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Facility Risk Reduction Program
The Air District’s Facility Risk Reduction Program focuses on existing facilities that pose the highest health risks to nearby residents and workers. This program requires these facilities to implement technically feasible and economically reasonable risk reduction measures on significant sources of health risk.
The Air District has completed a preliminary Health Risk Assessment for Chevron Products Company (Chevron Refinery) located in Richmond, CA. The preliminary assessment is on public notice and the public comment period ends at 5:00 p.m. on November 23, 2026. View the full report, fact sheet, and summary in the Phase I table on the Rule 11-18 Program Progress page.
The Air District will host a public meeting on September 21, 2026 from 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. at the Richmond Memorial Auditorium and Convention Center, Main Floor, 403 Civic Center Plaza in Richmond.
The Facility Risk Reduction Program is implemented through two complementary programs:
Air Toxics Hot Spots Program (AB 2588)
The Air Toxics Hot Spots (ATHS) Program, established by Assembly Bill (AB) 2588 in 1987, is a California program that identifies facilities with toxic air contaminant emissions and evaluates their potential impacts on nearby communities.
Under AB 2588, facilities report their toxic air contaminant emissions annually. The Air District reviews this information to prioritize facilities based on potential health risk. Facilities with elevated risk may be required to conduct health risk assessments and notify affected communities.
Regulation 11, Rule 18
The Air District adopted Regulation 11, Rule 18, Reduction of Risk from Air Toxic Emissions at Existing Facilities (Rule 11-18), to reduce health risks from toxic air contaminant emissions at existing facilities.
Rule 11-18 prioritizes facilities with elevated health risks and requires additional actions when risks equal or exceed established action levels. Facilities subject to Rule 11-18 must either reduce risks below applicable thresholds or demonstrate that significant sources of risk are controlled using Best Available Retrofit Control Technology for Toxics (TBARCT).
How the Programs Work Together
The ATHS Program identifies facilities with potentially elevated health risks through emissions inventory reporting, facility prioritization, and health risk assessment. Rule 11-18 builds on this process by requiring risk reduction actions at facilities that exceed established risk action levels.
Together, these programs help the Air District identify facilities with elevated health risks, evaluate impacts to nearby communities, and reduce toxic air pollution throughout the Bay Area.
Program Resources
- Air Toxics Hot Spots (AB 2588) Program
- Regulation 11, Rule 18 Rule Development
- Toxics Emissions Inventory
- Facility Toxic Emissions and Prioritization Mapping Tool
- Rule 11-18 Program Progress
- Prioritization Score Procedures
Additional Information
The Air District updates facility prioritization scores annually using facility-reported emissions data. Health risk assessments are conducted in accordance with Air District and Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment guidelines and are used to evaluate potential cancer and non-cancer health impacts from facility emissions.
Additional information, facility lists, health risk assessments, and program documents are available through the links above.
Signup for Information about the Air District Facility Risk Reduction Program.
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Last Updated: 9/1/2026