Mojave Desert AQMD

Head into Memorial Day Weekend the right way! Trade in your old gas-powered lawn mower, string trimmer and leaf blower and get a MASSIVE discount on STIHL brand battery-powered equivalents! Find your nearest dealer and learn more about the 2021 MDAQMD Electric Lawn & Garden Equipment Exchange at https://mdaqmd.ca.gov/STIHL Program is limited to residents of the MDAQMD only. Other restrictions apply.

Drive up in your 20-year-old+ car, leave it there for $1,000! Take advantage now of the Mojave Desert AQMD's Old Car Buy Back Program! Visit mdaqmd.ca.gov/oldcars or call 800-717-7624 TODAY to learn how you can get $1,000 for your old car! Open to Mojave Desert AQMD residents only. Vehicle must be registered and operable; other restrictions apply.

AIR QUALITY ALERT: Winds are ramping up again today, pushing dust (PM10) into our ambient air, causing unhealthy air quality in various parts of the Mojave Desert. PM10 describes inhalable particulate matter, generally 10 microns and smaller. (A strand of human hair is roughly 60 microns.) PM10 can adversely affect anyone's health, but particularly children, seniors and those with respiratory illnesses. In times of high winds and heavy dust, it's best to avoid being outdoors. You can check air quality in your area of the Mojave Desert AQMD by visiting www.MDAQMD.ca.gov or www.airnow.gov.

Our eyes are on the Pine Fire burning near the border of San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties, in Llano (L.A. County). We're monitoring air quality conditions in the areas near the fire as the smoke could impact communities within our district. Please share this information with whomever may be affected: We've not issued an official advisory as of 4:05 p.m., but if you smell smoke, you're breathing smoke. Those with respiratory issues, seniors and young children are at a higher risk of health-related issues during wildfire smoke events. If there's smoke in your area, remain indoors and use air conditioning (not swamp/evaporative coolers), preferably with recirculation function if possible.

Work is ongoing in California and across the country in achieving environmental justice for all groups. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency strive to ensure that all people have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, play, and work. Learn all about it for #AQAW2021 Day 4: Environmental Justice and Air Quality here: http://ourdesertair.com/aqaw2021-day4/

Smoke is visible from the High Desert due to prescribed burns by San Bernardino County Fire North of Silverwood Lake. Please take proper care to avoid strenuous outdoor activity if the smoke is impacting your area.

For #AQAW2021 Day 3, we're honing in on citizen science and air sensors, a movement that’s helped enhance the conversation on air quality at home. It's also helped create a wide network capable of telling us how the air we breathe is changing every 80 seconds. Check it out: http://ourdesertair.com/aqaw2021-day3/ Air Now

#DidYouKnow more than 24 million Americans suffer the impacts of asthma? That includes an estimated 5.5 million children. Those with asthma are at greater risk for health challenges in times and areas of poor air quality. #AQAW2021 Day 2 is all about asthma and your health. Check out our blog here: http://ourdesertair.com/aqaw2021-day2/ Air Now

We're kicking off #AQAW2021 with a topic that heavily impacted our region and most of California last year (and a number of years prior): Wildfires & Smoke. Read our Day 1 blog: http://ourdesertair.com/aqaw2021-day1/ Air Now

**UPDATE** Dec. 22, 2020: This advisory has been lifted. *** We've issued an official smoke advisory for the city of Blythe and surrounding area. Smoke from an agricultural fire just outside the Blythe city limits is hampering local air quality. This advisory applies only to the Blythe area. Read the advisory for more information: https://www.mdaqmd.ca.gov/Home/Components/News/News/339

In our continuing effort to protect public health, MDAQMD's offices remain closed to the public while carrying out our critical functions. You can always reach us by visiting www.MDAQMD.ca.gov. For air quality complaints, information regarding essential business including permits or other questions, call 1-800-635-4617. Remember: Clean air is everybody's business.

In our continuing effort to protect public health the MDAQMD office remains closed to the public while carrying out our critical functions. You can always reach us by visiting www.MDAQMD.ca.gov. For Air Quality complaints, questions, or information please call 1-800-635-4617.

In the latest edition of MDAQMD's Air Mail Newsletter, we bid farewell to three veteran members of our Governing Board as they retire from their respective elected offices; we welcome new staff members to the MDAQMD team; and a new policy helps broaden opportunities for environmental education throughout the Mojave Desert region. Read it here: https://content.govdelivery.com//CAMDAQMD/bulletins/2ae5faf

Are you up to date on the latest news on air quality in the Mojave Desert? If not, you should be! Sign up to receive News & Alerts from MDAQMD right in your inbox: https://mdaqmd.ca.gov/updates

This photo shows our Victorville monitoring tower and depicts how much smoke is aloft on Thursday afternoon due to the ongoing wildfires around the state. An autumn heat wave is creating more potential for deadly wildfires. Please be safe. Our smoke advisory remains in effect. https://www.mdaqmd.ca.gov//-fbclid-IwAR0ezhJA7y1yHLUgRQgvf

We know air pollution causes serious health problems. Californians shoulder the burden of nearly 50% of them in the U.S. Help us clear the air on #CleanAirDayCA by taking the @CleanAirDay pledge at cleanairday.org.

The Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District is accepting applications through 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, 2020 for the following position: - Fiscal Specialist II. Learn more about this position and download an employment application at https://mdaqmd.ca.gov/jobs

We're thrilled to see our friends at Victor Valley Transit Authority celebrating California Clean Air Day! Clean air is everybody's business!

Are you planning to burn some yard waste soon? Or maybe you're stocking up on wood to heat your home as the cold season moves in swiftly. Either way, we encourage you to Learn Before You Burn. Please. Learn here: https://www.mdaqmd.ca.gov/outreach/learn-before-you-burn

We're kicking off California Clean Air Day 2020 with news (in case you missed it) on one of our valued team members, Catherine Tran, who recently received the 2020 Rodney Swartzendruber Outstanding Inspector Award! Our staff works hard every day to reduce emissions and protect our local air quality. Congrats, Catherine, and thanks for your dedication and commitment! Read more about her award here: https://www.mdaqmd.ca.gov/Home/Components/News/News/329

It's windy and dusty out there! The pervasive winds, expected to continue into the weekend, create potentially unhealthful air quality in the abundance of dust they kick up around our desert. If you have to go outside, check the AQI at mdaqmd.ca.gov/ high levels of dust will be reflected in the PM10 AQI. At 101 or higher, it's best to stay indoors when possible. Stay safe and healthy!

REMINDER: Our smoke advisory is still in effect and will remain so until conditions warrant. Fires are still active, with new blazes popping up in Northern California over the last week. Smoke from these incidents still poses the potential for occasional impacts to our ambient air quality. Read the advisory here, and please stay safe and healthy: https://www.mdaqmd.ca.gov/Home/Components/News/News/321

Congratulations to our very own Catherine Tran, who received the 2020 Rodney Swartzendruber Outstanding Inspector Award. Cat is one of three to receive the honor among thousands of inspectors across 35 air districts throughout the state. The award recognizes inspectors who consistently demonstrate outstanding performance and who make significant contributions that benefit air pollution control efforts in an exemplary way. We couldn't be prouder. Way to go Cat!

Congratulations to ComAv on earning the 2019-20 Exemplar Award! MDAQMD recognized the valiant efforts of the City of Victorville/ Southern California Logistics Airport-based company in their efforts to reduce or prevent air pollution. Learn more here: https://www.mdaqmd.ca.gov/Home/Components/News/News/327/

Wildfire smoke presents a serious risk to air quality and your health! With some enormous help from our friends at Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District, we've developed a series of info sheets to guide you to clean air indoors when wildfire smoke is impacting our ambient air. Check out the info here (and please share with your friends and family): https://www.mdaqmd.ca.gov//publications-vi/clean-air-rooms

We continue to see and smell smoke throughout the Mojave Desert. Our smoke advisory (https://mdaqmd.ca.gov/smoke) will remain in effect as long as these conditions persist. In the meantime, the CDC offers helpful guidance in protecting yourself from wildfire smoke here: https://www.cdc.gov/air/wildfire-smoke/

School districts in City of Adelanto, Town of Apple Valley, California and Lucerne Valley teamed up with MDAQMD recently to reduce emissions in a major way: replacing some old school buses with new, battery electric, ZERO-EMISSION buses! Read about this mission for cleaner air here: https://www.mdaqmd.ca.gov/Home/Components/News/News/323

The Mojave Desert AQMD helped three local school districts with grant funding for zero-emission, battery electric BlueBird school buses. The buses effectively replace air-polluting units, which have since been fully decommissioned. Adelanto Elementary SD received two buses with another on the way; Apple Valley Unified SD received two; and Lucerne Valley Unified SD received one. Read the news release here: https://www.mdaqmd.ca.gov/Home/Components/News/News/323

The Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District is accepting applications through 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020 for the following positions: - Air Quality Engineer I; - Air Quality Planner I. Learn more about these positions and download an employment application at https://mdaqmd.ca.gov/jobs

REMINDER: Our smoke advisory is still in effect until further notice. The advisory covers all of the MDAQMD jurisdiction due to impact from the wildfires that continue to rage throughout California. When you see or smell smoke: - minimize your time spent outdoors; - keep doors and windows closed;... - use AC when possible (avoid swamp coolers); - share this information with family and friends to help them too. Stay safe and healthy this weekend! Visit https://mdaqmd.ca.gov to read the advisory and check your AQI!