July 1, 2025
City Council
DATE: July 1, 2025
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Councilmember Doria Robinson
Mayor Eduardo Martinez (co-sponsor)
SUBJECT:
Presentation from the Bay Area Air Quality Management
District (BAAQMD) on the Air District’s Community
Investments
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact for receiving the presentation.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The Air District is preparing to invest millions in Bay Area communities impacted by air pollution to enhance public health, environmental quality, and community well-being.
Funding for this initiative comes from penalties collected from industry and businesses that violate Air District
regulations.
This presentation creates an opportunity to learn about the Air District’s newly established Community
Investments Office and the plan to implement programs
that direct funding to communities most impacted by air pollution.
The Air District is urgently asking to receive feedback by way of a multi-language survey from Richmond’s
impacted communities before the program moves forward
on implementation.
This presentation will bring the City up to date on where this process is and gives the council an opportunity to AGENDA
REPORT
July 1, 2025
understand how these funds are used to reduce air
pollution and improve health outcomes in the community.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
RECEIVE a presentation from the Bay Area Air Quality
Management District (BAAQMD) on the Air District’s
Community Investments - Councilmember Doria Robinson
(510-620-6568)/Mayor Eduardo Martinez (510-620-6503).
DISCUSSION:
The Air District is preparing to invest millions in Bay Area communities impacted by air pollution to enhance public health, environmental quality, and community well-being.
This funding comes from penalties collected from industry and businesses that violate Air District regulations. This presentation will bring the City up to date on where this process is and give the City Council an opportunity to provide feedback to help shape how these funds are used to reduce air pollution and improve health outcomes in the community.
In 2024, the Air District Board of Directors approved the Community Benefits Penalty Funds Policy to create an opportunity to direct significant resources back into the communities where air quality violations occurred. This penalty funds policy and related settlement funds have generated over $124 million for local and regional projects. The Air District is working on developing new approaches that actively engage affected communities in fund distribution, ensuring that community needs are prioritized.
The Air District established a new Community Investments Office to develop and manage tailored programs for funding streams generated by penalties and related funds. The Community Investments Office will oversee the reinvestment of penalty funds into the impacted communities, ensuring that these resources are used to support local projects such as pollution mitigation efforts, community health programs, and the development of green spaces. The goal is to improve environmental quality and public health in areas that have been disproportionately impacted by air pollution.
The Community Investments Office is initiating efforts to empower and connect with communities and has hosted a kickoff webinar to provide more information and to engage with stakeholders. Dedicated teams are being established now to plan engagement with communities both locally and regionally, ensuring direct and meaningful connections. These teams will develop and implement an engagement plan to inform communities about and involve them with new investment opportunities. The Air District urgently asks that communities provide feedback to help shape how these funds are used to reduce air pollution and improve health outcomes in your community.
The survey is available in multiple languages and open through June 30, 2025.
The office is also building capacity to administer penalty funds, prioritizing equitable distribution to the communities most affected by air quality issues. The office will establish guidelines and create a transparent process for disbursing funds based on
July 1, 2025
identified community needs and priorities. These actions are designed to build trust, drive meaningful improvements in air quality and community well-being, and lay the foundation for long-term success.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 — BAAQMD Presentation
Attachment 2 — Community Investment Overview Handout