Key projects and the results from the Air District’s health-protective work over the past year.
The Air District held four workshops in refinery communities to discuss air monitoring near refineries as part of the implementation process for the recently adopted Regulation 12, Rule 15: Petroleum Refining Emissions Tracking. The goal of Rule 12-15 is to characterize emissions from all refineries to determine if additional rulemaking is required to further reduce emissions; track crude slate changes to assess whether those changes result in increased emissions; and improve real-time monitoring of emissions at fencelines to address public concerns about localized health impacts and to validate emissions inventories.
Regulation 11, Rule 18: Reduction of Risk from Air Toxic Emissions at Existing Facilities is considered the most health-protective toxic air pollution measure in the nation and will reduce hazardous air pollutants with cancer-causing potential and other serious health effects from hundreds of stationary air pollution sources throughout the Bay Area.
The Air District hosted a series of community workshops to begin implementation of state law AB 617, which requires local air districts to continue to reduce air pollution exposure in the most impacted communities. The Air District held four workshops to discuss community-level monitoring and planning in highly impacted Bay Area neighborhoods.
The Air District holds community meetings throughout the Bay Area to inform rule development efforts.
The Air District adopted new rules and amendments as part of Regulation 6 to further reduce particulate matter pollution from industrial sources. Particulate matter is very fine air pollution not visible to the human eye. Fine particle pollution is hazardous when breathed as it can bypass the respiratory system and move into the blood stream.
The Air District hosted a series of workshops on a set of proposed rules under Regulation 3 that would regulate methane emissions — a potent greenhouse gas – which is a significant contributor to climate change.
The Air District adopted new rules and amendments as part of Regulation 6 to further reduce particulate matter pollution from industrial sources. Particulate matter is very fine air pollution not visible to the human eye. Fine particle pollution is hazardous when breathed as it can bypass the respiratory system and move into the blood stream.
The Air District hosted a series of workshops on a set of proposed rules under Regulation 3 that would regulate methane emissions — a potent greenhouse gas – which is a significant contributor to climate change.
The Spare the Air Program continued to educate Bay Area residents on clean commute options like carpooling, transit, biking, walking, and telecommuting.
The Spare the Air Employer Program added 52 new member companies in 2018 and launched a refreshed website offering tools and resources by county. The Program hosted networking events for Santa Clara County employers and facilitated Carpool Now events for Palo Alto and Richmond employers. The 1,905 companies who are members of the Spare the Air Employer Program help influence the commutes of approximately 850,000 Bay Area employees.
Wildfires are increasingly devastating for our communities and the environment as we experienced during the November 2018 Camp Fire in Butte County that caused over 2 weeks of heavy smoke impacts throughout the region. The Air District is committed to developing a comprehensive program that can help protect Bay Area residents from significant air quality impacts in the region.
Smoke plume from November 2018 Camp Fire
The Wildfire Air Quality Response Program is intended to prepare, prevent and respond to future wildfires, and to ensure health-protective measures and strategies are in place during air pollution emergencies like the 2017 Napa fires and 2018 Camp Fire that impacted air quality in the entire Bay Area. Program components include the promotion of clean air centers across the Bay Area, targeted rule development, and enhanced information access through the development of wildfire smoke health guidance and communications plan.
Of Bay Area Fine Particulate Pollution
Of Bay Area Ozone-Forming Pollutants
