Air Pollution Control

2017 Clean Air Grant Program Now Accepting Applications

The Placer County Air Pollution Control District (District) is in the process of developing revised criteria pollutants and new greenhouse gas thresholds for the analysis of air quality related impacts associated with development projects that are subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).  Proposed changes include revisions to the criteria pollutant thresholds for the project-level and the cumulative-level, and new Greenhouse Gas (GHG) thresholds for construction and operational phases and can be found from here.

The Placer County Air Pollution Control District is currently seeking Placer County residents to be considered for appointment to its Hearing Board. Announcement for the Air Pollution Control District Hearing Board and the Application for Membership.

Attention Portable Diesel Engine Owners: The District is suspending enforcement of the 2017 portable engine fleet standards and related reporting requirements until ongoing CARB regulatory amendments are effective.  For more details, see the District advisory notice, and the CARB advisory and Q&A.

We are excited to announce that the District-sponsored Biochar Production GHG Offset Protocol has been accepted into the CAPCOA GHG Rx following CAPCOA Board approval on September 28, 2015.  The protocol will provide a local cost effective option  for CEQA mitigation, and significant air quality co-benefits through reducing open pile burning and managing hazardous forest fuel load. The Protocol can be found here.

For more information regarding biochar please view our biomass page, and click on biochar here.

Published in the July-September 2015 issue of the UC’s peer-reviewed “California Agriculture Journal” -- District-sponsored research at the UC Berkeley Center for Forestry, Blodgett Forest Research Station, documents the air quality and energy benefits of the use of woody biomass wastes for energy as an alternative to the common disposal practice of open pile burning.  Read a copy of the article here.

For the full journal click here.

GHG credits are now available for purchase from the PCAPCD's verified GHG emission reducing project: Biomass to Energy - USFS TNF SSO project. For more information on this project and the biomass energy initiatives the PCAPCD supports, Click Here, or go directly to CAPCOA's GHG Rx Program Website for credit listings.

 Current Drought Compliance and Enforcement Policy (April 2014)

Biomass to Energy - Utilization

• The District sponsored, in partnership with the U.C. Berkeley Center for Forestry, a biomass waste for energy demonstration at the Center’s Blodgett Forest Research Station. The project served as a showcase for forestry management issues. The District produced a video documenting the biomass project and workshop issues, observations, and policy recommendations related to California forest management and utilization of forest residue for energy production. The video captures the views of a unique and diverse set of resource professionals, researchers, state/federal agency representatives, utility representatives, and elected officials.

• District produced video, at the U.C. Berkeley Center for Forestry, Blodgett Forest Research Station, documenting the biomass waste for energy demonstration project along with the 2013 workshop participants’ policy recommendations, observations and workshop issues related to California forest management and utilization of forest residue for energy production. “Biomass to Energy Demonstration Project Video”
• Sierra Nevada Forest Health, Wildfire Risk Reduction and Biomass Utilization for Energy