California Air Resources Board

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The California Air Resources Board (CARB) created the Study of Neighborhood Air near Petroleum Sources (SNAPS) to characterize air quality in communities located near oil and gas operations. CARB and the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) developed the SNAPS program to respond to community concerns regarding air quality near oil and gas sources by improving understanding of the pollutants the public may be exposed to, provide air quality information publicly in real-time, and inform potential measures to minimize exposure. SNAPS focuses on assessing the cumulative impacts from oil and gas sources, as well as all other potential sources on air quality in these communities. 

Lost Hills is the first community to receive air monitoring under the SNAPS program. CARB conducted air quality monitoring for almost one year, from May 2019 through April 2020. This air monitoring effort was made possible with valuable recommendations and collaboration from community members, community groups, and all other interested parties who engaged in the public process. Staff would like to convey our deep appreciation to those who took time to participate in meetings and provide useful comments that improved the program and final report.

A draft of the Lost Hills Final Report was released on January 26, 2024, for public comment. All comments were taken into consideration and after a detailed review, the final report, comments received throughout the public process, as well as the full dataset used in the analysis are available here. A shorter, supplementary summary report and a brief overview of air quality results are also provided to summarize the key findings from SNAPS Lost Hills air monitoring, while more detailed technical information is included in Appendices A-K below. 

The Lost Hills Final Report is intended to provide a thorough analysis of air monitoring results and the associated potential health impacts derived from air monitoring in Lost Hills as a part of SNAPS air monitoring in Lost Hills. Results from the study have prompted further Lost Hills monitoring for acrolein. Additionally, OEHHA is developing a cancer potency factor for acrolein. After finalization of the cancer potency factor, SNAPS will prepare an addendum to the Lost Hills Final Report to incorporate the cancer risk from acrolein.

Information presented in the SNAPS Lost Hills Final Report includes:

1. Introduction and Background on SNAPS
2. Scope of SNAPS Monitoring and Methodology
3. Lost Hills Air Monitoring Results, including answers to the following questions:
   1. How does meteorology impact air quality?
   2. What is the air quality in Lost Hills?
   3. Is Lost Hills disproportionally affected compared to other areas in the Central Valley?
   4. What are the potential sources of the measured air pollutants?
   5. Are there elevated health risks associated with air quality in the community?
4. Actions, Ongoing Work, and Next Steps
5. Resources

Staff are considering opportunities to improve the program based on lessons learned, including logistical constraints of siting and maintaining monitoring equipment, as well as where to monitor next based on needs of the State and communities.