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 approves funding to replace dirty diesel trucks at ports
November 6, 2009 – AQMD has approved $34 million in funding to replace more than 600 dirty diesel trucks operating in and around the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach with new, low-emission models. The award will supplement funding approved in September and will help replace a total of about 1,500 diesel trucks operating at the ports over the next few months. More

New standards adopted for residential water heaters
November 6, 2009 – Beginning in 2012, manufacturers of residential water heaters must meet stricter emission limits for nitrogen oxides (NOx), per AQMD’s Rule 1111 – Reduction of NOx Emissions from Natural-Gas-Fired, Fan-Type Central Furnaces. AQMD is also offering up to $3 million in financial incentives to manufacturers that comply with the rule before the deadline. More

Federal recovery act funding helps expand LNG corridor route
November 6, 2009 – AQMD’s Governing Board has awarded $5.7 million to support the UPS Ontario-Las Vegas LNG Corridor Extension Project to allow heavy-duty LNG trucks to effectively travel along a 700-mile route from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to Salt Lake City along Interstate 15. The award will co-fund a publicly accessible LNG fueling station and 48 UPS LNG trucks. More

HOPE’s “Powerful Women Leading the Way in Energy, Water and the Environment” luncheon at AQMD
November 6, 2009 – More than 75 women attended the Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE) luncheon and heard from AQMD Board Members Tonia Reyes Uranga, a Long Beach Councilwoman and San Bernardino County Supervisor Josie Gonzales, as well as Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Commissioner Forescee Hogan-Rowles about ways women can advance their careers in environmental fields.

Air Quality Headlines

Regional News: Port of Los Angeles reports diesel emissions down significantly
November 6, 2009 – Diesel particulate emissions at the Port of Los Angeles have declined by 31 percent since 2005, according to a three-year survey conducted by the port through the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan. The port credits its Clean Truck program for the decline. More

Regional News: Study links heavy traffic corridors to childhood asthma
November 5, 2009 – Heavy traffic corridors in the cities of Long Beach and Riverside are responsible for a significant proportion of preventable childhood asthma, according to researchers at the University of Southern California. The study estimated that nine percent of all childhood asthma cases in Long Beach and six percent in Riverside were attributable to proximity to traffic. More | Recent News Coverage

International News: Changes to Montreal Protocol expected
November 5, 2009 – Representatives from over 190 countries will convene in Egypt to consider upgrading the Montreal Protocol, the treaty established to protect the Earth’s ozone layer. The group will assess whether hydroflurocarbons would be better managed under the Montreal Protocol as opposed to the Kyoto Protocol, the climate change treaty. More

International News: Ice atop Mt. Kilimanjaro rapidly melting away
November 4, 2009 – A new study (PDF, 140 MB) published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows a 26 percent decline since 2000 in the ice atop Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. But the study authors reached no consensus on how much of the melting may be due to human activity or other climatological influences. More

National News: How would you use mobile technology to protect the environment?
November 4, 2009 – Cell phones and smart phones can be invaluable in providing information when and where you need it. This week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency poses the question … when and how would you use mobile technology to make a purchase, spend more time outdoors or make a decision that could affect the environment? More

National News: Solar power goes mobile
November 4, 2009 – The new start-up company GreenTow has developed a solar-power trailer, equipped with a block of solar panels and peak electrical capacities ranging from 8.4 kilowatts to 15 kilowatts. The trailers are currently in use in Colorado national parks and by the construction industry. More

State News: California considers pay-as-you-go auto insurance
November 3, 2009 – Proposed regulations released by the state’s Insurance Commissioner are designed to use per-mile pricing to encourage Californians to drive less, thereby easing air pollution and relieving traffic congestion. A pay-as-you-drive study last year by the Brookings Institution concluded that driving would drop by 8 percent nationwide if all motorists paid for car insurance by the mile. More

International News: Study links city “walkability” and air pollution exposure
November 3, 2009 – A new study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives compared a neighborhood’s walkability with local levels of air pollution and found that some neighborhoods might be good for walking, but have poor air quality. The study indicates neighborhood design is an important consideration for improving pollution levels and providing opportunities for daily physical activity. More

International News: Smart meters to top 250 million worldwide by 2015
November 3, 2009 – A new report by Pike Research has forecast that by 2015, more than 250 million smart meters will be installed worldwide. Smart meters can read and report electricity usage and prices at intervals as short as 15 minutes, giving consumers a way to conserve power when it becomes scarcest and most expensive. More

Local Clean Air Events

2^nd Annual Affordable Green Building Conference – November 12, 2009
Learn more about available grants and rebates, affordable sustainability, water conservation, energy efficiency and much more at the Riverside Housing Development Corporation’s 2^nd Annual Affordable Green Building Conference on November 12. The event will take place at Toro, 5825 Jasmine Street in Riverside from 9:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. Attendance is free, but reservations are required. More

Did you know...

that during the summer, if you set your air conditioning thermostat 5 degrees higher you will save about 10 percent on cooling costs? During the winter, set the thermostat to 68 degrees when you are home (health permitting) and lower when you are away. Lowering the temperature 3 to 5 degrees can save you up to 20 percent on heating costs.