VENTURA — The Ventura County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) is reporting that through persistent efforts at the local, state and federal levels, the air quality in Ventura County continues to get cleaner. Recently finalized air quality data shows 2021 as one of the cleanest years on record.
The county continues to make progress in reducing ambient ozone concentrations and remain in attainment with the federal particulate standards for PM2.5 and PM10. “2021 was our cleanest year on record yet as all five of our monitoring stations recorded ozone values below 75 parts per billion.” said Dr. Laki Tisopulos, Executive Officer of the APCD. “This is remarkable progress as it comes on the heels of Ventura County being designated by U.S. EPA in 2019 as attaining the 80 parts per billion standard. We are also making good progress towards meeting the stringent federal ozone standard of 70 ppb. Data from 2021 puts four of our five monitoring stations in attainment with this most stringent ozone standard while we are still maintaining attainment with the federal PM2.5 and PM10 standards,” said Dr. Tisopulos.
Ventura County is required to reach attainment with three separate ambient ozone concentration standards of increasing stringency (80 parts per billion, 75 parts per billion, and 70 parts per billion). The County is currently designated as a “serious non-attainment” area for ozone but is making great progress. The County is also subject to federal ambient particulate concentration standards (PM2.5 and PM10) for which the County has already achieved attainment with the current and most stringent standards.
The APCD is the local agency responsible for improving air quality in Ventura County.