Lake County Air Quality Management District
Clean Air Attainment Since 1990
707-263-7000
2617 S. Main St., Lakeport, CA
Community Air Protection
Community Air Protection Project Ideas are welcome anytime. Program Guidance can be found here. All project types must follow Program Guidelines.
Background
Recent legislation (AB 617) directed the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to establish the Community Air Protection Program to reduce exposure in communities most affected by air pollution. The goal is to prioritize air quality improvements in California’s most polluted communities through enhanced monitoring and targeted deployment of cleaner technologies, with expanded community participation.
Community Air Protection Projects Funded
| Type of Project | Company | Project Description | Grant Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| School Air Filter - Smoke Reduction | Lake County Office of Education | 80 Portable HEPA Filters for all LCOE Plus spare filters. | $153,597.20 |
Funding Source Acknowledgment
The Community Air Protection Plan is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing GHG emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment– particularly in disadvantaged communities. The Cap-and-Trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution. California Climate Investments projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture, recycling, and much more. At least 35 percent of these investments are located within and benefiting residents of disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, and low-income households across California. For more information, visit the California Climate Investments website at: www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov.
About AB617 CAP Program
In response to Assembly Bill (AB) 617 (C. Garcia, Chapter 136, Statutes of 2017), CARB established the Community Air Protection Program (CAPP or Program). The Program’s focus is to reduce exposure in communities most impacted by air pollution.
The Legislature appropriated funding to support early actions to address localized air pollution through targeted incentive funding to deploy cleaner technologies in communities, as well as grants to support community participation in the AB 617 process. AB 617 includes new requirements for accelerated retrofit of pollution controls on industrial sources, increased penalty fees, and greater transparency and availability of air quality and emissions data, which will help advance air pollution control efforts throughout the State. This new effort provides an opportunity to continue to enhance our air quality planning efforts.
The District's Role
- Conduct community outreach in several regions in Lake County.
- Talk with affected communities to identify eligible grant project types.
- Share project types with District Board of Directors.
- Forward projects to CARB to allocate funding.
- Implement grant projects to improve air quality in affected communities.
- Work with CARB to efficiently implement a statewide emission inventory reporting system.
- Participate in a working group to develop a technology clearinghouse and to identify BARCT (Best Available Retrofit Control Technology) standards. These control technologies can greatly reduce emissions from engines and equipment. Revisions to District rules may also be necessary to meet the BARCT standards.
Emissions Inventory
CARB developed the “Regulation for the Reporting of Criteria Air Pollutants and Toxic Air Contaminants” (or CTR) to implement statewide annual reporting of criteria air pollutant and toxic air contaminant emissions data from all facilities. Emissions inventory data is critical to understanding the sources of emissions that may contribute to adverse health risks or other impacts at the local, regional, and statewide level. The District maintains a thorough emission inventory, but additional modifications will be necessary to support the new statewide structure and to reliably compare the emission inventory between Air Districts.
CARB Community Air Grants Available
Funds are available from CARB for community-based organizations for technical assistance and projects that align with the goals of AB 617. Examples of what Community Air Grants are being used to fund includes, but is not limited to:
Community engagement and outreach related to AB 617
Hiring consultants and/or technical experts
Travel and logistical support for hosting and/or attending meetings related to AB 617 (i.e., room rental, meeting facilitation, transportation)
Support for community operated air monitoring
Data collection and analysis, including community based participatory research projects
For more information regarding these grants, please see here.
AB1550 Map for Lake County
AB 1550 areas are those shaded in blue. Disadvantaged Communities are shaded Purple. Low income communities within 1/2 mile of a Disadvantage Community are shaded yellow. For a more detailed map, please click here.