Advance Environmental Justice
Under Goal 2, we will advance environmental justice by supporting, partnering with, and uplifting communities overburdened by pollution, so that we may work together to identify and reduce disparities in air pollution exposure.
Overview
Under Goal 2, we will advance environmental justice by supporting, partnering with, and uplifting communities overburdened by pollution, so that we may work together to identify and reduce disparities in air pollution exposure.
So that communities can collect their own air pollution data, we will help to build their data collection skills and knowledge. We will also provide the tools they need to access and better understand existing air pollution data.
We will improve our air quality complaint process to ensure it is effective and transparent. We will directly engage with communities about compliance and enforcement activities, including recent incidents or other air pollution violations, our enforcement response, the extent of public harm, and legal actions we may take.
We will work with communities to identify air pollution disparities and to develop a more complete understanding of air pollution in their neighborhoods. We will use this information to develop more effective strategies to reduce pollution from the sources that most impact them.
We will develop a community-led process where communities participate in decisions on how to spend money that illegal air polluters pay in penalties so that projects benefit communities. We will work to change laws that prevent the Air District and others from advancing environmental justice and will advance and prioritize our compliance with civil rights laws, and better address cumulative impacts.
Build Partnerships and Community Capacity
This objective has 6 strategies.
We will develop partnerships with communities so they can directly participate in the solutions to the air quality problems that impact them. Read more.
To achieve this strategy, we’ve created and will be tracking the following commitments:
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
Two actions have been identified to expand community partnership models. Both actions have started. We are building and continuously updating a database of community partners in East and West Contra Costa County, Alameda County, Santa Clara County, and parts of Solano and San Mateo County. The database includes contact information for key individuals and notes on their interactions. We are also documenting existing partnership models from the pilot phase of the Environmental Justice Navigators Program, using examples like the Refinery Corridor group and community members concerned about Crown Hill Materials.
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
No actions have been identified for this commitment yet. Check back again soon.
We will build community capacity to collect air pollution data and ensure the Air District better utilizes those data to reduce the pollution that harms communities most. Read more.
To achieve this strategy, we’ve created and will be tracking the following commitments:
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
We identified eight actions to provide community with air quality data collection tools and have completed one of these actions and started five others. We have renewed the Bay Air Center contract and continue to identify other projects within the Air District the Bay Air Center can support to increase our capacity to provide air quality and air monitoring support to communities. We are also assisting communities applying for funding for air monitoring or data projects by updating the publicly available information about the types of support the Bay Air Center offers, links to other online air quality resources, and any community air monitoring funding opportunities from other agencies as they become available. Early next year when the California Air Resources Board requests proposals for their Cycle 6 Community Air Grant program, we will assist applicants in overburdened communities with their proposals and/or provide letters of support or commitment as requested. To improve public reporting of air quality issues, we are developing a reporting form to provide a new direct line for workers to confidentially report violations. We are also developing a user guide and website for an air pollution log that would allow communities to submit observations of air pollution issues. We hope to deliver the online Air Pollution log if technical issues are addressed.
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
Four actions have been identified for this commitment, of those three have started. We are conducting training for community members on using and interpreting information from air quality websites. We are designing and planning, in partnership with Communities for a Better Environment and the Bay Air Center, a three-part workshop series for the AB 617 East Oakland Community Steering Committee other community members. Workshops will cover air quality fundamentals and data interpretation. We are also identifying overburdened communities, including James Cary Smith grantees, for training in air quality. Staff have also started drafting workshop materials for similar training and have discussed a process for compiling a list of interested organizations.
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
Six actions have been identified to advance this commitment. All but one of these actions have started. To better provide support to communities conducting air monitoring and air quality projects, we attended grant kickoff meetings for Cycle 5 Community Air Grant recipients to identify their technical needs. We are also providing technical advice to communities through the Project Expert Group for the Statewide Mobile Monitoring Initiative, a project implemented by Aclima. Air monitoring by Aclima and their mobile labs is ongoing in all Bay Area communities.
The Air District and the Bay Air Center are also directly supporting community-conducted monitoring in Vallejo, Marin City, Richmond, and East Oakland. For the East Oakland Air Monitoring Project, staff managed the contract, coordinated payments, and advised on technical questions for the indoor/outdoor air sensor portion. Finally, the Community Investments Office and the Air District worked together to develop guidelines and criteria for incorporating air monitoring projects into community grant programs, a process that is partially transferable between the AIR Equity and Air District’s People's Air Grant Programs, with the latter's guidelines set to be completed in early 2026.
We will give communities the tools and data they need to access and understand air pollution data so they can be better informed of any potential air pollution problems. Read more.
To achieve this strategy, we’ve created and will be tracking the following commitments:
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
Eight actions have been identified to advance this commitment. To assess community data needs, we are starting with community input during the development of community emission reduction plans and other programs. We are compiling a list of previously shared community concerns. We are also conducting a crosswalk analysis, comparing the inventory of needs with existing complaint and enforcement data. This process helps identify data gaps, which we can then coordinate with ongoing community air monitoring actions.
Up next, we will crosswalk community data needs we identified with our permitting data inventory and monitoring data and identify data gaps. We will also kick off a community technical working group.
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
Seven actions have been identified to advance this commitment. We have completed a routine update to our air toxics emissions data for permitted sources, which has been published in an online mapping tool. We are now working on updating and publishing our regional inventories for greenhouse gases, criteria pollutants, and air toxics emissions data. We are also working to develop a process to review, summarize, and post data from refinery community air monitoring stations.
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
Four actions have been identified for this commitment, all of which have started. We are actively identifying and preparing various data sets for public sharing, including permitting, monitoring, emissions, and enforcement and complaint data. We are compiling an inventory of available permit data from the Permitting and Compliance System and developing an inventory of ambient air quality monitoring data by compiling lists of existing data in AB 617 communities and throughout the region. Additionally, we are creating a list of available emissions inventory and air quality modeling datasets. Finally, we are working to develop a list of enforcement and complaint data, with new compliance tracking tools like Power BI being developed to make the data more accessible and understandable to the public.
We will provide communities with better health information, so they know the potential health implications of air pollution and are better able to participate in decision-making. Read more.
To achieve this strategy, we’ve created and will be tracking the following commitments:
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
No actions have been identified for this commitment yet. Check back again soon.
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
No actions have been identified for this commitment yet. Check back again soon.
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
No actions have been identified for this commitment yet. Check back again soon.
We will improve the complaint process to ensure it is effective and transparent. Read more.
To achieve this strategy, we’ve created and will be tracking the following commitments:
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
We have identified nine actions to advance this commitment, all of which have been completed or have started. We have completed a guide for the public on how to report an air quality complaint. We are now working on improving the overall Air Quality Complaint Program, with a focus on improving communication and accessibility for overburdened communities, including West Oakland, East Oakland, Bayview Hunters Point, and Richmond-North Richmond-San Pablo. We will be meeting with AB 617 community steering committees to discuss updating the complaint program and to solicit feedback. To report on program activity, a standard quarterly complaint report is being developed in collaboration with the community steering committees, with initial brainstorming underway to provide communities with enforcement data.
Several new resources are also in development to clarify the complaint process for the public. We are drafting Frequently Asked Questions, a user guide for the pending Air Pollution Log, and interagency referral list for the program webpage. Finally, we are reviewing our webpages to improve clarity and usability and exploring visual ways to display complaint information, such as infographics and maps.
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
We have identified seven actions to address this commitment. To increase community access to complaint data, we demonstrated a new compliant data web tool to the Air District’s Community Advisory Council. We are getting ready to launch the tool later this fall. We are also working on implementing an automated system to send complaint reports to complainants and are updating our compliant investigation reports. We are also looking into new technology platforms to enhance complaint data.
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
We have identified six actions to address this commitment and completed three of those actions. To explore options to expand complaint response outside of regular business hours, we gathered insights regarding Air District staff off-hours availability and developed criteria for when to deploy resources. We also conducted a targeted inspection pilot program in Bayview-Hunters Point to identify criteria for addressing air quality concerns outside of business hours.
We are currently developing an interagency collaboration list to ensure coordination amongst agencies. We are also exploring options with our human resources office to expand resources to develop a standard protocol for enhanced response on nights, weekends, and holidays.
We will meet with communities about air pollution problems in their neighborhoods, their concerns, how we are addressing them, and what more they need from us, so we are more responsive to communities. Read more.
To achieve this strategy, we’ve created and will be tracking the following commitments:
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
We have identified three actions to advance this commitment. We are developing concepts for a new community “Enforcement Town Hall Meeting” policy, which will be discussed with the Enforcement Implementation Working Group later this year. Up next, we will finalize the town hall meeting policy and begin hosting town hall meetings on enforcement issues.
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
We have identified five actions to better share information on air monitoring activities and data, two of which are completed. We participated in the Statewide Mobile Monitoring Initiative's Project Expert Group, providing technical advice and reviewing draft Community Air Monitoring Plans based on community concerns. We also presented plans for updating our approach to air monitoring to the Community Advisory Council. Council members offered feedback on their air monitoring and data needs, providing important guidance for plans related to regulatory monitoring, fenceline monitoring, community air quality investigations, and support for community-led air monitoring projects.
We are now working to improve our internal coordination to improve monitoring support for communities. We are also compiling a list of air quality resources we can share with community members and are working on a roadmap of air monitoring updates that reflects input from the Community Advisory Council and new air monitoring projects.
Identify Disparities
This objective has 1 strategy.
We will work with communities overburdened by air pollution to develop a more complete understanding of air pollution in their neighborhoods. Read more.
To achieve this strategy, we’ve created and will be tracking the following commitments:
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
We have identified one action to implement this commitment, which has been completed. We have summarized local inventory, modeling, and exposure assessment results and presented them to the Bayview Hunters Point/Southeast San Francisco Community Steering Committee. Findings were also summarized in a written document to support development of the Air Quality Overview chapter of the draft Bayview Hunters Point/Southeast San Francisco Community Emission Reduction Plan.
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
We have identified thirteen actions to advance this commitment. Two efforts have been completed, including expanding the air monitoring portion of the annual air toxics report and convening an Air District workgroup to increase the use of community air monitoring data in regulatory programs.
Currently, we are working to develop a program for community air quality investigations. We are compiling a list of air quality issues raised by community members and matching them to air monitoring resources and tools. We are also working on a process to better respond to air monitoring data needs.
To improve access to refinery community air monitoring data, we are developing a process for reviewing and sharing data on our website. To increase the use of air monitoring data, we have prepared an outline of the air quality assessment for the Bayview Hunters Point community emission reduction plan, using existing air monitoring data.
To strengthen the refinery community air monitoring program, we have been working to secure new air monitoring locations. Two out of five planned ambient air monitoring stations have been secured, with most instrumentation in place. The remaining three locations have been identified but are not yet accessible. We are also working to develop or modify rules for a comprehensive fenceline and ambient air monitoring program. A proposed plan for this rule development was recently approved by executive leadership.
Finally, we are supporting the Port of Oakland’s fenceline monitoring project and have been drafting work plans for updating our air toxics monitoring program.
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
We have identified ten actions related to this commitment, four of which have been completed. To better understand local air pollution in the Bayview Hunters Point/Southeast San Francisco community, we have done modeling to determine how much diesel particulate matter concentrations and related cancer risk were attributed to key local sources. We also updated our screening tools for permitted facilities, rail lines, and rail yards with modeled fine particulate matter concentrations and risk assessment estimates. We also completed a base-year regional emissions inventory for criteria pollutants, which improves our understanding of area sources and their potential impact on communities.
We are currently working with Caltrans on the I-580 Truck Access Study to assess the potential air quality impact from lifting the truck ban on I-580.
Next year, we will begin work on a gridded emissions inventory for particulate matter emissions and continue to update the screening tool with modeled fine particulate matter concentrations and risk estimates associated with car and truck emissions.
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
We have identified two actions for this commitment; work has started on community air monitoring investigations in two areas. In East Oakland, mobile air monitoring started in July 2025 for our air monitoring project with Communities for a Better Environment, assessing impacts related to air pollution concerns raised by community members. In Bayview Hunters Point we are working with the Marie Harrison Community Foundation by supporting their workforce development efforts with youth, and planning and conducting a mobile air monitoring project.
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
We have identified one action to advance this commitment. We are working to update our website where we describe our ambient air monitoring programs. We have begun by developing an organizational structure for the website and new, improved language for the site.
Reduce Disparities
This objective has 4 strategies.
We will manage funds to benefit communities in partnership with those communities, including the money that the Air District collects in penalties from air pollution violations that affect communities. Read more.
To achieve this strategy, we’ve created and will be tracking the following commitments:
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
We have identified twelve actions to advance this commitment. Six actions have been completed. We have completed a communications plan for the Local Community Benefits Fund, we have launched a community engagement process to identify community needs and funding priorities, developed draft guidelines for the use of penalty funds, held a webinar for potential fund applicants, secured approvals needed for additional staff resources to support the Community Investment Office, and have reported progress to the Air District Board and Community Advisory Council.
We are now preparing to launch the Local Community Benefits Fund for Benicia, Richmond, and surrounding communities early next year. We are also working on additional updates to the Board of Directors and on staff recruitment. We plan to present additional program update to the Community Advisory Council in the spring of 2026.
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
We have identified ten actions to advance this commitment. The first action was to have the Air District Board approve the People’s Air Grant program; the Board approved the program in May of 2025.
We are now working on developing grant guidelines for the program and program design.
We will strive to change laws that prevent the Air District from advancing environmental justice. Read more.
To achieve this strategy, we’ve created and will be tracking the following commitments:
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
Two actions have been identified and completed for this commitment. We have successfully advanced legislation to increase the maximum amount we can collect in penalties for air quality violations. We met with legislators on penalty limits and Governor Newsom signed legislation to increase the penalty ceiling.
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
No actions have been identified for this commitment. Check back again soon.
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
No actions have been identified for this commitment. Check back again soon.
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
We have identified three actions to advance this commitment, all of which will start early next year. We will create a learning academy for legislative staff, train staff, and assess the training program. We will work with the South Coast Air Quality Management District to identify topics for the training program.
We will advance and prioritize compliance with civil rights laws, including the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related California laws. Read more.
To achieve this strategy, we’ve created and will be tracking the following commitments:
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
We have identified two actions for this commitment. One action has been completed, and one has started. We have developed a preliminary set of guidelines to identify permits that may raise civil rights or environmental justice concerns. These initial guidelines were internally developed and are intentionally broad. Their purpose is to give us a large but manageable subset of applications to help us begin considering what a systematic civil rights review process might look like. The guidelines will be a “living” set of criteria that we will develop over time in dialogue with partners and other interested parties. Relatedly, we have begun the process of considering how to implement civil rights compliance checks into our permitting process. We have met with academics and advocates and expect to expand outreach and seek additional feedback in the next year and a half.
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
We have identified three actions for this commitment. We are working to hire a language access coordinator whose responsibility will be to implement our plan for ensuring meaningful access to Air District services and programs. Next up, we will establish an internal language access working group and engage with Limited English Proficient populations to ensure their participation in Air District programs.
We will develop our understanding of the cumulative effects of air pollution, and other stressors, and use this information to focus regulatory efforts in areas experiencing the most serious air pollution and related cumulative public health impacts. Read more.
To achieve this strategy, we’ve created and will be tracking the following commitments:
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
No actions have been identified for this commitment. Check back again soon.
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
No actions have been identified for this commitment. Check back again soon.
Status of actions to implement commitment, as of September 30, 2025
No actions have been identified for this commitment. Check back again soon.