California Air Resources Board

Assembly Bill (AB) 2588 (Connelly), the Air Toxics "Hot Spots" Information and Assessment Act, requires facilities found to have a significant risk from their emissions to notify all exposed persons. Once risk assessments (see Risk Assessment) are reviewed by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) and approved by the air pollution control or air quality management district (district), facility operators must notify all exposed persons of the risk assessment results if the district determines that there is a potentially significant health risk associated with emissions from the facility. Each district is responsible for establishing the notification threshold at which facilities are required to notify all exposed persons with either a letter to individual neighbors, or with a newspaper notification. Some districts also require the facility to post information about the facility risk at the local library.

The California Air Pollution Control Officers Association (CAPCOA) Toxics Committee, in cooperation with OEHHA and the Air Resources Board (ARB), developed the CAPCOA Public Notification Guidelines, October 1992. The purpose of these guidelines is to assist districts in developing their public notification procedures. However, districts may develop and use notification methods which differ from the CAPCOA guidelines.

Public Notification Guidelines

Some facilities with diesel engines may have to conduct public notification. An industrywide or standard public notice for diesel PM may be appropriate, depending on district policies.