Biennial Report on Air Quality Trends
and Emission Control Programs
This page last reviewed January 14, 2010
Section
39604 of the California Health and Safety Code requires the ARB to post on
its Web site, each odd numbered year, information on air quality conditions
and trends statewide and on the status and effectiveness of state and local
air quality programs. This Web page provides links to detailed information
that addresses the provisions of this requirement.
Air
Quality Trends
The Almanac of Emissions and Air Quality
is a report published annually that provides detailed information on
historical air quality trends in California, in addition to the most
current air quality data for which completed data are available. In
addition, the Almanac summarizes the violations of air quality
standards that have occurred
over the most recent 20-year period. Information is provided for the
State as a whole, for each air basin, as well
as for each county comprising an air basin. The Almanac includes
updated information on revisions to State and
federal air quality standards, designations for State and/or federal
standards, and State emission control program milestones. The Almanac
also provides detailed information on emission trends and emission and
air quality data related to toxic air contaminants.
|
Almanac of Emissions and Air Quality |
The most current
version of the Almanac is available
for download in PDF format. All data tables in the Almanac can be
downloaded as a text or Excel file through this Web Page. |
ARB Research Projects
The ARB sponsors a comprehensive
program of research into the causes, effects, and possible solutions to the
air pollution problem in California. The goal of the research program is to
provide the timely scientific and technical information needed to develop
and support the public policy decisions required for an effective air pollution
control program.
Significant
Federal Actions
The
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency s (U.S. EPA) recent air
quality-related actions with a California impact have been in three
broad areas. The first is federal action on California air quality
plans and rule updates submitted by the Air Resources Board to meet
federal ambient air quality standards for 1-hour ozone, particulate
matter (PM10),
and carbon monoxide. This also includes changes to the attainment
status of California regions with respect to
federal standards. The next area is U.S. EPA s actions to set new
ambient air quality standards for 8-hour ozone
and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and to establish implementation
rules for those standards. The third area is
major new federal control measures and programs intended to reduce
pollution from sources like diesel engines and equipment and electric
utilities.
| Rule and Planning Activities at U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9 |
Region 9: Air Programssummarizes
U.S. EPA s recent action on California State Implementation Plans and
area classifications for 1-hour ozone, PM10, and carbon monoxide. A
searchable database is available listing the status of all U.S. EPA
action on air district rules. |
| New Federal Standards |
8-hour Ozone Designations summarizes the California regions U.S. EPA designated as nonattainment for the 8-hour standard. The 8-hour Implementation Rule-Phase 2 lays out the process U.S. EPA has defined for the transition from the 1-hour to the 8-hour standard. |
|
PM2.5 Designations summarizes the California regions U.S. EPA designated as nonattainment for the annual and 24-hour PM2.5 standards. |
|
Transportation Conformity Regulations provide information on federal conformity procedures under the 8-hour and PM2.5 standards. |
| Federal Control Measures and Programs |
Clean
Air Rules of 2004 summarizes U.S. EPA s major 2004 air-related rulemaking
activities, including on the Interstate Clean Air Rule, Mercury Clean
Air Rule and Nonroad Clean Air Rule.
West
Coast Diesel Emissions Reduction Collaborative summarizes a new
incentive-based initiative to reduce diesel emissions along the West
Coast. |
State
Implementation Plan Status and Significant District Actions
Federal
clean air laws require areas with unhealthy levels of ozone, carbon
monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and inhalable particulate
matter to develop plans, known as State Implementation Plans (SIPs),
describing how they will attain national ambient air quality standards.
State law makes ARB the lead agency for all purposes related to the
SIP. ARB is also responsible for developing SIP elements for mobile
sources and consumer products. Local air districts prepare SIP elements
for sources under their authority to control and submit them to ARB for
review and approval. ARB then forwards the combined State and local
elements to U.S. EPA for approval.
| Status of State Implementation Plan |
State Implementation Plan
summarizes recent SIP updates and their status for
each of the nonattainment areas in the State. It also provides
information on the ARB s statewide strategies for mobile sources and
consumer products. An outline of current and future activities to
update the SIP for the new federal 8-hour and PM2.5 standards is
available. Lastly, the regional SIPs are a good summary resource of
recent significant district actions taken to address sources under
local authority. |
Toxic Air Contaminant Control
Program
The
ARBs statewide comprehensive air toxics program was established in the
early 1980's. The Toxic Air Contaminant Identification and Control Act
(AB 1807, Tanner 1983) created California's program to reduce exposure
to air toxics. The Air Toxics "Hot Spots" Information and Assessment
Act (AB 2588, Connelly 1987) supplements the AB 1807 program, by
requiring a statewide air toxics inventory, notification of people
exposed to a significant health risk, and facility plans to reduce
these risks.
Under AB 1807, the ARB is required to use certain criteria
in the prioritization for the identification and control
of air toxics. In selecting substances for review, the ARB must
consider criteria relating to "the risk of
harm to public health, amount or potential amount of emissions, manner
of, and exposure to, usage of the substance in California, persistence
in the atmosphere, and ambient concentrations in the community" [Health
and Safety Code section 39666(f)]. AB 1807 also requires the ARB to use
available information gathered from the AB 2588 program to include in
the prioritization of compounds.
| Adopted Airborne Toxic Control Measures |
A list of the Airborne Toxic Control Measures (ATCMs)
adopted by ARB is available. Each ATCM is codified under Title 17 of
the California Code of Regulations (17 CCR). A staff contact is
provided
for each adopted measure, allowing you to obtain a copy of the
corresponding staff report or technical support
document. |
| Airborne Toxic Control Measures Under Development. |
The Rulemaking Activity web page provides information regarding ATCMs under development that are still in the formal rulemaking phase. |
Actions
to Reduce Motor Vehicle Emissions
ARB is responsible for
developing statewide programs and strategies to reduce the emission of
smog-forming pollutants and toxics by mobile sources. These include
both on and off-road sources such as passenger cars, motorcycles,
trucks, buses, heavy-duty construction equipment, recreational
vehicles, marine vessels, lawn and garden equipment, and small utility
engines. For more information, please click on the two web links
provided below, or call toll-free
1‑800‑242‑4450.
| Summary of Mobile Source Programs |
The Mobile Source Program
web page provides detailed information on the status of ARB programs to
reduce emissions from mobile sources. The information is, summarized by
the type of mobile source control program or activity. |
| Status of Mobile Source Regulations | The Rulemaking Activity
web page provides a summary of mobile source regulations adopted by
ARB, or in the formal rulemaking process, to control emissions from
motor vehicles.
|
Cal/EPA Legislatively Mandated Reports
ARB Legislatively Mandated Reports