District compliance staff conduct regular inspections of businesses to ensure that equipment and processes are operating in compliance with applicable clean air rules and regulations. They also investigate public complaints of air pollution concerns at residential, commercial, agricultural, and other locations. During the inspection process, if compliance staff determine that a business or individual is not in compliance with applicable rules, a written enforcement notice will be issued to ensure that corrective action is promptly taken, and to document any non-compliant items found during the inspection.
When non-compliance is documented, there are three types of notices that compliance staff may issue:
A Notice to Comply or Record of Corrective Action Taken are used to document minor violations that can quickly be corrected and typically involve record keeping or similar administrative compliance issues. For all other violations, a Notice of Violation is issued. Notices of Violation generally carry monetary penalties for the violator which are determined pursuant to the California Health & Safety Code. Those penalties are usually resolved out of court through the District's Mutual Settlement Program. If a settlement agreement cannot be reached, the case may be turned over to the District's legal counsel to be pursued through the legal system.
Rule changes can affect your business. It is your responsibility to know the current rules. The District maintains copies of all current District Rules and Regulations available online. To be kept informed of rule changes, you can subscribe to the following individual services: rule updates, public notices of workshops and board hearings, copies of draft and proposed rules, and staff reports.
Also, be sure to familiarize yourself with all conditions of your District permit, especially if you receive a modified or re-evaluated permit.
