The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) aims to create a healthy breathing environment for every Bay Area resident, while protecting and improving public health, air quality and the global climate. BAAQMD is part of the San Francisco Bay Area Air Basin, and encompasses the nine counties that surround the San Francisco Bay: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, southwestern Solano, and southern Sonoma Counties. The counties include the metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose.
BAAQMD is part of the San Francisco Bay Area Air Basin is designated as nonattainment California’s ambient air quality standards for ozone and PM10. In addition, BAAQMD rule state that new major sources of NOx, precursor organics compounds (POCs), CO, SO2, PM2.5 and PM10 secure emission offsets. In BAAQMD stationary sources must obtain ERCs to satisfy the offset ratio requirements for the proposed emissions increase. Sources must obtain ERCs if they emit more than:
- 10 tons/year of NOx
- 10 tons/year of POC,
- 10,000 tons/year GHGs
- 10 tons/year PM2.5, and/or
- 15 tons/year of PM10.