Bay Area Air Quality Management District

ONE STAR: just called with a complaint regarding some petroleum smell from a roof paving across my daughter’s elementary school and the person who picked up the phone sounded very unknowledgeable and unwilling to be of service. His tone of voice alone was rude and wanting to end the conversation. It is so irritating when an agency exists only to pretend the government cares or does something about a problem.
FIVE STAR: The actual inspector called me and followed up and it was the exact opposite experience from the first exchange with the agency. The inspector was knowledgeable and called me directly from the sight I was complaining about.

What a scam. The department is a farce. How much do these clowns get paid? Does anyone else want to know?

Scam company. Receives loads of cash from PG&E during holidays and the coldest days of the years. What a joke.

This agency is a joke. We have a huge fire at Chevron with smoke spewing out and the BAAQMD website has nothing — a list of 2011 reports and a «weather forecast». They only know how to meddle in peoples’ lives but do not provide basic and timely info

Quit calling me! Third day in a row. Why do i have to opt out if i never opted in?

Another spare the air day… can’t burn my super efficient wood stove, but down the street the neighbors are mowing their lawn and leaf blowing away! Yep, you have all your weekend bike riders dressed in their synthetic non-​biodegradable clothing (I know you can buy non-​synthetic biker clothes… but I don’t see to much of that), their happy I can’t burn today. As I walk down to the beach I see trash cans stuffed with waste. Human consumption en masse. Same people are happy I can’t strike the match. Have neighbors that are griping because they are hitting roadblocks in having the lovely cypress trees chopped down that are blocking their view of a meadow. Those trees have been there since before I was born and long before their house was built. Hey but they ARE «green» advocates! They would probably report me for burning today too (if I was burning). I see the beach goers driving by farm stands and fish docks stop at Safeway and buy some fruit imported from Chile and farmed fish from Taiwan… they’re happy I can’t burn today.

With the numerous fires going on and the air the way it is with unsafe for everyone PM meaning Particle Matters in the air DECLARE a NOONE GOES TO WORK AND GET STILL GET PAID BECAUSE OF THE AIR DAY! I mean people can’t Bike to work. You guys are warning people to avoid from going outside period. Especially kids, elderly and those of us with respritory conditions. DECLARE A NOONE GOES TO WORK and GET STILL GET PAID BECAUSE OF THE AIR DAY!
Matthew I respect the fact that the company you work for actually does: «We work to ensure good, breathable, healthy air for the entire bay area. We have a variety of programs, including Spare the Air days which include free transit for the public.»
I totally understand because I have to fill out that report you send me every year to make sure the hazardous materials used are recorded and issue my permit accordingly… Dude I totally understand that is a GREAT thing. You guys help to Spare the air and etc. You guys fine people for this and that.
BUT DECLARE FOR US NOT TO GO TO WORK AND STILL GET PAID because of all them fires…

I woke up today to hazy clouds and the smell of smoke hanging over Mountain View. After checking if I had left the bbq on (I have to say, in my humble defense, that I was still very sleepy), I quickly learned via the local news channels that the smoke from the Santa Cruz fire had blown into the Bay Area.
Hours later, I called the Public Information department at the Bay Area Air Quality Management District Office, in order to get some information about the current air quality in Santa Clara County.
I didn’t mind waiting for a long time for some one to pick up, I figured they must be busy today. When I finally did get through, I was surprised that the person on the line couldn’t give me any information what so ever on the air quality.
What is stunning, though, is that the person then proceeded to ask me if the fire was even still burning (although it had been a major local news issue all morning), and then continued to state that they didn’t think the smoke would blow into the Bay Area (although a health advisory had been issued by the Santa Clara Health Department due to the smoke that had blown into the area). The person also remarked that they hadn’t been following the news.
I thought I called the air quality experts… instead they asked me if the fire was still burning. Let’s see… shouldn’t you guys be on top of a major local air quality related development like that?

Ok, I might be a little biased because I work here… but I think that this agency does great work. We work to ensure good, breathable, healthy air for the entire bay area. We have a variety of programs, including Spare the Air days which include free transit for the public.
Plus, my first review where I am the «First to Review» yay!