AB 836 provided $5 million in statewide funding to create a Wildfire Smoke Clean Air Centers for Vulnerable Populations Incentive Pilot Program to upgrade ventilation systems and provide portable air cleaners to create a network of Wildfire Smoke Clean Air Centers for residents displaced by wildfires and other smoke events. CARB is administering a statewide AB 836 program and providing grant funding to air districts to implement their own AB 836 programs. South Coast AQMD deployed $250,000 in portable air cleaners at Wildfire Smoke Clean Air Centers in its region.
For further information on AB 836 including the statewide program and guidelines administered by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), please click here:
https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/wildfire-smoke-clean-air-center-grant
South Coast AQMD released multiple RFP and RFQ solicitations to identify an organization to deploy portable air cleaners and to create a qualified vendor list for portable air cleaners. As part of RFP #P2022-04 and #P2022-10 to identify an organization to deploy portable air cleaners, the IQAir Foundation and the Los Angeles and Orange County American Red Cross were selected. RFQ #Q2023-06 was released to identify portable air cleaners meeting CARB and South Coast AQMD selection criteria including the use HEPA filters, efficiency of 99.97% or higher, CARB certification on their portable air cleaner list, less than .050 ppm ozone, Energy Star or UL safety certification, clean air delivery rate (CADR) certified by Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) or equivalent certification by a National Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL), CADR rating of 97+ for smoke, and cubic feet per minute (CFM) greater than 150.
Portable Air Cleaners Deployed for 2023 Fire Season
On July 19, 2023, South Coast AQMD, IQAir Foundation and American Red Cross hosted a media advisory and participated in several TV and radio interviews to answer questions regarding the AB 836 program and to signal the deployment of 183 portable air cleaners at the American Red Cross warehouse in Bell, CA. Details on the media event and press release are here.
Starting with the 2023 fire season, portable air cleaners have been deployed at multiple locations commonly used by the American Red Cross in its disaster relief efforts. These include K-12 public schools, community centers, and community colleges. Vulnerable populations displaced by wildfires will be served by wildfire smoke clean air centers deployed in close proximity to these wildfires.
The South Coast AQMD AB 836 program is unusual in deploying portable air cleaners which are not in fixed locations. American Red Cross deploys clean air centers typically on 24 hours or less notice and flexibility in locating centers in closest proximity to vulnerable populations displaced by wildfires is of paramount concern. To the extent possible, AB 617 or disadvantaged communities are prioritized but wildfire smoke clean air centers cannot be located exclusively in these types of communities. South Coast AQMD is committed to supporting the efforts of the IQAir Foundation and the American Red Cross as it integrates portable air cleaners into its existing disaster relief operations to create a network of clean air centers in the South Coast AQMD region.