Smoke Management Program: Air District Programs

This page last reviewed July 12, 2010


There are 35 Air Pollution Control Districts or Air Quality Management Districts (air districts) in California. Each of these air districts are required, under title 17, to implement a district-wide smoke management program. You may view Air District Smoke Management Programs and Air District Rules for each of the State's 35 Air Districts. If you are not sure which district has jurisdiction over a specific area, you can check the ARB's District Rule Book Look Up by Zip Code or City.

In addition to requirements under title 17, the San Joaquin Valley has specific requirements to reduce burning even further.

Requirements for the San Joaquin Valley

To meet the requirements of ARB’s Smoke Management Guidelines, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution District (District) developed a comprehensive Smoke Management Program to minimize the impacts of agricultural burning on ambient air quality in the San Joaquin Valley. While the San Joaquin Valley’s Program carefully regulates and effectively caps allowable agricultural burning, Senate Bill 705 (Florez, Chapter 481, Statutes of 2003) was enacted in 2003 requiring the District to further limit agricultural burning through a prescribed phase-out schedule. However, the Statute also recognized that economic and technological impediments may exist that preclude the complete phase-out of all burning. Subject to ARB concurrence, the District may allow for continued burning of specific crops if the District determines all the conditions specified in the Statute apply.
On May 27, 2010, the ARB conducted a public meeting to hear a report on the San Joaquin Valley Smoke Management Program and considered the modifications to agricultural burning requirements recommended by the District.

ARB Documents

District Documents

Legislation


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