Strategy Development

The resources housed here are intended to inform community members, air districts, and the public as they consider emission and exposure reduction strategies for their communities. It includes introductory background information on strategy development and authority, land use and transportation planning information, policies and tools for best practices, air quality rules and regulations, related research, and incentive funding and CEQA process information.

Background on Strategy Development

There is a wide range of possible approaches to reducing exposure in communities. Community emissions reduction programs must, as appropriate, consider regulatory, facility-specific risk reduction, air quality permitting, enforcement, land use, transportation, mitigation, and incentives-based strategy types. This entails identifying which would be appropriate in the community-specific context, identifying the applicable implementing agency, and working with them to encourage specific strategy implementation.

Any strategy should consist of three parts: the mechanism to reduce exposure (e.g. setbacks, alternative truck routing), the lever used to implement that mechanism (e.g. zoning code change, air quality incentives), and engagement with the entity that has the authority to take that action (e.g. city/county, transportation agency).

The figure below highlights some of the key public agencies involved in community air quality and their respective authorities to take action.

Who Has the Authority to Implement Actions?

This graphic generally describes the state of the law, but it is not intended as binding or comprehensive. Please refer to regulatory determinations in particular cases and rulemakings for further details.

Other mechanisms to achieve emissions and exposure reductions:

Other public agency policies (e.g., California Department of Pesticide Regulation, California Department of Conservation)
Environmental review process and mitigation (California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) / National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA))
Binding agreements (e.g., freight facility lease agreements that require cleaner technology)
Implementing best practices (e.g., Freight Handbook)
Other voluntary measures (e.g., sustainability initiatives)

California Air Resources Board