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The Bay Area Air Quality Management District aims to create a healthy breathing environment for every Bay Area resident while protecting and improving public health, air quality, and the global climate.
The California Legislature created the Bay Area Air Quality Management District in 1955 as the first regional air pollution control agency in the country. The Air District is tasked with regulating stationary sources of air pollution in the nine counties that surround San Francisco Bay: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, southwestern Solano, and southern Sonoma counties.
The Air District is governed by a 24-member Board of Directors composed of locally elected officials from each of the nine Bay Area counties., The number of Board members from each county is proportionate to its population.
The Board of Directors oversees policies and adopts regulations for the control of air pollution within the district. The Board also appoints the Air District’s Executive Officer/Air Pollution Control Officer, who implements these policies and gives direction to staff, as well as the District Counsel, who manages the legal affairs of the agency. The Air District consists of over 340 dedicated staff members, including engineers, inspectors, planners, scientists, and other professionals.
The Air District is assisted by an Advisory Council, which provides input to the Board and the Executive Officer on air quality matters, and a Hearing Board. The Hearing Board is an independent, five-member body that serves to adjudicate regulatory compliance issues that may arise between the Air District and local industries. The Hearing Board also hears appeals of permitting decisions made by the Executive Officer.