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Air Quality Fact

But the biggest challenges may lie ahead. Maintaining what we have may be the biggest challenge yet. Even in our cleanest year, the Bay Area is still not in attainment with State ozone and particulate matter (PM) standards. Expected increases in population, motor vehicle ownership and distances traveled and climate change will exacerbate this situation and could turn the clock back if we do not begin to address these issues now.

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Wood Burning Status

The 2009-10 Winter Spare the Air season ended on February 28. There is currently no wood burning ban in place.

The Bay Area burn status will be updated daily during the 2010-11 Winter Spare the Air season beginning November 1.

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Winter Spare the Air Suns
Air Quality Widgets | BAAQMD

Contacts

Individuals

  • Gregory Tholen
  • Principal Environmental Planner, Planning and Research
  • 415 749-4954

Groups

AQ Plans

415 749-5179

Planning Rules And Research

415 749-4995

Public Information Office

415 779-4900


Full BAAQMD Directory

CEQA Guidelines

CEQA Guidelines Update

The Air District is in the process of updating the CEQA Guidelines. The CEQA Guidelines Update will review, revise, and develop significance thresholds, assessment methodologies, and mitigation strategies for criteria pollutants, air toxics, odors, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Learn more about the CEQA Guidelines Update by attending upcoming workshops and reviewing documents listed below.

In January 2010, the Air District's Board of Directors decided to consider adoption of the CEQA thresholds of significance in June.  In the next coming months to June, District staff will be meeting with local governments, further developing analysis tools, and conducting trainings on applying the CEQA Guidelines.  Information on upcoming workshops and available resources will be posted on this site. To be added to our email database and receive future updates, send an email to Lilia Martinez.

The Draft CEQA Guidelines and Thresholds of Significance Report (published December 2009) are posted below.  

The District’s Thresholds of Significance are developed to assist local jurisdictions and agencies in complying with the requirements of CEQA regarding potentially adverse impacts to air quality. The primary purpose of the thresholds is to provide a means to identify proposed local plans and development projects that may have a significant adverse effect on air quality and public health. The proposed amendments to the Thresholds of Significance include thresholds for construction, operational-related, and plan-level emissions of criteria air pollutants and ozone precursors, greenhouse gases, toxic air contaminants, and odors. 

 

CEQA Guidelines

SubjectDocument

Documents posted in December 2009 for the public hearing on January 6, 2010.

Proposed Thresholds of Significance (12/09) (339 k PDF, 61 pgs)
Draft BAAQMD CEQA Guidelines (12/09) (3 Mb PDF, 160 pgs)
Tracked Revisions to CEQA Guidelines (12/09) (98 k PDF, 3 pgs)
Potential Revisions to Risk Thresholds (12/09) (91 k PDF, 2 pgs)

Draft Documents posted in November 2009 for the public hearing that started November 18, 2009 and ended December 2, 2009.

Proposed CEQA Thresholds of Significance (11/09) (463 k PDF, 49 pgs)
Final Draft CEQA Guidelines (11/09) (4 Mb PDF, 162 pgs)
Public Review Comments and Responses (11/09) (17 Mb PDF, 458 pgs)

Past drafts of the CEQA Guidelines Report and related documents posted April through October 2009.

CEQA Thresholds Report Notice (10/09) (77 k PDF, 1 pg)
Summary Thresholds Table (10/09) (70 k PDF, 2 pgs)
Revised Draft CEQA Thresholds Options and Justifications Report (10/09) (1 Mb PDF, 85 pgs)
CEQA Thresholds Report Appendices (10/09) (844 k PDF, 88 pgs)
September 2009 Draft CEQA Guidelines (9/09) (2 Mb PDF, 141 pgs)
Draft CEQA Thresholds Options Report (4/09) (1 Mb PDF, 49 pgs)
Draft CEQA Thresholds Options Report Appendices (4/09) (729 k PDF, 67 pgs)

Additional Workshop Scheduled:

October 2, 2009 - Sunnyvale City Hall, Sunnyvale

Public Workshops:
September 8, 2009 - Redwood City Public Library, Redwood City

September 9, 2009 - Santa Rosa City Hall, Santa Rosa

September 10, 2009 - Oakland Main Library, Oakland

 

Sunnyvale Workshop Notice (9/09) (73 k PDF, 1 pg)
Workshop Presentation (9/09) (655 k PDF, 22 pgs)
CEQA Guidelines Workshop Notice (9/09) (73 k PDF, 1 pg)

CEQA Guide

BAAQMD CEQA Guidelines:

Assessing the Air Quality Impacts of Projects and Plans provides guidance to Lead Agencies, consultants, and other parties regarding air quality analyses conducted pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The document provides guidance on evaluating air quality impacts of development projects and local plans, determining whether an impact is significant, and mitigating significant air quality impacts.

The most recent version of the BAAQMD CEQA Guidelines was published December 1999. You may download a copy by clicking on the link below:

The State and other CEQA-related material are available from the California Resources Agency on their CEQA website. You may also obtain a copy of the BAAQMD CEQA Guidelines from the BAAQMD Public Information Office at (415) 749-4900.