California Air Resources Board

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency designated the California Air Resources Board (CARB) as one of the five Primary Quality Assurance Organizations responsible for monitoring ambient air pollution in California.  The air monitoring data generated define the nature and severity of pollution in California, determine attainment status with Ambient Air Quality Standards, identify pollution trends, support agricultural burn forecasting, provide real-time air quality information, assess community exposure, and validate air quality models and emission inventories.  CARB develops and adopts a State Implementation Plan that delineates the strategy for bringing areas under its jurisdiction into compliance with federal clean air standards. To attain these goals, CARB employs an air monitoring network that includes monitoring of gaseous criteria and non-criteria pollutants, particulate matter, toxic air contaminants, meteorological parameters, and greenhouse gases.  

The California Ambient Air Monitoring Network consists of monitoring stations operated by federal, State, and local agencies.  These entities operate more than 250 air monitoring stations throughout the State and along the California/Mexico Border.