In spite of significant improvements in air quality over the past two decades, the San Joaquin Valley’s unique topography and meteorology continue to make it difficult to meet federal air quality standards. Heavy-duty trucks and other mobile sources are the largest contributors to the Valley’s pollution challenges. While the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulate these mobile sources of pollution, the Valley Air District has a variety of truck and infrastructure incentive programs to assist the Valley’s business and agriculture community in upgrading to cleaner technology. 

Last month, the District’s Governing Board took action to accept over $1.2 million in additional federal funding under the EPA's highly competitive Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA). The allocated funding supports the replacement of in-use, heavy-duty diesel trucks with zero or near-zero emission trucks.

This extra funding brings the total grant amount to $4 million and will fund the replacement of older, high-polluting class 7-8 trucks with new trucks equipped with zero or near-zero emission engine technology. With this additional funding, the total grant is expected to result in the reduction of more than 19 tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM).

Since the beginning of summer, the District has issued multiple news releases alerting the public to current and forecasted air quality conditions they can expect to see in their community as wildfires ravaged acres of land. As the Valley continues to see impacts from these ongoing wildfires, residents can rely on the District’s various wildfire resources available to the public.

- To see what wildfires are impacting the Valley, visit the District’s Wildfire Prevention and Response webpage.

- To see air quality conditions based on PM2.5 pollution as well as fire locations across the state, visit EPA’s Fire and Smoke Map.

- To find public spaces with filtered air during wildfire episodes, visit the Clean Air Centers webpage.

- To learn how residents can protect themselves from wildfire smoke, check out the Wildfire Smoke Readiness brochure.

- To see current air quality data in the Valley, visit myRAAN.com or EPA’s AirNow.gov.

While supplies last, residents can check their eligibility for the District's Clean Air Rooms program. If they qualify and apply, a room air purifier will be mailed to them, helping them create a space in their home with clean, filtered air during periods of poor air quality caused by wildfires.

On August 29, during the Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies (AAPCA) Fall Business Meeting in Raleigh, North Carolina, the District accepted the AAPCA 2024 Best Practices in Air Pollution Control Award for its Comprehensive Wildfire Prevention and Smoke Impact Response Program.

This award is given to public agencies, private entities or individuals that identify groundbreaking technology, innovative practices and exemplary operations in the field of air pollution control, especially those that can demonstrate transferability to the operations of other air pollution control agencies. The District’s Comprehensive Wildfire Prevention and Smoke Impact Response Program is multifaceted, and includes a mix of incentives, permitting for hazard reduction burning and outreach efforts, such as the Clean Air Rooms program, the Clean Air Centers program and a comprehensive outreach plan.

Air pollution generated from wildfires is enormous and can cause significant impacts to public health. The development and robust administration of the Comprehensive Wildfire Prevention and Smoke Impact Response Program continues to be crucial to protecting the health of Valley residents, especially the District’s most vulnerable populations.

For more information on this program, visit the District’s Prevention and Response webpage at valleyair.org/wildfires.