CARB Kicks Off Lost Hills Air Quality Study

On October 29, CARB hosted an evening community meeting in Lost Hills, CA to discuss how an air monitoring study in the rural community can help better characterize local air quality.  Lost Hills is one of many communities in California located near oil and gas extraction fields, and the first selected by CARB for the Study of Neighborhood Air near Petroleum Sources (SNAPS), an effort to better understand air quality in these communities. This intensive study will measure toxic air contaminants, volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, methane, metals, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons over three to four months in Lost Hills.  The SNAPS program was created in response to community member’s requests for air monitoring and recommendations in a report recently published by the California Council on Science and Technology.

           

The kickoff meeting was well-attended, and CARB staff discussed the purpose and methodology of the SNAPS program with community members and other interested stakeholders.  Attendees included community members and organizers, industry representatives, local leaders, and academics.  Several potential air monitoring sites were presented, and attendees shared their thoughts on these locations. A substantial portion of the meeting was dedicated to collecting feedback and answering questions. The questions and concerns raised by local community members and stakeholders will be used to improve the study and uniquely tailor the program to Lost Hills.

      

Criteria pollutant data will be published as it is generated online, and all data will be analyzed and presented in a final report after monitoring is complete in Lost Hills.  CARB staff will then continue SNAPS air monitoring at additional California communities located near oil and gas extraction activities.

For questions regarding the SNAPS program, please visit the website, email the SNAPS program, or call (916) 445-1104.