CARB launches mobile air monitoring in underserved communities as part of first-of-its-kind initiative
What you need to know: California is starting a new phase of statewide air monitoring, using specially equipped vehicles to collect block-by-block pollution data in 64 communities heavily burdened by pollution. The results will help create local solutions to improve air quality and health.
SACRAMENTO – The California Air Resources Board (CARB) today announced the launch of the monitoring phase of the Statewide Mobile Monitoring Initiative (SMMI), a first-of-its-kind program delivering hyper-local air pollution data to guide efforts to improve air quality in California.
The pilot project will deploy mobile air monitoring equipment to communities throughout the state beginning in June 2025. It is designed to collect comprehensive air quality information and support actions to protect public health with a focus on communities that have long faced environmental disparities. CARB will use sensor-equipped vehicles from Aclima and mobile laboratories operated by researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Riverside, and Aerodyne to gather pollution data across 64 communities statewide.
The initiative is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide effort that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment — particularly in disadvantaged communities.
More than 60% of the mobile monitoring will serve priority populations including low-income communities and households. The 64 communities were consistently nominated for focused action under the Community Air Protection Program, underscoring the state’s commitment to protecting the health of Californians in areas most burdened by air pollution.
“By meeting communities where they are and listening to their concerns, we’re building an air quality monitoring system that integrates the lived experiences of the people most impacted by air pollution,” said CARB Executive Officer Dr. Steven Cliff. “The Statewide Mobile Monitoring Initiative represents an unprecedented opportunity to gather the detailed information we need to better protect public health in neighborhoods that have historically borne the brunt of environmental injustice.”
The mobile monitoring phase will begin this June, following the finalization of draft Community Air Monitoring Plans that were recently released for public comment. Monitoring will take place in the 64 communities over the next year. The project is expected to end in June 2026, when the collected data will become publicly available, along with visualization tools. Final results will be shared with the 64 communities, the general public and the Board. The data collected will be used by CARB, local air districts, stakeholders and community advocates to address existing and emerging pollution concerns. The data is also expected to inform future regulatory programs, academic research, and applications for grants such as the Community Air Grants Program.
The program is guided by a robust community engagement framework. More than 40 community-based organizations across California have partnered with CARB to identify local air quality concerns and ensure community voices shape monitoring efforts from the ground up.
“The work that we’re doing through the Statewide Mobile Monitoring Initiative is important to me and the communities I represent because we all want to breathe clean air, and we all want to feel like our concerns are heard and valued,” said Valley Vision Project Manager Kathy Saechou. “This initiative allowed community organizations like Valley Vision and Sacramento Environmental Justice Coalition to work with underserved and under-resourced communities, including non-English-speaking residents, to help shape community air monitoring plans for pollution-burdened Communities.”
“We we deserve a seat at the table when decisions are made about our communities,” said the Niles Foundation Executive Director Shante Walker. “That’s why we’re proud to be part of the Statewide Mobile Monitoring Initiative. This project brings real-time air quality monitoring to our communities and gives us data we can use to demand accountability and advocate for change.”
“Being part of this project has been transformational,” said UNIDOS Network Executive Director Miguel Allatore, Jr. “For the first time, residents were not only consulted—they were centered. Community members were directly asked what pollutants concerned them most and where they wanted monitoring to happen. That level of inclusion is rare, and it resonated deeply.”
The Statewide Mobile Monitoring Initiative underscores CARB’s commitment to environmental equity by combining advanced air monitoring technology with authentic community engagement. By empowering residents and providing high-resolution data, the effort will help build more responsive air quality policies and foster healthier communities for all Californians.
The recording of today’s press conference is available on CARB’s YouTube Channel.
More Information
California Climate Investments is a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment — particularly in disadvantaged communities.
