Authority

This Authority was established by New Mexico State Legislature in 1967, when the Legislature adopted the Air Quality Control Act (State Act) authorizing the City of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County to adopt ordinances providing for the creation of the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Air Quality Control Board.

The City and the County adopted parallel ordinances, creating the Air board shortly after the State Act was adopted. The primary function of the Board is to ensure that provisions of the United States Clean Air Act are implemented. According to the State Act, the Board shall “adopt, promulgate, publish, amend and repeal regulations consistent with the [State Act] to attain and maintain national ambient air quality standards and prevent or abate air pollution, including regulations prescribing air standards, within the geographic area of the local board's jurisdiction or any part thereof.”

Board Members

The Board consists of seven voting members who volunteer and are appointed to serve on the Board. Four members are appointed by the City of Albuquerque and three members are appointed by Bernalillo County. There may also be two non-voting members who are representatives from the City’s Environmental Planning Commission and the County Planning Commission. Members of the Board generally serve two consecutive three-year terms. To adopt, amend or repeal a regulation, a quorum (i.e., four members) of the Board must vote to approve the regulation.

Hearing Records

All hearing records, including exhibits and hearing transcripts, are available from the City of Albuquerque Environmental Health Department in the Control Strategies Section of the Air Quality Division, which serves as the administrative agency for the Board.

Regulations

The regulations contained herein have been adopted by the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Air Quality Control Board (Board). These regulations apply to private and public sources of air pollution in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. The Board’s jurisdiction does not include tribal lands. Regulations are adopted by the Board after a public hearing is advertised and held in accordance with State law. Adopted regulations are filed with the New Mexico State Records Center, and are codified into the New Mexico Administrative Code (NMAC).

Note that these regulations are updated periodically and new regulations are adopted occasionally. Air quality regulations that apply to New Mexico counties other than Bernalillo County are adopted by the New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board.

The New Mexico Environment Department's Air Quality Bureau in Santa Fe can be contacted for more information about the non-Bernalillo County regulations.

To contact the Air Board call Janice Amend at 768-2601 or email jamend@cabq.gov.