The Air District and the California Air Resources Board are announcing a nearly $82 million penalty in a joint case to address significant air pollution violations by Valero Refining Co. at its Benicia refinery. This penalty is the largest ever assessed in the Air District’s history.
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Alameda County
Learn about Alameda County - its climate, potential air pollution concerns, and current air quality. You can also view upcoming Air District events in Alameda County and read about local efforts to improve air quality.
Alameda County lies east of the San Francisco Bay, bounded by Contra Costa Bay to the north, San Joaquin County to the east, and Santa Clara County to the south. Four representatives sit on the Air District’s Board of Directors.
Latest News
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Air District issues air quality advisory for Friday and SaturdayOctober 25, 2024
The Air District is issuing an air quality advisory due to smoke for Friday, October 25 and Saturday, October 26. Smoke from prescribed fires near Pescadero may impact air quality along the Peninsula – south of San Francisco and north of San Jose. Conditions can change rapidly and the amount and location of smoke at ground level is hard to predict.
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Air District issues air quality advisory for FridayOctober 18, 2024
The Air District is issuing an air quality advisory due to wildfire smoke from fires around the Bay Area for Friday, October 18. Smoke from wildfires including the Keller Fire in the East Bay may impact air quality in parts of the Bay Area Friday. Conditions can change rapidly and the amount and location of smoke at ground level is hard to predict.
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Air District to host Clean Air Talk in East Palo Alto on November 2October 17, 2024
The Air District will host an in-person conversation with Air District Board Chair Davina Hurt on Saturday, November 2, 2024, from 12 noon – 1 PM at the East Palo Alto Community Room in the East Palo Alto Public Library. The conversation will focus on community questions and concerns regarding air quality issues and climate change.
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October 08, 2024
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Other News Articles
Climate
Along the county’s western coast, temperatures are moderated by the bay, which can act as a heat source during cold weather, or cool the air by evaporation during warm weather. It is generally sunnier farther from the coast, although partly cloudy skies are common throughout the summer. Average summer temperatures are mild overnight and moderate during the day. Winter temperatures are cool overnight and mild during the day. Highest temperatures are more common inland. Wind speeds vary throughout the county, with the strongest gusts along the western coast, often aided by dominant westerly winds and a bay-breeze effect. Rainfall totals average about 14 to 23 inches per year, with the highest totals in the northern end of the county and atop the Oakland-Berkeley hills.
Interactive Air Monitoring Stations Map
Air Quality in Alameda County
Ozone and fine particle pollution, or PM2.5, are the major regional air pollutants of concern in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ozone is primarily a problem in the summer, and fine particle pollution in the winter.
In Alameda County west of the East Bay hills, ozone rarely exceeds health standards because the area is adjacent to San Francisco Bay, which tends to keep temperatures well below prime levels for ozone formation. PM2.5 is a more significant issue in this region due to cool winter nights with light winds, wood smoke, and occasional pollution transport from the Livermore Valley to the east.
Eastern Alameda County has the highest ozone levels in the Bay Area, with summer afternoon temperatures frequently approaching triple digits, spurring ozone levels to exceed health standards. In winter, PM2.5 can be transported westward through the Altamont Pass from the Central Valley where it adds to wood smoke levels, causing health standards to be exceeded.
Spare the Air Status
Last Updated: 4/21/2017