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Community Impacts
Oil and gas equipment, landfills, dairies, and other potential methane sources may be located near communities. Since there may be many individual sources of emissions within each site and the emissions can be sporadic in nature, it can be difficult to monitor them using conventional methods. Satellite plume imaging technology helps by regularly scanning large areas of California to spot large methane emissions or leaks. When large methane emissions are detected by satellites, CARB acts to quickly mitigate those emissions, thereby reducing potential risk to nearby communities.
Methane is not toxic, and the likelihood of concentrations reaching explosive levels is exceedingly low even for large sources detected by satellites. However, methane is often emitted along with other pollutants (co-pollutants), such as non-methane volatile organic compounds and criteria air pollutants, which can degrade air quality and impact public health. The magnitude and types of co-pollutants vary by source, and CARB is working to better estimate their characteristics and associated health impacts.
If plumes are detected near communities, CARB will follow an expedited procedure to inform air districts, first responders, operators, and community members. These plumes may require a more immediate response, or targeted notifications compared to our standard operator notification and mitigation tracking process.
Community Engagement Grant
Five million dollars in grant funding will be available to develop and implement community engagement plans. CARB will work with communities to ensure this funding provides the best investment for improving access, use, and understanding of the satellite data by communities. The grant is anticipated to be managed by a third-party administrator over a period of 36 months. An initial workshop and follow-on meetings will gather input on key aspects of the grant before its release for solicitation. The topics include community selection criteria, data access, public dashboards, methane plume notification methods, and training resources. The grant solicitation is expected to be released in 2025. Check our Meetings and Events page to stay informed on what's happening.