California Air Resources Board

Emissions inventory data are a foundation for the work performed at CARB and the local air districts. Inventory data helps identify what is being emitted into the air, by who, and where. Inventory data helps to guide and provide the scientific basis for CARB’s regulatory development process, to identify and address areas of concern, and to track progress in emission reduction efforts from stationary, mobile, and area sources.

Community groups, the public, regulators, scientists, and others have growing needs to access complete, user-friendly, and high-quality emissions data. CARB is committed to meeting these needs. An example of this is the CARB Pollution Mapping tool that visually displays emissions data and provides graphs and detailed emissions data reports, thereby improving data accessibility and transparency.

With the mandates of AB 617 and AB 197, significant new requirements have been established by the legislature, which CARB is responsible for implementing in partnership with the local air districts. The existing criteria and toxics emission inventory data are insufficient for meeting the community protection, public right to know, and cutting-edge analysis needs of these mandates. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt a new paradigm, making significant improvements in the completeness of emission inventory data collected, and how it is collected, to meet the community protection and other public health priorities for CARB and the local air districts.

To meet these needs, CARB staff developed the “Regulation for the Reporting of Criteria Air Pollutants and Toxics Air Contaminants” (or CTR), which requires annual reporting of criteria and toxic emissions data using a uniform statewide system. The data collected through this regulation will be an important resource for those in California affected by air pollution.