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SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) is excited to announce that its newly upgraded Permitted Facilities Map recently won the “Best Practices” award given by the national Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies (AAPCA). APCD received the award at the AAPCA conference in North Carolina in September. APCD is one of the only air districts in California to provide such a tool.
APCD’s Permitted Facilities map serves as an easy-to-use tool for the public to find and view records for all the stationary sources of air pollution permitted by APCD. The map offers a full suite of unique and innovative features:
* Comprehensive facility data (company history, source history, permit descriptions, and 10 years of criteria pollutant emissions data);
* Robust document availability (all active permits and permit applications, plus 10 years of annual reports, inspection reports, and Notices of Violation (NOVs)); and
* Real-time Air Quality Index (AQI) data from each of APCD’s permanent air quality monitoring stations in Santa Barbara County
APCD launched the first version of its Permitted Facilities Map in 2017, designed to make public information about permitted facilities easily available on APCD’s website. In 2024, APCD hired Monarch Weather & Climate Intelligence to revamp the map with the innovative features listed above, as well upgrades such as mobile- and tablet-view functionality, real-time updates, enhanced search capabilities, reduced load times, and modernized graphics.
Every year, AAPCA’s Best Practices in Air Pollution Control awards highlight innovative programs, groundbreaking technology, and meritorious operations in the field of air pollution control. APCD’s Permitted Facilities Map was one of only four programs nationally to win this year’s award. All nominations undergo rigorous review by the Association’s Best Practices Committee and Board of Directors.
Presentations from all past recipients can be found on AAPCA’s website.
“We appreciate AAPCA’s national recognition and this ‘Best Practices’ award,” said Aeron Arlin Genet, APCD’s Executive Director. “We are proud of this tool and hope this award encourages more agencies to consider providing similar resources to the public.”
Read more on The Santa Barbara Independent
