Particle Fallout Sampling Program for Refinery Communities

On April 3, 2024, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s Board of Directors approved the implementation of a new community particulate matter monitoring program in areas surrounding the Bay Area’s five refineries. This program aims to better understand the impacts of unplanned industrial incidents on the nearby communities. The program has two main components:

1. Core Network: Air District-maintained deposition monitoring locations for laboratory analysis of collected particles, and
2. Community-Conducted Sampling: Protocols and funding for the collection and laboratory analysis of particle samples when incidents occur.

This program will be designed and implemented in partnership with community members.

The Air District is now accepting applications for membership in the community workgroup to information development and implementation of the Particle Fallout Sampling Program for refinery communities.

The goal of the program is to further characterize impacts in communities near the refineries during unplanned incidents, and it is comprised of four components:

1. A core network of deposition monitoring locations maintained by the Air District, which will allow for laboratory analysis of deposited particles following an incident to gather information about potential impacts on air quality.
2. Funding and support for community-conducted particle sampling following an incident.
3. Efforts to make the particle sampling data available in a timely manner to communities and other agencies that have incident response roles.
4. Formation of the community workgroup to guide development and implementation of the program.

The workgroup will consist of community members who live or work near one of the Bay Area refineries, or who represent organizations that serve these communities. As a member of the workgroup, you will address topics such as:

• Identification and selection of the preferred sampling locations for the core network of particle fallout samplers maintained by the Air District,
• Review and testing of protocols for community-conducted sampling,
• Recruitment of community members to collect samples after an incident occurs,
• Development of procedures for activating community-conducted sampling after an incident occurs, and
• Development of methods and procedures for making the sampling data publicly accessible.

For more information about this program:

1. You may watch a recording of an informational webinar held on September 5, 2024 at this link (closed captions here), or
2. View the associated presentation slides at this link

Applications will be accepted through June 13, 2025.