About South Coast AQMD

Mission, Goals & Objectives for 2012-13 (pdf 139 kb)

The South Coast AQMD believes all residents have a right to live and work
in an environment of clean air and is committed to undertaking
all necessary steps to protect public health from air pollution, with
sensitivity to the impacts of its actions on the community and businesses.

Mission
The South Coast AQMD believes that all who live or work in this area have a right to breathe clean air.  AQMD is committed to undertaking all necessary steps to protect public health from air pollution, with sensitivity to the impacts of its actions on the community and businesses.   This is accomplished through a comprehensive program of planning, regulation, compliance assistance, enforcement, monitoring, technology advancement, and public education.  (Return to Top)

What is The AQMD?
The AQMD is the air pollution control agency for all of Orange County and the urban portions of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.  This area of 10,743 square miles is home to over 16.8 million people - about half the population of the whole state of California.  It is the second most populated urban area in the United States and one of the smoggiest.

Different types and levels of air pollution can cause or contribute to everything from watery eyes and fatigue to respiratory disease, lung damage, cancer, birth defects and premature death.  Because this area’s smog problem is so severe, AQMD often finds itself at the forefront of the nation’s emission reduction efforts.  (Return to Top)

What AQMD Does
AQMD is responsible for controlling emissions primarily from stationary sources of air pollution. These can include anything from large power plants and refineries to the corner gas station. There are about 28,400 such businesses operating under AQMD permits. Many consumer products are also considered stationary sources; these include house paint, furniture varnish, and thousands of products containing solvents that evaporate into the air. About 25% of this area's ozone-forming air pollution comes from stationary sources, both businesses and residences.  The other 75% comes from mobile sources--mainly cars, trucks and buses, but also construction equipment, ships, trains and airplanes. Emission standards for mobile sources are established by state or federal agencies, such as the California Air Resources Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, rather than by local agencies such as the AQMD.  (Return to Top)

How AQMD Controls Pollution
AQMD develops and adopts an Air Quality Management Plan, which serves as the blueprint to bring this area into compliance with federal and state clean air standards.  Rules are adopted to reduce emissions from various sources, including specific types of equipment, industrial processes, paints and solvents, even consumer products.  Permits are issued to many businesses and industries to ensure compliance with air quality rules.  AQMD staff conducts periodic inspections to ensure compliance with these requirements. 

AQMD's Sources of Revenue

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Progress So Far
Air quality in this area has continually improved despite an enormous increase in population and cars. For example, maximum levels of ozone, one of our worst smog problems, have been cut to less than one quarter of what they were in the 1950s, even though today we have nearly three times as many people and four times as many vehicles.

In the past decade, we have eliminated Stage I smog alerts, which used to occur 100-120 times a year. We have not reached Stage II levels, since the 1980s.  (Return to Top)

The Job Ahead
The clean air effort still has a long way to go. In 2005, the federal 1-hour standard was replaced by a stricter 8-hours standard that was further strengthened in 2008. Even though recent years have been the cleanest on record, our air in the South Coast Air Basin still exceeded the federal health 8-hour standard for ozone on 113 days in 2009. Maximum levels are almost twice as high as the federal standard for clean air.

State and federal law requires this area to meet existing clean air standards by the year 2015 for annual PM 2.5; and by 2023 for the 8-hour average ozone standard. However, tougher federal air quality standards for particulates and ozone issued in 2006 and 2008 will require reductions above and beyond those already planned.  AQMD estimates it will take until at least 2020 to meet the new 24-hour average particulate standard, and until 2030 to meet the new ozone standard.  This may seem like a long time to continue to live with smog.  But the cleanup effort is enormous.  Even though we already have the strictest pollution control requirements in the nation, we still have to reduce some types of pollution by up to 90% if we are to rid the area of smog.

The war on smog began in this region more than a half century ago.  With continued commitment and sensitivity to the impacts of efforts to control smog, residents can be assured that public health standards for air quality will be achieved.  (Return to Top)

How You Can Help
A lot of our pollution comes from the products and services we use every day.  We can all help by making some simple changes in the way we live: carpool, use public transit, use water-based paint, wet down sources of dust, avoid aerosol products, recycle, and conserve energy.

For additional information, call 1-800-CUT SMOG® to order AQMD’s free publications; or you can view and download them from here,
"Newsletters, Brochures, Fact Sheets & Videos.”

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Hours of Operation -- AQMD is open for business Tuesday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (the Lobby Cashier closes at 5:00 p.m.) and is closed Saturday, Sunday, Monday and holidays.  (Return to Top)

AQMD Office Locations and Phone Numbers
Headquarters - (909) 396-2000
21865 Copley Drive - Diamond Bar, CA 91765
Branch Office - (310) 233-7000
1500 W. Carson St. Suite 115 - Long Beach, CA. 90810
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Meet the people of AQMD (Return to Top)

• Governing Board  -  Hearing Board
• Management Staff (Organization Charts and Biographies)

     Phone or E-mail:

• Telephone Directory - complete AQMD Telephone Directory, including employee listings (pdf, ~296 kb)
   
• How the offices of AQMD are Structured

Get information - (see also our Site Index for more info)(Return to Top)

Reserve a Conference Room - AQMD's Conference Center may be used by non-profit organizations and groups whose primary purpose is to benefit the local community by furthering environmental, educational, social or community service interests subject to certain requirements.  Cafeteria Services can provide catering service for your meeting. (Return to Top)

Tell Us What You Think or Get More Information...
We welcome your opinion and feedback.

• If you can't find what you're looking for, try our Site Index.
• For air quality program questions or information, please e-mail WebInquiry. 
• For website problems or suggestions, please e-mail AQMD's WebEditor.