SCAQMD Recommends Communities for Inclusion in AB 617

On July 6, 2018, the South Coast Air Quality Management Board (SCAQMD) recommended the following four communities for inclusion in the Assembly Bill (AB 617) and Community Air Protection Program (CAPP):

• Wilmington, west Long Beach and Carson, near the ports and home to several oil refineries;
• East Los Angeles/Boyle Heights, a goods movement hub with several rail yards as well as schools and homes near major freeways;
• San Bernardino and Muscoy, communities with major rail yards and distribution warehouses; and
• South Gate, Huntington Park, Florence-Firestone and Walnut Park in southeast Los Angeles County, an industrial area with a major cargo rail line.

The recommendations will be sent to the California Air Resources Board, which has the final say in community selection. CARB is expected to select between five and ten communities throughout the state for inclusion in the first year of the AB 617 program.

These four communities were selected out of a potential pool of 55 identified areas. The potential communities were prioritized based on existing monitoring data, quantity of schools in close proximity to freeways and other emission sources, and existing community engagement. In addition to the communities listed above, SCAQMD identified fourteen communities for recommendation in future years of the AB 617 program.

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Post by Chris Waller, Team Manager Environmental Health, Safety and Air.