CARB Environmental Justice Blog

Public Landscaper Workgroup Meeting on Small Off-Road Engines Learn about new rules and incentives to help purchase electric landscape equipment.  The California Air Resources Board (CARB) invites professional landscapers to participate in a workgroup to discuss recent updates to the small off-road engine regulations that will affect new engines used in landscape equipment. The workgroup will also discuss incentives for electric landscape equipment to assist landscapers with the transition to zero-emission equipment. Professional landscapers are encouraged to join the workgroup and participate in its quarterly virtual meetings. The third virtual meeting of the landscaper workgroup will be at the date and time below: Date:          November 14, 2023 Time:          6:00 - 7:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time Location:    Virtual meeting through Zoom Subscribe Background Small off-road engines (...

  Project Summary CARB received $30 million through legislative appropriation to conduct a Statewide Mobile Monitoring Initiative for criteria pollutants, greenhouse gases, and toxic air contaminants in areas of poor air quality. The Statewide Mobile Monitoring Initiative is part of  California Climate Investments , a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment — particularly in disadvantaged communities. CARB is committed to being transparent and responsive to community stakeholders. As such, CARB is utilizing a two-part outreach process to help inform both the technical and engagement aspects of the project. Request for Information (RFI) CARB has released a Request for Information (RFI) to help better inform both the technical and the engagement and outreach portion of this project. The goal of this RFI is to gather information on...

The surge of federal funding opportunities to benefit disadvantaged communities continues, as does our goal to ensure that ALL disadvantaged communities are ready for these opportunities. If you are interested, please fill out this  survey for community organizations and other under-resourced entities interested in receiving pro bono assistance to create/envision projects for federal funding opportunities, particularly the  Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking (EJ TCGM) Program  grants that will be available in mid-2024. As promising federal funding opportunities are announced, we will continue to create and distribute specific  federal funding application guidance and support. Here are some funding opportunities to consider now: 1. The EPA recently announced the $7 billion Solar for All competition, created by the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). This competition will award up to 60 grants to states, territories, Tribal governments, muni...

Oil wells in California In Spring 2022, civil and environmental engineering students from UC Berkeley worked with community organizations within the Stockton AB 617 area to identify local air pollution sources and design mitigation strategies. This 4-part blog series highlights the student projects and resources to share with the community.  Part 4 focuses on short-lived climate pollutants in California. Short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) include methane, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs used as refrigerants), and black carbon, all of which are being recognized as critical to the fight against climate change because of their large global warming potential (GWP) compared to carbon dioxide. Check out these StoryMaps:  Refrigerant leaks : this report maps refrigerant leaks across California, and highlights the need for a widespread transition to low-GWP refrigerants. Methane from oil and gas, and landfills : this report details the technical and political interventions needed to comb...

In Spring 2022, civil and environmental engineering students from UC Berkeley worked with community organizations within the Stockton AB 617 area to identify local air pollution sources and design mitigation strategies. This 4-part blog series highlights the student projects and resources to share with the community.  Satellite image of the Mormon Slough during a harmful algal bloom, data from Planet Labs, https://www.planet.com/ Part 3 focuses on water-related hazards in the Stockton AB 617 area. Check out these StoryMaps: Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs): HABs can become airborne and lead to illness and even death; this team explored impacts of HABs on public health in housed and unhoused communities in Stockton and potential solutions. Flooding and Stormwater Management : this report explores flooding risks near Van Buskirk Park and presents ideas on how to connect people back to local water bodies. A link to all 12 projects can be found here . Look out for the 4th installment of th...

Photo taken by Courtney Turkatte on 3/24/22 at the Port of Stockton In Spring 2022, civil and environmental engineering students from UC Berkeley worked with community organizations within the Stockton AB 617 area to identify local air pollution sources and design mitigation strategies. This 4-part blog series highlights the student projects and resources to share with the community.  Part 2 focuses on shipping, transportation, and cooking related emissions in the Stockton AB 617 area. Check out these StoryMaps:  Shipping Activity Emissions: for the Port of Stockton, students used ship traffic data to estimate that the Port’s emissions increased by 30% from 2018 to 2021 Trucking Emissions: analyzing truck routes in Stockton, students found that 63% of people within the AB 617 boundary live within 0.1 mi from a truck route, leading to high exposure from diesel truck emissions, compared to only 38% for Stockton overall; this team also created resources for truckers.  Comm...

Image by Warren County Department of Fire and Rescue Services In Spring 2022, civil and environmental engineering students from UC Berkeley worked with community organizations within the Stockton AB 617 area to identify local air pollution sources and design mitigation strategies. This 4-part blog series highlights the student projects and resources to share with the community.  This first blog focuses on agricultural burning in San Joaquin Valley, urban greening, and indoor air filtration. Check out these StoryMaps:   Agricultural Burning: this team created a new map showing locations with agricultural burning detected by satellite compared to burn permit locations; resources to help small farmers apply for funding to reduce air pollution at this website . Trees & Urban Greening: this team researched how trees and vegetative barriers can improve air quality, and how to place vegetative barriers to protect schools in Stockton. Indoor Air Quality: this team studied the ...

Photo of Port of Stockton taken by Matt Holmes Stockton residents are actively developing and implementing their AB 617 Community Emissions Reduction Plan (CERP) to address air pollution. Since January 2021, students and faculty from several universities have been collaborating in the fight for clean air. With input from community leaders, the student teams highlighted here have analyzed emissions reduction strategies and initiatives presented in the CERP to provide input to community groups. Story Map from UC Berkeley Researchers Caleb Bray, Aneeshi Desai, Lauder Fairchok, and Hailey Rowbatham on Tree Cover Check out the StoryMaps made by UC Berkeley students in a Civil & Environmental Engineering design course on emissions reduction strategies:  Urban Greening and Food Systems - vegetative barriers, tree canopy, food access and farmers’ markets, commercial cooking emissions Industry - strategies for the Port of Stockton, DTE, and other industry, regulations and enforcement ...

Stockton residents live with a significant air pollution burden and one of the highest childhood asthma rates in the state. Since January 2021, community organizations in Stockton and students and faculty from several universities have been collaborating in the fight for clean air. With input from community leaders, the student teams highlighted here have analyzed air permits, identified and mapped top emitters, pollutants, and changes in emissions, studied and mapped health impacts, and compiled resources on how residents can protect themselves and their families (see examples at the bottom of this post). Watch the recording of the April 14 event, Fighting for Clean Air: Community-Academic Partnerships for Clean Air in Stockton , including presentations by Stockton residents, and students at Stanford and Santa Clara universities. The presentations documented as persistent problems the disproportionate presence of large air pollution emitters near Stockton neighborhoods with lower inco...