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 lifting an air quality advisory for the Bay Area due to wildfire smoke that was originally scheduled to last through today, Monday, July 14. Over the weekend, smoke from the Butler and Green wildfires had been moving down the Sacramento Valley and impacting air quality in portions of the Bay Area. However, as of Monday morning, the Bay Area is experiencing strong onshore winds, and smoke has remained mostly outside of the region. Air quality has been in the Good Air Quality Index category. Moderate onshore winds are expected to continue into Tuesday, keeping the smoke outside of the Bay Area. As the week progresses, these onshore winds will turn southerly in northern California, and this also is expected to keep the smoke from moving towards our region.

The Air District is extending an air quality advisory for the Bay Area due to wildfire smoke from fires in northern Sacramento Valley through Monday, July 14. Smoke from the Butler and Green wildfires is still moving down the Sacramento Valley and is expected to continue to impact air quality in portions of the Bay Area on Sunday and Monday. Areas that are expected to be most impacted will be parts of the North Bay and East Bay and higher elevation locations. 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, the smell of smoke is possible and air quality may become unhealthy at times on Sunday and Monday.