South Coast AQMD


AQMD is the air pollution control agency for all of Orange County and the urban portions of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, the smoggiest region of the U.S. We are committed to protecting the health of residents, while remaining sensitive to businesses.

AQMD News

AQMD to host “A World We Can Change” high school student conference
February 5, 2010 - More than 8,000 high school students are expected to attend AQMD’s “A World We Can Change” High School Student Clean Air Conference & Expo on May 27 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The conference will focus on clean-air technologies and actions that students can take to help the region achieve clean air. Click here for details.

AQMD approves 2010 Lawn Mower Exchange Program
February 5, 2010 – Residents once again can get a deep discount on a new, zero-emission, battery electric lawnmower by trading in their old gasoline model in AQMD’s Lawn Mower Exchange Program. This year, 9,380 zero-emission models will be available for exchange at events throughout the Southland. Sign-up to receive advanced notification by e-mail.

AQMD addresses “State of the Air” in new video
January 8, 2010 – AQMD looks back on significant accomplishments in 2009 and upcoming challenges in 2010 in a new video titled “State of the Air,” which features interviews with all 13 AQMD Board Members. The video highlights areas important to clean air goals and encourages everyone to make individual choices that will help reduce air pollution. View video

Air Quality Headlines

National News: Residents can earn cash for cutting carbon
February 4, 2010 – Households are now entering the voluntary carbon market and selling personal carbon credits generated at home through My Emissions Exchange. By just switching your light bulbs to energy-saving CFLs or adjusting your thermostat by one degree, you can generate carbon credits in a few months and get paid to take a bite out of global warming. More

National News: Hawaii could beat California when it comes to going green
February 4, 2010 – Hawaii is aiming to change from the state most dependent on imported oil into the cleanest and most sustainable by 2030, and could beat out California as the nation’s green-energy capital. Home solar water heaters and mass use of electric vehicles are some ways Hawaii hopes to meet its target. More

National News: President Obama calls for greater use of biofuels, clean coal
February 4, 2010 – President Obama has announced steps his administration will take to increase America’s energy independence. They include a new Renewable Fuels Standard, continued efforts by the Biomass Crop Assistance Program and Biofuels Working Group, and a new interagency task force to develop a federal strategy to speed development and deployment of clean coal technologies. More

National News: Trees growing faster due to climate change, study says
February 3, 2010 – A 22-year-long study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that forests in the eastern United States are growing faster than in the past and climate change appears to be a primary reason. More than 90 percent of the trees analyzed grew two to four times faster than predicted. More

State News: ARB to set up statewide greenhouse gas monitoring network
February 3, 2010 – The California Air Resources Board will soon place analyzers around the state to measure global-warming emissions to help find specific sources of emissions as well as to verify the state’s overall compliance with AB 32. By summer, analyzers will be on towers in the San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys, and on Mt. Wilson outside Los Angeles. More

National News: New video shows how vehicle fleets can reduce carbon pollution, costs
February 3, 2010 – In an effort to help companies with vehicle fleets reduce their environmental impact, the Environmental Defense Fund has released a new video titled “The Power of Scale.” The video demonstrates how greening the 3 million U.S. vehicle fleets can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 6 million metric tons per year and save $2 billion. More | Video

National News: Improved air quality linked to fewer ear infections in children, study says
February 2, 2010 – Researchers at UCLA and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston reviewed national health survey data for 120,060 children between 1997 and 2006 for three disease conditions and discovered that as air quality steadily improved, the number of frequent ear infections significantly decreased. Researchers compared the survey data to U.S. EPA’s air-quality data for the same period. More

State News: State launches new plug-in hybrid electric vehicle experiment
February 2, 2010 – The state’s Department of General Services will conduct a two-year experiment using 50 converted Toyota Prius vehicles to help determine if the state can move from gas to hybrid-electric vehicles. The experiment will analyze potential efficiencies gained through the use of electric vehicles and evaluate their potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. More

International News: Stalactite sheds light on weather patterns, global warming
February 2, 2010 – Research on a 56,000-year old stalactite in Fort Stanton Cave in New Mexico, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, shows that global warming will push wet weather patterns toward the Earth’s poles. The stalactite research seems to confirm that global warming is causing the weather changes. More

International News: First deadline of Copenhagen Accord days away
January 29, 2010 - The United States has officially submitted its greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for 2020 to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, as part of a Jan. 31 deadline in the Copenhagen Accord. The Accord is a political agreement among 28 world leaders and blocs of nations to reduce emissions and raise money to help poor countries do the same. More

State News: California not likely to regulate electric charging stations
January 29, 2010 – The California Public Utilities Commission is considering electric car regulations before several new vehicles hit showrooms later this year, but has indicated it will likely not regulate companies that plan to build and sell electricity through charging stations. The Commission plans to issue a preliminary decision on the regulations in April. More

National News: Honda unveils new solar-hydrogen station prototype
January 29, 2010 – Ultimately designed to fit in a residential garage as a home refueling unit for fuel cell electric vehicles, Honda has introduced a single-unit solar hydrogen station prototype that will be tested at its Los Angeles Research and Development center. The system would enable users to refill their vehicle overnight without having to store hydrogen. More

Did you know...

that a well-maintained car produces less pollution? Keep your car tuned up and your tires properly inflated. Also when fueling your car don’t top off your tank – stop fueling when the pump shuts off. Spilling just one ounce of gasoline produces the same volatile organic compound emissions as a car driving 56 miles! Also, try to fill the gas tank after dark. That way the sun won’t turn the gasoline vapors into ozone, a contributor to global warming and lung health problems.