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California Air Resources Board
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The California Air Resources Board, also known as (CARB) is the "clean air agency" in the government of California. Established in 1967 in the Mulford-Carrell Act, combining the Bureau of Air Sanitation and the Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Board, the ARB is a department within the cabinet-level California Environmental Protection Agency. California is the only state that is permitted to have such a regulatory agency, since it is the only state that had one before the passage of the federal Clean Air Act.
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Encyclopedia
The California Air Resources Board, also known as (CARB) is the "clean air agency" in the government of California. Established in 1967 in the Mulford-Carrell Act, combining the Bureau of Air Sanitation and the Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Board, the ARB is a department within the cabinet-level California Environmental Protection Agency. California is the only state that is permitted to have such a regulatory agency, since it is the only state that had one before the passage of the federal Clean Air Act. Other states are permitted to follow the CARB standards, or use the federal ones, but not set their own.
The stated goals of CARB include attaining and maintaining healthy air quality; protecting the public from exposure to toxic air contaminants; and providing innovative approaches for complying with air pollution rules and regulations.
The governing board is made up of eleven members appointed by the state's governor. Half of the appointees are experts in professional and science fields such as medicine, chemistry, physics, meteorology, engineering, business, and law. Others represent the pollution control agencies of regional districts within California - Los Angeles region, San Francisco Bay area, San Diego, the San Joaquin Valley, and other districts.
CARB's Organizational Structure
CARB has nine major Divisions:
- Administrative Services Division
- Enforcement Division
- Mobile Source Control Division
- Mobile Source Operations Division
- Monitoring and Laboratory Division
- Office of Information Services
- Planning and Technical Support Division
- Research Division
- Stationary Source Division
Planning and Technical Support Division
The Planning and Technical Support Division assesses the extent of California's air quality problems and the progress being made to abate them, coordinates statewide development of clean air plans and maintains databases pertinent to air quality and emissions. The Division's technical support work provides a basis for clean air plans and CARB's regulatory programs. This support includes management and interpretation of emission inventories, air quality data, meteorological data and of air quality modeling.
The Planning and Technical Support Division has five branches:
Atmospheric Modeling & Support Section
The Atmospheric Modeling & Support Section is one of three sections within the Modeling & Meteorology Branch. The other two sections are the Regional Air Quality Modeling Section and the Meteorology Section.
The air quality and atmospheric pollution dispersion models routinely used by this Section include a number of the models recommended by the U.S. EPA. The Section also uses models which were either developed by CARB or whose development was funded by CARB, such as:
- CALPUFF Originally developed by the Sigma Research Company (SRC) under contract to CARB. Currently maintained by the TRC Solution Company under contract to the U.S. EPA.
- CALGRID Developed by CARB and currently maintained by CARB.
- SARMAP Developed by CARB and currently maintained by CARB.
Role in Reducing Greenhouse Gases
Alternative Fuel Vehicle Incentive Program
Alternative Fuel Vehicle Incentive Program (also known as Fueling Alternatives) is funded by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), offered throughout the State of California and administered by the California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE).
PHEV Research Center
The PHEV Research Center was launched with fundings from the California Air Resources Board.
Plan
California has taken a major step forward on its global warming fight by unveiling an ambitious plan for clean cars, renewable energy and stringent caps on big polluting industries. CARB staff will present a series of proposals that would become law in 2012, with some measures going into effect two years earlier.
See also
External links
News
- : California's greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent over the next 12 years.
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