Agricultural burning to nearly end in the San Joaquin Valley by 2025

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced yesterday that the practice of burning agricultural waste in the San Joaquin Valley will be reduced to near zero levels by 2025. CARB said it had partnered with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (the District), farmers, and local communities in negotiating an end to a practice that has been occurring in the Valley for over 160 years.

Photo Credit: San Joaquin Valley APCD

The District has been able to reduce the amount of this burning by nearly 80% since 2013 in an effort to meet federal and state emission limits regarding PM2.5. The action announced yesterday builds upon the District's 2015 phase-down plan, which expired  on December 31, 2020, but had been extended until yesterday.

Current CARB Board member and former state Senator Dean Florez said, “California has accounted for over one-tenth of the value of the U.S. agricultural output - unfortunately part of that statistic is a practice that has been in existence since 1859, the Ag Burn. This dirty practice, utilized yearly for over 160 years, has caused increased ozone pollution, increased asthma rates, and severe health impairments. I began the process of ending agricultural burning 17 years ago with Senate Bill 703, which gave the California Air Board the ability to terminate this feudal practice through its negotiation power.” 

“Today is the day that ag burns will become a thing of the past. Working with health advocates, farmers and regulators, a declining cap starting from a 36 month countdown to a complete phaseout was produced, which is historic and brings finality to a one-cent match solution that has endangered Californian’s lungs for over a century.”

For further information:

CARB Partners with local air quality officials, farmers and communities to nearly eliminate agricultural burning in San Joaquin Valley by 2025

SJVAPCD warns Valley residents of increasing health impacts from poor air quality this weekend

The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District warned residents of the Valley to stay indoors this weekend, if possible, due to increased particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions throughout the area.

Much of the problem is due to continuing smoke from fires to the north and the SQF Fire Complex in eastern Tulare County.

Photo credit: SJVAPCD website

However,  meteorological conditions are complicating everything due to winds from the northwest and a high pressure system developing over the area that reduces smoke dispersion. The high pressure acts as a "lid" over the Valley, which is shaped somewhat like a "bowl" with mountains on 3 sides. The winds transport smoke from the northern fires into the bowl, and the central and southern portions of the Valley are further impacted by the Tulare fire smoke.

The District cautions that the smoke impacts may be more noticeable during the night and early morning.

PM pollution can trigger asthma attacks, aggravate chronic bronchitis, and increase the risk of strokes and heart attacks. This can be especially problematic for the elderly and young children, as well as those with heart or lung disease. Furthermore, the cloth and paper face masks currently being used to reduce transmission of the COVID19 virus may be of little use to prevent the inhalation of wildfire smoke due to the less than 2.5 micron size of the smoke particles.

RAAN Air Quality update for Bakersfield area

Well, it looked like things were starting to get better, smoke-wise, for the Bakersfield area today. After a pre-dawn peak of 148 µg/m³, PM2.5 levels dropped nearly in half by 11:30 AM, only to reverse course and climb to 140 µg/m³ by 4 pm.

Photo Credit: SJVAPCD RAAN data, August 21, 2020

The concentration of PM2.5 particles exceeds the SJVAPCD's Level 5 limits. Ozone levels also have climbed drastically, reaching a peak of 105 ppb and exceeding Level 4 limits.

Stay inside if you can. Wear a good mask if you can't. Stay safe!

SJVAPCD issues health caution alert through the weekend due to smoky skies in the San Joaquin Valley

As most of you are painfully aware, the skies in many parts of California are filled with smoke from the numerous wildfires throughout the state. 

Photo Credit: CIRA/NOAA 

Smoke from those fires has severely impacted ambient air quality. As a result, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District has re-issued a health caution due to the unhealthy levels of large particulate matter (PM) and PM2.5 (particles less than 2.5 microns in diameter).

The health caution will remain in effect until the fires are extinguished.

The District anticipates the air quality to be unhealthy throughout the weekend and has warned residents to stay indoors with all windows closed as a result. They also caution that the common cloth and paper masks worn by many to help reduce the transmission of the novel coronavirus may not be adequate protection from wildfire smoke.

Please exercise caution. Stay safe. Stay indoors.

Smoke in the San Joaquin Valley still a problem

This will be just a short post. Here is a screenshot of RAAN data from the SJVAPCD for Bakersfield today.

Notice the more than tripling of PM2.5 data in the span of just a couple of hours around 11 AM to 1 PM today. It now exceeds Level 5.

Please stay inside if you can. Be sure to mask up if you are outside.

APCD urges San Joaquin Valley residents to NOT use Fireworks this July 4th

The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, which regulates air pollution throughout an eight county region and includes the cities of Bakersfield, Fresno, Modesto, and more, has issued a request to all Valley residents to NOT use fireworks this July 4th weekend.

Photo Credit: SJVAPCD

The reason is that the use of such fireworks has been demonstrated to raise the amounts of small particulate matter (PM) to unhealthy levels that exceed health standards. These particles include soot, ash, and toxic metals. These substances can enter deep into the lungs and bloodstream, with the possibility of causing heart attacks and strokes.

Historical monitoring of Valley air quality during previous holidays has shown that PM levels may reach as much as 4 or 5 times higher than federal health standards, as the chart above shows.

This is of particular concern for those with existing health issues like asthma, heart disease, children, and the elderly. In addition, the use of such fireworks will exacerbate the COVID-19 pandemic which is raging throughout the Valley.

“We ask that residents are considerate to the health and well-being of the Valley’s most vulnerable individuals, especially during this unprecedented health crisis,” said Samir Sheikh, the Valley Air District’s Executive Director/Air Pollution Control Officer. “Fireworks release large amounts of PM at ground-level, where individuals can breathe in the harmful pollutant,” he added.

CARB submits plan to USEPA for San Joaquin Valley PM2.5 compliance

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) just adopted a new plan to bring the San Joaquin Valley air basin into compliance with four federal standards for fine particulate pollution by the regulatory deadlines set by the US.Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). For more information: CARB PM2.5 Plan

Photo Credit: CARB

Measures for reducing emissions include:

• New regulations targeting emissions from heavy-duty trucks, including an inspection and maintenance program, a low-NOx engine standard and a low-emission diesel fuel requirement
• Tightened controls on residential wood-burning stoves and fireplaces, and enhanced incentives for cleaner-burning alternatives
• Enhanced incentives for purchase of cleaner agricultural equipment and commercial underfired charbroilers
• A suite of measures to reduce emissions of NOx from flares, including flares at refineries, oil fields and landfills, internal combustion engines and boilers, among other sources.

For more information: CARB PM2.5 Plan

Smoke from Mariposa Detwiler Fire to impact the Valley this weekend

The San Joaquin Valley APCD has issued an advisory related to smoke from the Detwiler Fire near Mariposa.

Photo: Cal Fire website

Because of the build-up of high pressure, lighter winds, and deteriorating dispersion conditions, smoke from the fire may affect air quality in the central and southern San Joaquin Valley through the weekend.

The smoke contains particulate mater (PM2.5) that can cause serious health problems including lung disease, asthma attacks, and may increase the risk for strokes and heart attacks. Those people with existing respiratory conditions, young children, and the elderly may be particularly impacted by these conditions.

The SJVAPCD urges residents to follow their doctor's orders when exposed to PM2.5 and to stay indoors if possible, particularly if they can smell smoke or see ash in the sky.

For more air quality information about current wildfires, please refer to the SJVAPCD's wildfire page.

ARB, APCD to hold PM2.5 air modeling symposium this week

Modeling symposium this week, workshop on draft PM2.5 Plan next week.

ARB, APCD to hold PM2.5 air modeling symposium this week