Report an Air Pollution Complaint

The Air District responds to and investigates all air pollution complaints. Resolving air quality problems is one of the Air District’s highest priorities. 

Air quality complaints may be reported online or by phone. The Air District will keep the complainant's personal information confidential, such as name, address, and telephone number, to the fullest extent permitted by law. Members of the public may also choose to report complaints anonymously.

When reporting an air quality complaint, provide as much information as possible. Providing detailed descriptions of the complaint can better help the Air District inspector locate the source of emissions and identify compliance concerns or violations of air quality regulations. 

Report an air quality complaint online or call our 24-hour toll-free complaint line.

  • General Air Pollution Complaints
    1-800-334-ODOR (1-800-334-6367)
    Report a complaint about odors, smoke, dust, or other air pollutants from refineries, gas stations, asbestos, idling trucks, locomotives and buses, open burning, and other commercial, manufacturing, and industrial facilities and operations.
  • Wood Smoke Complaints
    1-877-4NO-BURN (1-877-466-2876)
    Report a complaint about smoke from indoor wood-burning devices such as fireplaces and wood stoves.
    Wood burning is prohibited when a Spare the Air alert is in effect, year-round. Learn more at www.sparetheair.org.
  • Smoking Vehicles Complaints
    1-800-EXHAUST (1-800-394-2878)
    Report a complaint about excessive exhaust from cars, trucks or buses.
    For more information about programs for which your smoking vehicle might qualify, please visit the Vehicle Buy Back Program.

The Air District provides language interpretation services for complainants whose primary language is not English. Over-the-phone language interpretation is available in over 150 languages and can be requested by calling the Air District’s general complaint line at 1-800-334-ODOR (1-800-334-6367) and following prompts, or by specifying the preferred language after connecting with a dispatcher.

Follow these helpful tipsLanguage Icon Globe when reporting an air quality complaint. Completing an Emissions LogLanguage Icon Globe can also help to document your observations, as it may be shared with the inspector to help with the investigation.

To learn more about the Air District’s complaint program and investigation process, visit the Air District's Air Quality Complaint Program web page.

Accessibility and Non-Discrimination Provision

From time to time, the Air District may receive an air quality complaint in which the complainant states that they believe they or others were denied full and equal access to an Air District program or activity because of a protected status, including those identified in the Air District’s Accessibility and Non-Discrimination Policy, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, ethnic group identification, ancestry, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, color, genetic information, medical condition, or mental or physical disability, and other protected statuses.

Air District staff who receive or investigate such a complaint shall promptly notify their manager of the allegation and the manager shall refer the complaint to the Air District Non-Discrimination Coordinator.

For more information about how to file a complaint of discrimination, visit the Air District's Non-Discrimination Policy and Complaint Procedure page.

 
Policy Questions?

Please address questions regarding the Non-Discrimination Policy to the Air District's Non-Discrimination Coordinator.

Non-Discrimination Coordinator
Suma Peesapati
415.749.4967
Spare the Air Status

Last Updated: 2/18/2021