The Public Participation Guide to Air Quality Decision Making in California provides you with the basic tools and information needed to understand and participate in the air pollution policy, planning, permitting, and regulatory decision-making processes in California. The guide includes: Agencies responsible for controlling air pollution; County or regional air pollution control districts and air quality management districts (local air districts) are the local government agencies responsible for improving air quality. There are 35 local air districts in California. These local air districts are generally your first point of contact for resolving local air pollution issues or complaints. Local air districts regulate stationary sources of air pollutants, such as industrial and commercial facilities, power plants, construction activities, outdoor burning, and other non-mobile sources of pollution. At the national level, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: • Sets federal ambient air quality standards • Oversees and approves state programs • Regulates pollution from cars and trucks (outside California), trains, Directions on how to file air pollution complaints; If you observe a problem, it is a good idea to write down the nature of the problem, the time and date, the source of pollution (suspected or known), and the wind direction. In certain instances, photographs or videos can be very useful in documenting a problem. This information will greatly aid in the investigation of your complaint. By reporting air pollution problems to the local air district, the public can help the district ensure compliance with rules and permits, which keeps the air cleaner and protects public health. Always note: • Time and date when the problem occurred, • Source of pollution (if known), and Wind direction. • If you see smoke or other visible signs of pollution, take photographs or video tape recordings if you can.

Steps you can take to get involved in air quality issues in your community. The first thing to do if you want to get involved is to get on appropriate mailing lists and attend meetings that the ARB and local air districts conduct. These meetings are a good source of information and also provide an opportunity to raise issues or concerns. If you are going to raise a specific question or concern, it is always wise to do some preparation priOr to the meeting. This will allow you to more effectively participate at the meeting. You may submit written or oral comments at a meeting. Meetings with Agency Staff: If you would like to meet with the staff of an agency, you can schedule an appointment to discuss your concerns about a particular issue. You may also want to make an occasional phone call or send an e-mail to establish contact and exchange ideas with appropriate staff. Staff often incorporates input from the public into their work products and proposals for their governing boards, so your participation at the staff level can be very important. Town Hall Meetings: The ARB staff, as part of the Environmental Justice Stake-holder Group, and several of the local air districts, conduct town hall-style meetings on a regular basis. These meetings provide an open forum for the public to ask questions and raise their concerns about air pollution issues directly to the air pollution agencies. Meeting notices are posted at community buildings, mailed to people on mailing lists, and posted on applicable agency web sites.