Local oil Industry tops list of air pollution violations

If a stationary source operates equipment that emits air pollution, it needs to get a permit from the APCD. The permit specifies conditions that the equipment needs to operate under in order to comply with the APCD's regulations. When the permit conditions are not met, the owner/operator of the equipment may face fines of up to $25,000 for each day the violation occurs.

The attached article (and the above table) provides more info on the top air pollution violators in the San Joaquin Valley. Not surprisingly to some, the oil industry tops the list. Please click on the link for more details.

Local oil Industry tops list of air pollution violations

Who are the biggest air polluters in the San Joaquin Valley?

 Have you ever wondered why the air we breathe in Bakersfield is so dirty? Have you ever wondered where that air pollution comes from?

As part of a request to the SJVAPCD, a list of the largest industrial polluters in the Valley was obtained. Based on 2009 data (the latest information currently available), the largest industrial air polluters in the Valley can be attributed to three general industries: oil & gas production, energy generation, and glass making. 

For more details, click on the following link:

Who are the biggest air polluters in the San Joaquin Valley?

Back to school with real time air quality data - APCD RAAN program

It's that time of year again and kids are returning to school in Bakersfield and other parts of the Valley. Unfortunately, this time of year is also smog season with unhealthy air quality levels occurring frequently.

To help school districts, teachers, students, and their parents plan outdoor activities better, the San Joaquin Valley APCD has come up with a pilot program that provides e-mail alerts whenever air quality in your area significantly changes. The program is free and available to anyone, not just school administrators.

For more info, click on the link below:

Back to school with real time air quality data - APCD RAAN program

Change your car's A/C refrigerant, help stop global warming

The bad economic news in the country is especially bad in Bakersfield and Kern County, with unemployment rates here still hovering around 15%, significantly higher than the rest of the state and the U.S. Add to that rising prices, a declining stock market, and gloomy predictions for improvement anytime soon, and more and more Bakersfield residents are increasingly turning to do-it-yourself activities rather than paying someone else. For example, people are cutting their own grass, doing their own laundry instead of sending clothes to dry cleaners, and doing their own car repairs.

For those involved with the latter, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) has just announced a way for car buffs here and elsewhere in the state to recharge their air conditioning systems in a manner much safer for the environment. As a result of new Climate Change regulations, ARB, equipment manufacturers, and distributors have come up with a redesigned recharge canister. Featuring a self-sealing mechanism, the new canisters are sold with a $10 deposit, refunded when the empty cans are returned.

 For more info, click on the link below:

Change your car's A/C refrigerant, help stop global warming