ontario has a number to strive toward as it implements GHG reduction strategies. The strategies and actions adopted as part of the CCAP are often quantifiable to ensure that each action the City takes can be measured for its performance in advancing Ontario to the adopted GHG emission reduction goal. Jurisdictions can choose to adopt GHG emission reduction targets that match state guidance or can elect to increase reduction targets to accelerate action at a local level. 2014 CCAP GHG Reduction Targets
As part of the 2014 CCAP, the City adopted a GHG reduction target of 30 percent below the forecast emissions levels in 2020. This target is approximately equal to the state-recommended reduction target of 15 percent below 2005 – 2008 levels by 2020.

In 2019, Ontario reached its 2020 GHG reduction target of 15 percent below 2008 levels, which translates to absolute GHG emissions of 1,880,970 MTCO2e or 7.01 MTCO2e per capita. According to the 2019 GHG inventory conducted as part of the 2022 CCAP update, Ontario’s communitywide emissions in 2019 were 1,707,380 MTCO2e (not including the informational emissions from stationary sources), 23 percent below 2008 levels (as adjusted to be consistent with current protocols as part of this CCAP update). In per capita terms, Ontario’s emissions in 2019 were 5.54 MTCO2e, a 33 percent decrease relative to 2008 levels.

State Targets and Recommendations
As stated in “Regulatory Framework” in Chapter 2, the state has set GHG reduction targets to:
• Reduce 2030 emissions 40 percent below 1990 levels, codified into law by SB 32 in 2016. • Achieve carbon-neutral emissions by 2045, established (and not yet codified into law) by EO B-55-18.
• Reduce 2050 emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels, established (and not yet codified into law) by EOS-03-05.
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The Scoping Plan, also described in “Regulatory Framework” in Chapter 2, recommends that local governments select targets consistent with state targets, in absolute or per-capita form. Per-capita targets establish a level of GHG emissions by a certain year per person. Unlike absolute targets, the total level of GHG emission reductions specified by per-capita targets varies depending on future demographic changes. The Scoping Plan recommends the following per-capita targets:
• Reduce 2030 emissions to 6.0 MTCO2e per capita
• Reduce 2050 emissions to 2.0 MTCO2e per capita
These targets are based on the state targets and goals in SB 32 and Executive Order S-03-05, discussed previously. California’s statewide target of 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 translates to 260 million MTCO2e. The state is projected to be home to approximately 44 million residents in 2030, resulting in an average of approximately 6.0 MTCO2e per person. Similarly, the statewide goal of 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050 translates to 86 million MTCO2e. California is projected to have approximately 49 million residents in 2050, resulting in an average of approximately 2.0 MTCO2e per person.

Since the statewide per-capita targets are based on the statewide GHG emissions inventory that includes all emissions sectors in the state, the Scoping Plan notes that it is appropriate for local jurisdictions to derive evidence-based local per-capita targets based on local emissions sectors and population projections that are consistent with the framework used to develop the statewide percapita targets. The resulting GHG emissions trajectory should show a downward trend consistent with the statewide objectives.
2022 CCAP GHG Reduction Targets
The state-recommended per-capita targets (6.0 MTCO2e per person by 2030 and 2.0 MTCO2e per person by 2050) are relevant and appropriate for Ontario, and they are the targets in this 2022 CCAP. Ontario’s targets are based on the service population in the community (the sum of both residents and jobs), as shown in Table 18.

Table 18 Per Capita Targets for Ontario
Absolute Emissions Target Per Capita Emissions Target
Target MTCO2e Description MTCO2e
2030 target 1,175,390 40% below 1990 levels 6.0 MTCO2e per person (service population)
2050 target 391,800 80% below 1990 levels 2.0 MTCO2e per person (service population)
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5. GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION REDUCTION STRATEGY
Introduction
There are several ways in which GHG emissions can be reduced over time. States, counties, cities, regional agencies, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and each individual can work together or separately to run projects and programs that either reduce GHG emissions before they are released or sequester carbon once it is in the atmosphere. This chapter describes Ontario’s path to reducing GHG emissions to meet or exceed its targets, including existing/planned efforts led by state, regional, and local agencies, and new strategies in this 2022 CCAP.

Calculating Credit
This 2022 CCAP uses a process called quantification to determine how much GHG emissions are reduced by each strategy. The foundation for the quantification calculations is the baseline GHG inventories and forecast. Activity data from the inventory, such as VMT or kWh, are combined with participation rates and data about the reduction in activity data from each action to calculate the GHG reduction benefit of each strategy. This approach ensures that the GHG reductions from the 2022 CCAP strategies are tied to current and future activities that are occurring in the community.

Calculations for reduction in activity data come from tools and reports provided by government agencies; these agencies include the U. S. EPA, the California Energy Commission, CARB, the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and local air districts. If accurate data are not available from these sources, the quantification uses case studies from comparable communities and applicable scholarly research.

The project team was able to quantify GHG reductions for most of the strategies in this 2022 CCAP. However, there are a few that do not have a specific reduction level due to missing data or the lack of a reliable method. These efforts are still expected to reduce GHG emissions, but the level cannot be accurately determined. These strategies are labeled “supportive”.

Progress Toward GHG Reduction Goals
To understand the level of action necessary to achieve the City’s reduction targets, this 2022 CCAP analyzes existing, planned, and future actions. By first looking at past accomplishments, the City can understand progress achieved and outstanding opportunities while looking at state initiatives, which may result in further GHG reductions on a local level. Existing and current efforts provide a 1055
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foundation for this 2022 CCAP. The GHG reductions from past and current activities help inform the creation of new GHG reduction strategies to reduce GHG emissions even further. These new strategies can further close the gap between projected GHG emission levels and the reduction targets, and guide development and implementation of future programs. Together, these efforts serve as the City’s multipronged strategy to achieve reduction targets.

State Initiatives to Reduce GHG Emissions
Since passing AB 32, the State has enacted regulations and programs to reduce GHG emissions.

Although statewide in scope, these actions affect several sources of Ontario’s emissions, so the local benefits of these State efforts can be “credited” to Ontario even in cases where the community did not need to take any action. This CCAP includes the local benefits from five State policies:
• Renewable Portfolio Standard: The RPS was first established in 2002 and has been amended multiple times, most recently in 2018 by SB 100. It requires all electricity providers in the state to obtain at least 33 percent of their electricity from eligible renewable resources by the end of 2030, and all their electricity from carbon-free (although not necessarily eligible renewable) resources by the end of 2045. This policy reduces GHG emission from electricity use, including electricity used to transport and process water and wastewater, and electricity used for electric vehicles.
• Clean Car Standards: In 2002, California adopted AB 1493, the New Passenger Motor Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emission Standards, or Pavley standard. It required a reduction in tailpipe GHG emissions from new vehicles produced from 2009 to 2015. In 2012 CARB adopted an extension of this policy, the Advanced Clean Car Standards, which requires more stringent reductions in tailpipe GHG emissions from vehicles produced from 2016 to 2025. The Clean Car Standards (including the Advanced Clean Car Standards) reduce GHG emissions from on-road transportation vehicles, including commercial and public transit vehicles.
• Title 24 Energy Efficiency Standards: California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Part 6 is California’s energy efficiency standards for new and renovated buildings, applied at the local level through the project review/building permit process. The standards are strengthened every three years. The most recent set of Title 24 standards went into effect on January 1, 2020, although the reductions shown from this policy include past, current, and anticipated future Title 24 standards. This policy will reduce GHG emissions from electricity and natural gas use in new and substantially renovated homes and nonresidential buildings.
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• Local Carbon Fuel Standard: The Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) was adopted in 2009 and required a 10 percent reduction in the carbon intensity of all transportation and equipment fuels by 2020. This policy reduces GHG emissions from on-road transportation and from off-road equipment.
• The short-lived climate pollutants law (SB 1383): SB 1383, approved in 2016, proposes a comprehensive strategy to reduce methane and other emissions of short-lived greenhouse gases through regulations on dairy operations and urban landfills, including higher diversion rates of food waste from landfills.

Renewable Energy Emissions Reductions in 2050
As required by the state’s Renewables Portfolio Standard, all electricity sold in California must be carbon free by 2045. Consequently, future GHG reduction strategies that only reduce electricity use or increase renewable electricity supplies will show zero GHG reductions in 2050. Since there will already be no emissions from electricity use in 2050, the City cannot count additional reductions associated with electricity in that year. This 2022 CCAP already credits reductions from the RPS as an existing state program.

Under the business-as-usual forecast in Table 17, per capita GHG emissions in Ontario decrease by 18 percent between 2019 and 2050. However, when state actions are accounted for, per capita GHG emissions decrease by 57 percent between 2019 to 2050. Table 19 shows the per capita GHG emissions reductions resulting from state actions.

Table 19 Ontario Per Capita GHG Emission Reductions from State Actions, 2019 to 2050 Sector 2019
MTCO2e
2030
MTCO2e
2050
MTCO2e
Percentage
Change
2019–2050
Per capita emissions without state actions 5.54 5.30 4.56 -18% Per capita emissions reductions from RPS 0.21 1.13 -
Per capita emissions reductions from Clean
Car standards 0.53 0.69 -
Per capita emissions reductions from Title 24 0.19 0.28 - Per capita emissions reductions from LCFS
(off-road equipment emissions) 0.01 0.01 -
Per capita emissions from SB 1383 0.06 0.06 -
Per capita emission reductions from all state
actions 1.00 2.17 -
Per capita emissions with state actions 5.54 4.31 2.39 -57% 1057
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Existing Local Actions to Reduce GHG Emissions
Regional and local initiatives help to further reduce Ontario’s community-wide GHG emissions.

There are various local efforts that are expected to reduce GHG emissions, including:
• Smart Ontario, an initiative to promote energy efficiency through comprehensive municipal utility infrastructure improvements.
• Municipal and residential rooftop solar installations. • Implementation of the Active Transportation Master Plan and synchronization of traffic lights through the City’s Traffic Management Center.
• Use of recycled water from Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) for irrigation, industrial uses, and agricultural uses.

As with the state-level policies, the 2022 CCAP assesses the strategies that have the most direct and apparent benefit to Ontario’s GHG emissions. The City and local partners have also completed other efforts, which are not listed here, that may not directly reduce GHG emissions in a measurable way but still contribute to progress on overall climate action.

New GHG Reduction Strategies
A central goal of the 2022 CCAP is to achieve additional GHG reductions to work toward Ontario’s 2030 and 2050 reduction targets, recognizing that the reduction strategies in the 2014 CCAP are insufficient to meet these reductions. To identify these additional reductions, the 2021 CCAP project team began with the GHG reduction strategies in the City’s 2014 CCAP. Some of these strategies have been fully implemented and do not need to be carried forward into the 2022 CCAP. Others are still applicable and can be revised or expanded to achieve additional GHG reductions. There are also opportunities to add entirely new strategies to address new and emerging issues not covered in the 2014 CCAP.

The project team based the revised and new GHG reduction strategies on several sources, including:
• Past and recent GHG inventories and forecast.
• The existing and planned state, regional, and local accomplishments. • GHG reduction strategies in the 2014 CCAP.
• GHG reduction strategies in the San Bernardino Regional GHG Reduction Plan. 1058
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The project team developed 28 GHG reduction strategies and 106 recommended implementation actions. These strategies include a mix of education and outreach programs to encourage GHG reduction activities, financial subsidies, and other enticements to incentivize GHG reductions, and mandates to require GHG efforts. These 28 strategies are organized into 10 categories:

1. Energy

2. Transportation

3. Off-road

4. Waste

5. Water

6. Agriculture

7. Wastewater

8. Leadership

9. Carbon Sequestration

10. Economic Development
The results of quantifying GHG reduction potential of Ontario’s existing and planned local strategies show that, with successful implementation of the strategies, Ontario can meet its 2030 and 2050 emissions per capita reduction targets. Collectively, local strategies are forecast to reduce emissions by 0.54 MTCO2e per capita by 2030 and 1.08 MTCO2e per capita by 2050 in addition to the reductions achieved by existing State, regional, and local accomplishments.

Each strategy entry includes a description, the anticipated 2030 and 2050 GHG reductions achieved by the strategy at the projected performance level, and the recommended actions necessary to implement it. For each strategy, more details on performance metrics, assumptions, and quantification methods are provided in Technical Appendix A. Recommended actions represent the City’s current understanding of best practices in achieving GHG emissions reductions and community equity, availability of technology, and local regulations as well as the current State and federal regulatory environment. City staff are encouraged to revisit these recommended actions as conditions change and new opportunities become available. 1059
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Energy
Most buildings, both residential and nonresidential, use electricity and natural gas to operate appliances and other pieces of equipment. While sources of electricity have become much cleaner over time and will continue to become cleaner due to State law and utility policies, the GHG emissions associated with using a unit of natural gas have remained mostly constant because natural gas is a fossil fuel. Buildings that receive most or all their energy from electricity instead of natural gas can significantly reduce their GHG emissions. Buildings can be constructed to be mostly electric or all electric, or existing buildings can be electrified as part of retrofit activities.

Retrofits can improve energy efficiency of the building envelope, especially in older buildings. And advances in electric appliances, such as those used for space heating, water heating, and cooking, have helped improve energy efficiency and make electrification more cost effective.

When a building has optimized energy efficiency and maximized energy conservation, it is a good candidate for onsite renewable energy. Most residential buildings are candidates for rooftop solar or a rooftop photovoltaic system, which includes electricitygenerating solar panels mounted on the rooftop of a residential or commercial building or structure. Larger properties or more energy intensive uses can use ground-mounted solar energy systems or a combination of renewable energy technologies to meet all or part of their energy demand.

ONTARIO SHINES

PROGRAM
Ontario Shines is a
project of Ontario
Together whose goal is
to install solar panels
on up to 100 singlefamily homes and
include solar
installations at various
multifamily housing
sites , including the allelectric, LEED gold
standard development,
Vista Verde
Apartments. As of
March 2022, the project
team, in collaboration
with nonprofit partner
GRID Alternatives, has
success fully installed
130 kW of solar arrays
at single family homes
and 250 kW of solar
arrays at multifamily
homes as part of the
Ontario Shines
program.
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Building electrification
Promote and incentivize the phase-out of gas appliances in new and existing homes and businesses throughout the community to advance GHG reductions, increase energy efficiency, and protect public safety and environmental health.

Strategy 1 GHG Reduction Potential 2030 2050
Absolute GHG Reduction (MTCO2e) 10,310 102,640
Per capita GHG Reduction (MTCO2e per capita) 0.0257 0.1453 STRATEGY 1 ACTIONS:
 Support education and outreach to raise awareness and increase participation in electric appliance rebate programs offered by SCE, Southern California Regional Energy Network (SoCalREN), and other providers, with a focus on contractors and residents of older properties (constructed in or before 1975).
 Identify and remove any existing code, permitting, or other City requirements that provide barriers to all-electric conversions of existing homes and businesses and assess opportunities to provide incentives, such as permit streamlining or fee reductions, as feasible.
 Update the City’s permit tracking system as appropriate to track energy efficiency improvements.
 Review City-supported weatherization and energy efficiency programs and requirements, if applicable, to ensure they support all-electric, high efficiency appliances.  Support education opportunities for contractors about the opportunities and benefits of converting homes to high efficiency, all-electric appliances.  Audit existing City facilities on a regular basis to assess energy use and efficiency, identify energy efficiency improvements that optimize energy performance of buildings and operations, and prioritize energy efficiency improvements. 1061
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STRATEGY 2 ONSITE SOLAR ENERGY FOR EXISTING RESIDENTIAL

DEVELOPMENT
Continue to support and facilitate installation of rooftop solar photovoltaic and onsite solar energy systems in existing residential development.

Strategy 2 GHG Reduction Potential 2030 2050
Absolute GHG Reduction (MTCO2e) 2,040 0
Per capita GHG Reduction (MTCO2e per capita) 0.0051 0
STRATEGY 2 ACTIONS:
 Conduct outreach to raise awareness about the benefits of solar energy for homes and increase installations of residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in Ontario.  Establish a solar permitting web page on the City's website that summarizes requirements for installing solar PV systems to ensure the information is easily accessible to the public.  Update City permit tracking as appropriate to track size and number of renewable energy installations.

STRATEGY 3 ONSITE SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS FOR NONRESIDENTIAL

DEVELOPMENT
Ensure new large nonresidential development, including City facilities, includes onsite renewable energy to support the site's energy needs by requiring solar photovoltaic panels or other appropriate onsite renewable energy generation systems for the following types of projects:
• New commercial and office buildings, or existing commercial and office building expansions greater or equal to 45,000 square feet in size. • New industrial or existing industrial buildings expansions greater or equal to 100,000 square feet in size.

Strategy 3 GHG Reduction Potential 2030 2050
Absolute GHG Reduction (MTCO2e) 26,480 0
Per capita GHG Reduction (MTCO2e per capita) 0.0659 0
STRATEGY 3 ACTIONS:
 Provide and support incentives and rebates for solar PV systems for industrial uses to encourage increased local use of renewable energy.
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 Conduct outreach to raise awareness about the benefits of solar energy for businesses, including industrial facilities, and increase installations of nonresidential solar PV systems in Ontario.
 Assess the feasibility of placing solar on City-owned properties.

STRATEGY 4 GREEN ROOFS
Promote and incentivize residents and business owners to install green roofs to conserve energy and reduce surface water runoff.

Strategy 4 GHG Reduction Potential 2030 2050
Absolute GHG Reduction (MTCO2e) Less than 10 Less than 10 Per capita GHG Reduction (MTCO2e per capita) Less than 10 Less than 10 STRATEGY 4 ACTIONS:
 Provide and support incentives for installation of green roofs in new and existing buildings.  Conduct outreach to raise awareness about and increase participation in green roof rebate program.

STRATEGY 5 URBAN COOLING
Maintain and expand the City's existing tree canopy, with a goal of planting 500 trees annually through 2050 and promote the use of pervious concrete and cool pavement for pavement projects.

Strategy 5 GHG Reduction Potential 2030 2050
Absolute GHG Reduction (MTCO2e) 5,610 12,730
Per capita GHG Reduction (MTCO2e per capita) 0.0140 0.0180 STRATEGY 5 ACTIONS:
 Maintain and expand an urban forestry program to manage citywide tree planting, track citywide tree inventory and canopy cover, and monitor tree health to maintain and expand the City's existing tree canopy.
 Identify priority areas for tree planting, focusing on environmental justice communities, to mitigate the heat island effect in underserved neighborhoods.  Ensure that new and retrofitted large hardscaped areas, such as parking lots, incorporate trees and other green infrastructure appropriate for current and future climate conditions.  Explore grant funding opportunities for urban forestry, pervious concrete, and cool pavement.
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STRATEGY 6 ENERGY EFFICIENCY RETROFITS FOR LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS Promote and incentivize voluntary energy efficiency retrofits of homes to reduce natural gas and electricity usage, with the goal of retrofitting 9,000 low-income homes by 2050. Partner with community services agencies to fund energy efficiency projects, including heating, ventilation, air conditioning, indoor lighting, water heating equipment, insulation, and weatherization for lowincome residents.

Strategy 6 GHG Reduction Potential 2030 2050
Absolute GHG Reduction (MTCO2e) 940 1,440
Per capita GHG Reduction (MTCO2e per capita) 0.0023 0.0020 STRATEGY 6 ACTIONS:
 Assist San Bernardino County staff and other partners with their targeted outreach campaigns, including hosting workshops and promoting programs through City communication channels to increase awareness of the benefits of weatherization among low-income households.
 Expand and better integrate funding and support for existing programs that support weatherization and increase energy efficiency in low-income households, including through partnerships with SoCalREN and San Bernardino County.  Engage with tenants and owners of multifamily homes and promote the SoCalREN multifamily program.

STRATEGY 7 ENERGY EFFICIENCY RETROFITS
Promote and incentivize voluntary energy efficiency retrofits to reduce in natural gas and electricity usage. Partner with regional agencies to expand access to existing energy efficiency and conservation opportunities, incentives, and technical assistance for residents and businesses.

Strategy 7 GHG Reduction Potential 2030 2050
Absolute GHG Reduction (MTCO2e) 11,570 15,600
Per capita GHG Reduction (MTCO2e per capita) 0.0288 0.0221 STRATEGY 7 ACTIONS:
 Assist partners with their outreach campaigns by hosting workshops, promoting programs through City communication channels, promoting programs through interactions with homeowners and contractors, and sharing permitting data to inform targeted outreach. 1064
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 Establish a web page on the City’s website that
summarizes permitting requirements, available rebates,
and other information about energy efficiency retrofits to ensure that information is easily available to the public.  Support SoCalREN and San Bernardino County efforts to conduct outreach and education with local contractors to ensure they are updated on local code requirements and
energy-efficient appliances and devices.
 Encourage owners of existing commercial, industrial, and residential buildings 10,000 square feet or larger to prepare an annual energy and water benchmarking report and
submit it to the City, to help community awareness of
building performance and identify opportunities for
energy- and water-efficiency retrofits.
 If Ontario is not on track to meet GHG reduction targets by 2025, develop and implement additional energy efficiency standards for existing buildings.  Research, consider, and implement an incentive program to encourage community members to reduce energy consumption.

Transportation
The private automobile has long dominated Ontario’s transportation landscape. While convenient, private vehicle travel releases significant volumes of GHGs, emits air pollutants, degrades roads, and poses safety concerns for the community. Allowing for affordable, accessible, and reliable transportation options available to the Ontario community makes it easier for all residents to participate in public life and gives all community members the freedom to choose transportation modes that promote health, reduce fuel costs and time lost in traffic, and help the City meet its climate action goals. This 2022 CCAP aims to provide viable alternatives to single-occupancy vehicle trips by promoting alternative modes of transportation through high-frequency bus service and expansion of bicycle and pedestrian facilities, especially near schools, business districts, and employment centers. In addition, this CCAP aims to reduce the emissions released by passenger vehicles by promoting electric vehicle adoption through municipal fleet electrification, community-wide EV charging stations, and rebates for EV purchases.

NONRESIDENTIAL

NATURAL GAS

SAVINGS
Between 2008 and 2019,
the City substantially
reduced its GHG
emissions from the
nonresidential natural
gas sector. Emissions
from the nonresidential
natural gas sector
decreased by 63
percent, from 368,460
MTCO2 e in 2008 to
137,960 MTCO2 e in
2019.
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