Timeline

Strategic Plan Adoption: Air District Board adopts the 2024-2029 Strategic Plan.

Equipment Leaks: Air District Board adopts amendments to Regulation 8, Rule 18, Equipment Leaks, to strengthen leak detection at refineries.

Record Penalties: The Air District and the California Air Resources Board fine Valero $82 million Valero for years of illegal air pollution in Benicia - the largest fine in the Air District's history.

Cumulative Impacts Work Plan: The Air District’s Advisory Council adopts a cumulative impacts work plan to address the combined health burdens of multiple pollution sources in overburdened communities.

Marathon Petroleum Penalties: The Air District fines Marathon Petroleum $5 million for air quality violations at its Martinez refinery. Penalty addressed multiple instances of equipment failures and emissions exceedances that occurred prior to the facility’s conversion to a renewable fuels plant.

Path to Clean Air Community Plan Adopted: Final state approval of the Richmond-North Richmond-San Pablo Path to Clean Air Community Emissions Reduction Plan.

Water Heater Rules: Staff present an update to the Board regarding market readiness for the 2027 zero-NOx water heater requirements.

Organizational Rebrand: Launch new logo and visual identity to signal a "renewed promise" to align with community aspirations.

Permit Requests: New permit status request procedures implemented.

Capacity Building Grants: Board authorizes nearly $3.5 million for the James Cary Smith Community Grant Program, a three-year grant, to support capacity-building in environmental justice communities.

2025 Ambient Air Monitoring Network Plan: Release annual plan summarizing 2024 network performance and proposing modifications through 2026.

Air Monitoring Assessment: Release comprehensive evaluation of the regional air monitoring network, identifying opportunities to integrate new technologies and streamline operations.

School and Residential Air Filtration: Air District Board authorizes $4 million in funding: $3 million to upgrade filtration systems at elementary schools in Richmond, San Pablo, and Bayview Hunters Point/Southeast San Francisco, and $1 million to launch a new residential air filtration program.

Metal Recycling: Public workshops for amendments to Rule 6-4, Metal Recycling and Shredding Operations.

Permit System Launch: Upgrades to the online Permitting and Compliance System go live, featuring a visual timeline of application steps and graphical displays of time spent by both the applicant and the Air District.

Permitting Backlog Reduction: Air District Board authorizes $6.7 million to fund new positions to accelerate permit processing and address existing application backlogs.

Water Heater Rules: Air District releases paper outlining potential amendments to Rule 9-6, Nitrogen Oxides from Natural Gas-Fired Boilers and Water Heaters, specifically focusing on affordability and availability.

Air Toxics: Public workshops on draft amendments to Rule 11-18.

Wood Smoke & Open Burning: Air District Board adopts amendments to wood-smoke and open-burning rules to further protect public health during winter months.

East Oakland Community Plan: Public open house for the East Oakland Community Emissions Reduction Plan.

Path to Clean Air Community Plan Implementation: Release of Year 1 Annual Report for Path to Clean Air, detailing progress on emission benefits and incentive funding in the Richmond-North Richmond-San Pablo area.

Commercial Electric Lawn & Garden: Launch pilot program to reduce emissions in overburdened communities through replacement of gasoline and diesel-powered equipment with electric.

Social Media: Complete paid campaign to increase registration for public notification tool.

AI Pilot Program for Permits: Complete proof-of-concept pilot using Large Language Models (AI) to generate concise permit application briefings, streamlining reporting for the public and Board of Directors.

Grant Funding: First round of grant applications open ($95 million) for the Bay REPAIR program, a grant initiative that directs penalty and mitigation funds from air quality violations back into the communities most affected by them.

Permitting Efficiency Taskforce: Launch Permitting Efficiency Taskforce, a collaborative group of community members and industry representatives, to oversee the transparent implementation of permitting reforms.

Martinez Refining Company Penalties: In a joint case with the Contra Costa District Attorney, the Air District fines the Martinez Refining Company $10 million for 163 air quality and related violations, the third-largest penalty in the Air District's history.

People’s Air Grant: Applications open for People’s Air Grant Program ($3 million), a new community-focused grant program, supporting air quality and public health projects in impacted communities.

Regional Climate Action Plan: Finalize Bay Area Regional Climate Action Plan, which serves as a roadmap for meeting near- and long-term regional GHG reduction targets while prioritizing benefits for frontline communities.

East Oakland Community Plan: After adoption of the Right to Breathe Community Emissions Reduction Plan by the Community Steering Committee, the Air District Board approves the plan, addressing longstanding air pollution environmental injustices in East Oakland.

Water Heater Rules: Following the 2024 readiness report and a 2025 paper on affordability and availability, Air District Board considers potential flexibility amendments.

Accessible Facility Data: A joint staff and community technical working group design a mobile-friendly interactive app for accessing facility information.