The Office of the Ombudsman

This page last reviewed July 20th, 2012

What is an Ombudsman?

An Ombudsman serves as a friendly advisor to individuals with unresolved complaints and acts to ensure a fair resolution of the situation. ARB's Ombudsman operates independently of division staff, reporting directly to the Chairman of the Board. Essentially, the Ombudsman and her staff act as an unbiased party during disputes. The Ombudsman can investigate a complaint and make a recommendation, but has no direct, legal authority to make or reverse a decision.

Frequently, small businesses, community activists, and private citizens do not have the necessary resources to play a major role in the development of regulations that affect them. If you have an interest in a specific air quality issue, the Ombudsman and her staff can help you gain access to the regulatory process. We want everyone who chooses to do so, to have an opportunity to participate in the development of California's air quality programs. We will work with you to determine ways in which you can get involved.

Resources:

• A-Z Program Index
• Financial Assistance
• Local Air District Contact Information
  
• Permitting Assistance
• Training and Compliance
• Laws & Regulations
• Cool California Funding Wizard
• CalRecycle Recycling Market Development Zones (RMDZ) 
• America's Small Business Development Center Network for California, Map by Region
• SCORE, for the life of your business
• Board of Equalization Electronic Business Registration 
• Northeastern CA Small Business Development Center Network (Serving California Northeast of Sacramento)
• Northern CA Small Business Development Center Network (Serving the Greater San Francisco Bay Area)
• Central California Small Business Development Center Network
• Orange County/Inland Empire Small Business Development Center Network (Serving Orange, San Bernardino & Riverside Counties)
• Los Angeles Regional Small Business Development Center Network (Serving Los Angeles, Ventura & Santa Barbara Counties)
• San Diego & Imperial Regional Small Business Development Center Network (Serving San Diego & Imperial Counties)

Questions, concerns or just need some answers? Contact us, we are here to help you. You can contact the Ombudsman and her staff , at ombudsman@arb.ca.gov or by calling (916) 323-6791 or toll free at (800) ARB-HLP2  (800 272-4572). Para asistencia en Español, llame (916) 324-1503.

Sign-up for our List Serve and stay up to date on what we are doing. You can find our list serve at this link: Ombudsman List Serve