Air pollution control
As the air pollution control agency for San Bernardino County’s High Desert and Riverside County’s Palo Verde Valley, the District has primary responsibility for regulating stationary sources of air pollution located within its jurisdictional boundaries. The District implements air quality programs required by state and federal mandates, enforces rules and regulations based on air pollution laws and educates businesses and residents about their role in protecting air quality and the risks of air pollution. MDAQMD monitors ambient (outside) air, in compliance with the Federal Clean Air Act and California air pollution laws.
Public education
District staff is responsible for notifying the public through numerous means when air pollution levels approach the limit of or exceed health standards. Alerts, advisories and warnings are issued based on present and forecast unhealthy and potentially unhealthy air quality conditions.
District staff also works directly with school districts, teachers, classrooms, non-profit organizations, community groups, municipalities, counties and elected officials to raise awareness of air pollution concerns and clean air benefits through presentations and public information sharing.
Community partnerships
Within the scope of increasing public awareness of the risks of unhealthy air while working actively to reduce emissions, the District has established numerous community partners throughout the Mojave Desert Air Basin. These partnerships have led to several MDAQMD-funded grants to aid local business owners in scrapping old, dirty equipment for new, cleaner technology. The District is also the lead sponsoring agency of the Mojave Environmental Education Consortium, a public-private nonprofit organization which links local educators with quality, standards-based environmental education resources, free of charge.