Search

The Air District and Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson filed a joint civil lawsuit against Radius Recycling, formerly Schnitzer Steel Industries, for air quality violations related to the fire at the company’s facility in West Oakland on August 9-10, 2023. In addition, previous enforcement actions by the Air District and the district attorney required Radius Recycling to install new equipment that has eliminated hundreds of tons of air pollution and reduced cancer risk by 84 percent since 2022; today the Air District finalized the operating permit for this important equipment. 

The Air District is encouraging residents to prepare for potential smoke impacts this summer to protect their health in the event of widespread unhealthy air quality.  

The Air District has selected grantees for Cycle 2 of the James Cary Smith Community Grant Program, awarding $3.5 million to 12 community-based and nonprofit organizations across the region.  

The deadline to apply to the Air District’s Clean HEET Program has been extended to September 30, 2025. Clean HEET grants are currently available to help offset the cost of switching from wood-burning or pellet-burning stoves, fireplace inserts, or open-hearth fireplaces to an electric heat pump. A decommission-only option is also available for homeowners to remove existing open-hearth fireplaces or older, uncertified wood-burning stoves or inserts.

The Air District has reached an agreement with Argent Materials, Inc., that resolves violations at the company’s aggregate recycling facility in East Oakland. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Argent will install and operate a fenceline air monitoring system at both yards of its East Oakland facility to enhance transparency and provide continuous air quality data to the Air District and the community.

The Air District is issuing an air quality advisory due to wildfire smoke from the Gifford Fire in the Bay Area for today, August 12. Smoke from the Gifford Fire in Central California is expected to move over the Bay Area on Tuesday. Conditions can change rapidly and the amount and location of smoke at ground level is hard to predict. The public can check for real-time smoke pollution levels in their local area with the U.S. EPA’s Fire and Smoke Map. Smoky, hazy skies may be visible, and the smell of smoke is possible, especially at higher elevations,  on Tuesday.

The Air District has filed a lawsuit against Acme Fill Corp. for illegally emitting high levels of methane and other organic compounds from its landfill in Martinez. The complaint, filed today in Contra Costa County Superior Court, seeks monetary penalties for multiple violations of state and local air quality regulations following a compliance inspection conducted by the Air District on August 24, 2023.

The Air District has issued Crown Hill Materials, a concrete facility in Vallejo, a Notice of Violation for operating a concrete batch plant without the required air quality permit. The Air District has also issued a cease-and-desist letter directing the company to stop operating the unpermitted plant.

The Air District has reached a settlement with Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company that will significantly enhance air monitoring data transparency, providing more information about air pollutants around its refinery in unincorporated Contra Costa County, near Martinez. The agreement requires Tesoro to take new data access and community engagement actions beyond those required by regulation or permit.

The Air District is issuing an air quality advisory due to wildfire smoke from the Pickett Fire for today, August 21, and tomorrow, August 22. Smoke from the Pickett Fire in Napa County is expected to impact Sonoma, Napa, and Solano counties on Thursday and Friday. Conditions can change rapidly and the amount and location of smoke at ground level is hard to predict. The public can check for real-time smoke pollution levels in their local area with the U.S. EPA’s Fire and Smoke Map. Smoky, hazy skies may be visible, and the smell of smoke is possible.

The Air District is extending an air quality advisory due to wildfire smoke from the Pickett Fire through tomorrow, August 23. Smoke from the Pickett Fire in Napa County is expected to impact Sonoma, Napa and Solano counties through Saturday. Conditions can change rapidly and the amount and location of smoke at ground level is hard to predict. The public can check for real-time smoke pollution levels in their local area with the U.S. EPA’s Fire and Smoke Map. Smoky, hazy skies may be visible, and the smell of smoke is possible.

The Air District is extending an air quality advisory due to wildfire smoke from the Pickett Fire through Monday, August 25. Smoke from the Pickett Fire in Napa County is expected to impact Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties through Monday. Conditions can change rapidly and the amount and location of smoke at ground level is hard to predict. The public can check for real-time smoke pollution levels in their local area with the U.S. EPA’s Fire and Smoke Map. Smoky, hazy skies may be visible, and the smell of smoke is possible.

The Air District is extending an air quality advisory due to wildfire smoke from the Pickett Fire through Wednesday, August 27. Smoke from the Pickett Fire in Napa County is expected to impact Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties through Wednesday. Conditions can change rapidly and the amount and location of smoke at ground level is hard to predict. The public can check for real-time smoke pollution levels in their local area with the U.S. EPA’s Fire and Smoke Map. Smoky, hazy skies may be visible, and the smell of smoke is possible.

The Air District has announced a $13.3 million grant to the San Mateo County Transit District toward the installation of new high-capacity electric bus charging infrastructure at its San Carlos facility. This SamTrans project will help accelerate the transition of the SamTrans bus fleet to zero-emission technology and improve air quality in communities most affected by air pollution.

The Air District is lifting an air quality advisory for wildfire smoke that was originally scheduled to last through tomorrow, Wednesday, August 27.

The Air District has fined Chemtrade West US LLC $160,000 for air quality violations at its sulfuric acid manufacturing plant in Richmond, which is connected to the Chevron Richmond refinery. Chemtrade supplies various chemical products to industry, including sulfuric acid, which is a byproduct of refining crude oil. 

View Advisory Council agendas, minutes, and final reports from 2012 below.