California Air Resources Board & California's Contractors
About the California Air Resources Board
Air quality has long been a key issue in California. When Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo sailed into San Pedro Bay in 1542, he called it "La bahía del Humo," the Bay of the Smoke, because the haze from the Indian campfires in the region hung over the land like a brownish ceiling--the first recorded smog incident in California. Two hundred years later, California began to formally regulate air pollution and today, the state is known for implementing the toughest air quality standards in the nation.
The state’s primary air quality regulatory agency is the California
Air Resources Board (CARB). CARB was created in 1967, when the legislature
passed the Mulford-Carrell Act, combining two Department of Health bureaus--the
Bureau of Air Sanitation and the Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Board--to
establish the Board. Since its formation, CARB has been one of the most progressive
air quality regulators in the nation.
An 11-member board appointed by the governor is the final decision-maker at
CARB, but the day-to-day work is done by the staff of over 1,000 engineers,
scientists, attorneys, automotive technicians, information specialists, administrative
analysts, and clerical support personnel, led by executive director Catherine
Witherspoon.
In addition to setting air quality standards for the state, CARB also oversees the activities of 35 local and regional air pollution control districts, where much of the enforcement work is done.
Over the past decade, CARB, along with the regional air control districts have begun to control emissions from the construction industry. This effort impacts every aspect of the construction industry and has led to fundamental changes in the way we do business.
For more information about CARB visit http://www.arb.ca.gov.
CIAQC’S ROLE
CIAQC actively represents the interests of the construction industry before this large and powerful organization. Through both the efforts of its small staff and the countless hours put in by the volunteer construction industry members who serve on its advisory boards, CIAQC works every day to make sure California’s regulators understand the impact of their actions on our industry and on our role in rebuilding California’s infrastructure. CIAQC is a key information resource, not only for contractors, but also for the agencies regulating our industry.
If you have questions or need additional information about CARB regulations
or enforcement, contact CIAQC today.
CURRENT CARB PROPOSALS
CARB is currently considering the following regulations that will dramatically impact your business. Click below for more information about each and stay informed by coming back to www.ciaqc.com for up-to-date information.