Executive
Officer
Statement

We continued to address disparities in air quality and health protections by expanding partnerships in historically disadvantaged communities. At the same time, our climate protection work progressed to accelerate electrification and incentivize greenhouse gas reductions by funding cutting-edge technologies.

We expanded our Wildfire Air Quality Response Program to increase protections from wildfire smoke for those most vulnerable. Through partnerships with public health entities, we provided air filtration units to low-income residents with respiratory conditions. In an ongoing partnership, we provided the Red Cross with additional portable air filtration units to deploy to wildfire evacuation centers.

The Air District strengthened our collaborative work with the Bay Area communities most impacted by air pollution. A community steering committee was formed to address impacts in the Richmond-North Richmond-San Pablo area that will reduce pollution exposure and address the health disparities faced by this community. In West Oakland, we worked alongside community co-leads to begin implementing the Community Action Plan to secure funding for a variety of pollution-reduction measures in this overburdened area.

Our Board of Directors participated in a series of environmental justice trainings focused on the historical connection between racial segregation, structural racism and current-day environmental injustices in the Bay Area and nationally. In November, the Board formed the agency’s first Community Advisory Council — a diverse group of residents from the most impacted Bay Area communities — who will provide key input on Air District programs and further our equity-forward policy agenda.

We adopted important amendments to Rule 6-5, which will tighten controls on particulate matter pollution from refineries and provide stronger health protections for nearby communities. In December, we amended our permitting rules to better protect overburdened communities through more stringent health risk limits and an extended timeframe for public feedback.

Air District staff and Board members participated in the COP26 UN Climate Summit in Glasgow, Scotland, to share our innovative work and learn about programs being implemented abroad that address this most urgent crisis. Despite the increasing challenges of climate change, our purpose is clear: to protect and improve the global climate, air quality, and public health for all Bay Area residents.

JACK P. BROADBENT
Executive Officer
Air Pollution Control Officer