Air Pollution Control Board Meeting - October 13, 2026

The Ventura County Air Pollution Control Board met on October 13, 2026. The board approved an agreement with the California State Lands Commission for a two-year black-carbon monitoring and community research project in South Oxnard and Port Hueneme. The district will receive $285,000 for technical monitoring, data management, quality assurance, contractor oversight, and a public-facing website; the larger $500,000 project allocation also includes $115,000 for SEE FROG and $100,000 for CAUSE. The board also approved joining the SDRMA insurance program for an initial three-year commitment, authorizing the related agreements and waiving a district contracting-policy provision on attorney fees. Staff cited approximately $226,000 in current annual coverage costs—about $174,000 for property and general liability and $52,000 for workers’ compensation—with funding included in the adopted budget.

The board approved two FARMER agricultural equipment replacement grants totaling $27,000 toward projects costing $49,800, and approved continued participation in the state prescribed-burn monitoring program and a grant amendment increasing award G21-PBRM-25 by $50,000 to $130,000. Staff also presented an amendment to grant 126-VCAWM26-1 extending the County’s EV-charger testing project deadline to March 31, 2027, due to supply issues; the transcript records a motion to approve but does not capture the vote outcome. During public comment, a district engineer asked the board to revisit staffing allocations and consider funding additional permanent engineering positions; no board action on that request is recorded. The board also approved the minutes, conflict-of-interest-code updates, and advisory committee appointments, and heard a presentation recognizing a former hearing board member’s service.