Technical Foundation Toolbox
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A technical foundation is comprised of several analyses that ultimately characterize emissions in the community, including a description of the key pollutants, sources, and source categories driving the air pollution exposure burden. The information below provides more information and resources to help inform those analyses.
Community Emissions Inventory
AB 617 calls for the use of emission inventories in community emissions reduction programs to:
- Identify emission sources
- Establish baseline emissions
- Set emission targets and reduction measures
- Track emission reductions in communities selected for a community emissions reduction programs
The Community Inventory Key Elements document discusses the key elements of an AB 617 base year community planning emission inventory. CARB’s guidance on inventory years and associated terminology are described in the AB 617 Community Planning Emission Inventory: Inventory Years document.
This video below illustrates the type of more-detailed data that is being developed for the Imperial County community corridor of Calexico, Heber, and El Centro.

Existing Policy Benefit Assessment
Community emissions reduction programs must quantify the benefits of existing air quality policies and programs in reducing emissions within the community to ensure the identified targets, goals and strategies are surplus to policies already implemented within the community.
Additional information can be found in the Forecasting Key Elements document.
Source Attribution
Statute requires CARB to identify methodologies for assessing, identifying and estimating the relative contribution of sources or categories of sources. To meet this requirement, CARB has identified a suite of recommended source attribution technical approaches that air districts may apply as part of their community emissions reduction program. These approaches are described in the AB 617 Recommended Source Attribution Technical Approaches document.