PLACER COUNTY 

AIR POLLUTION CONTROL DISTRICT 

Ozone Emergency Episode Plan 

PREPARED IN COMPLIANCE WITH 

THE FEDERAL CLEAN AIR ACT 

April 2015
Ozone Emergency Episode Plan 

Placer County Air Pollution Control District 

Page 1 of 11 

Purpose 

This Ozone Emergency Episode Plan provides the basis for taking action to prevent 

ambient ozone concentrations from reaching levels which could endanger public health, 

or to abate such concentrations should they occur. It identifies criteria for the four levels 

of emergency episodes, components for public announcements whenever an episode has 

been identified, and specifies emission control strategies to be taken with each episode. 

Legal Authority 

The Federal Clean Air Act (CAA)1 gives the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. 

EPA) the legal authority to halt the emission of air pollutants causing or contributing to 

the injury of the public or their welfare. The U.S. EPA is further authorized to either 

bring a lawsuit in federal court or, if such civil action cannot assure prompt protection of 

public health or welfare, to issue such orders as may be necessary to protect public health, 

welfare, or the environment. The authority granted to the U.S. EPA Administrator is 

vested in the California Air Resources Board (ARB) and the air districts under the 

California Health & Safety Code (H&SC)2

. This section of California law applies to a 

range of emissions violations and imposes penalties that are equivalent to or exceed 

federal penalties for comparable violations. These penalties include the imposition of 

fines and/or imprisonment. 

Under the authority of the H&SC, the ARB is responsible for controlling emissions from 

mobile sources, while districts are responsible for controlling emissions from non-mobile 

sources. H&SC Section 41700 states that sources are prohibited from emitting any 

pollutant(s) that can cause injury, detriment, nuisance, or annoyance to the public, or that 

endanger the comfort, repose, health, or safety of the public. Furthermore, H&SC Section 

42450, et seq., gives districts specific authority to abate emissions from any source 

violating H&SC Section 41700 or any other order, rule, or regulation that prohibits or 

limits the discharge of pollutants, consistent with applicable notice and hearing 

requirements. Under H&SC Section 41509, the ARB or other local agency rules cannot 

infringe upon a district’s authority to declare, prohibit, or abate a nuisance, and 

California’s Attorney General is authorized to enjoin any pollution or nuisance, either on 

his or her own, or by request. 

In addition to the authority under H&SC, the local air districts can work with the local 

governing body of a city, county, or city and county, pursuant to the California 

Emergency Services Act3

, to proclaim a local emergency when there are conditions of 

disaster or of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the territorial 

                                                            

1

 Federal Clean Air Act Section 110(a)(2)(G) 

2

 California Health & Safety Code Section 42400 et seq. 3

 California Emergency Services Act, California Government Code Section 8550-8668 
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Placer County Air Pollution Control District 

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limits of a city, county, or both a city and county, caused by such conditions as air 

pollution4. When a local emergency is declared, cities and counties shall implement their 

emergency plans and take actions to mitigate or reduce the emergency threat. Actions 

may include deploying field-level emergency response personnel such as law 

enforcement, activating emergency operation centers, and issuing orders to protect the 

public. Through a local emergency declaration, the air districts will obtain law 

enforcement aids from local governing bodies to accomplish necessary actions for 

preventing ambient ozone concentration from reaching the harmful level. 

Requirement of a Plan for the Prevention of Air Pollution Emergency Episodes 

Under the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)5

, areas that (1) do not attain the federal 

standards for ozone, and (2) have hourly ozone concentrations above 0.10 parts per 

million (ppm), are required to develop a contingency plan which must, at a minimum, 

provide for taking action necessary to prevent ambient ozone concentrations at any 

location in such region from reaching the significant harm level of 0.6 ppm, averaged 

over two hours. As set forth in CFR, three trigger levels (stages) are established for the 

ozone pollution episodes: Alert level (0.2 ppm), Warning level (0.35 ppm), and 

Emergency level (0.5 ppm)6

. Corresponding actions for each specified trigger level 

would be identified and will be implemented when the ambient ozone hourly 

concentration measurements reach the specified trigger levels. These elements and 

actions should provide for rapid short-term emission reductions at each trigger level, to 

avoid high ozone concentrations from reaching significant harm levels during an episode. 

Development of the Ozone Emergency Episode Plan for Placer County 

Placer County is classified as non-attainment for the 2008 federal ozone eight-hour 

average standard7. Since Placer County has had more than one day with the maximum 

one-hour concentration greater than 0.10 ppm between 2011 and 2012, the Placer 

County Air Pollution Control District (PCAPCD) is required to prepare an ozone 

emergency episode plan (Plan). 

Table 1 shows the number of days exceeding the 0.10 ppm threshold at the Placer 

County ozone monitoring sites from 2011 through 2014. During this time, the maximum 

ozone one-hour concentration was 0.11 ppm, with no site having more than three days in 

a year that exceeded 0.10 ppm after 2011. From 2013 to 2014, there was only one day in 

each year that exceeded 0.10 ppm. 

                                                            

4

 California Government Code Section 8558 (c). 

5

 40 CFR 51.150 and 51.151 

6

 40 CFR 51 Appendix L 

7

 Portions of Sacramento Valley and Mountain Counties Air Basins in Placer County are classified as Ozone Nonattainment area. 
Ozone Emergency Episode Plan 

Placer County Air Pollution Control District 

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Table 1 

Placer County Ozone Monitoring Sites 

Number of Days with Maximum one-hour Concentration Greater than 0.10 ppm* 

2011 2012 2013 2014** 

Colfax-City Hall # of Days 0 0 0 0 

Max Conc. 0.104 0.097 0.083 0.089 

Auburn-Dewitt-C 

Ave 

(relocated to Atwood Road 

site in 2011 summer) 

# of Days 1 --- --- --- 

Max Conc. 0.105 --- --- --- 

Auburn-Atwood Rd # of Days 2 1 0 0 

Max Conc. 0.107 0.107 0.097 0.097 

Lincoln-L Street 

(relocated to 1445 1st Street 

site at the end of 2012) 

# of Days --- 1 --- --- 

Max Conc. --- 0.107 --- --- 

Lincoln-1445 1st

Street 

# of Days --- --- 0 1 

Max Conc. --- --- 0.081 0.107 

Roseville-N Sunrise 

Blvd 

# of Days 3 2 1 0 

Max Conc. 0.109 0.108 0.111 0.097 

*Values were rounded to 2 decimal places before comparing with 0.10 ppm to determine the number of exceedance days 

**Preliminary data downloaded from ARB’s Aerometric Data and Management (ADAM) system on 12/13/14 

The industrial abatement plan is a preplanned document prepared by a permitted 

industrial source (facility) which contains the necessary actions to rapidly reduce that 

facility’s emitted ozone precursor emissions when an episode level is triggered. In order 

to require such a plan, an emission threshold should be established for the industrial 

abatement plan requirement. Depending on the ozone emergency plans approved by the 

other air districts in California, the emission thresholds to require the industrial abatement 

plan are as low as 50 tons per year for both ROG and NOx emissions8

. Table 2 shows the 

five highest facilities with emissions of ROG and NOx within Placer County9

. The table 

indicates that there are two facilities in Placer County that emit more than 50 tons per 

year of NOx, and no facility emitting more than 50 tons per year of ROG. 

                                                            

8

 SMAQMD Rule 701 

9

 ARB online facility search engine http://www.arb.ca.gov/app/emsinv/facinfo/facinfo.php 
Ozone Emergency Episode Plan 

Placer County Air Pollution Control District 

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Table 2 

Five Highest ROG and NOx Emissions Facilities 

Emissions from permitted facilities are identified as stationary source emissions. 

Although Placer County has two facilities that exceed the 50 tons per year threshold for 

NOx, permitted facilities comprise a very small portion of ROG and NOx countywide 

emission inventories. Figure 1 presents the reactive organic gases (ROG) and nitrogen 

oxides (NOx) emission inventories in Placer County in 201210. 

Figure 1 

Placer County 2012 Emission Inventory 

According to Figure 1, 23% of ROG emissions and 16% of NOx emissions are from 

stationary sources in Placer County. Within stationary source emissions, only 11% of 

ROG emissions and 27% of NOx emissions are from permitted industrial sources. 

Therefore, permitted industrial sources are responsible for approximately 2.7% and 4.3% 

of the countywide ROG emissions and NOx emissions, respectively. The major 

                                                            

10 ARB Emission Almanac (published in 2013) 

Air Basin Facility ID Facility Name City Facility SIC ROG (tons/yr)

Sacramento Valley Air Basin 233 Capital Drum Inc. Roseville 3412 15

Sacramento Valley Air Basin 183 Pacific MDF Product Inc. Rocklin 2431 11

Sacramento Valley Air Basin 1731 Progressive Vanguard Corporation Rocklin 7699 9

Sacramento Valley Air Basin 730 Energy 2001 Inc. Lincoln 7389 6

Sacramento Valley Air Basin 184 Colledgewood Lincoln 2431 6

Air Basin Facility ID Facility Name City Facility SIC NOx (tons/yr)

Sacramento Valley Air Basin 188 Sierra Pacific Industries Lincoln 2421 135

Sacramento Valley Air Basin 212 Rio Bravo Lincoln 4911 119

Sacramento Valley Air Basin 2046 Roseville Energy Park Roseville 4911 14

Sacramento Valley Air Basin 730 Energy 2001 Inc. Lincoln 7389 7

Sacramento Valley Air Basin 403 City of Roseville Roseville 9199 7

Five Highest NOx Emissions Facilities

Five Highest ROG Emissions Facilities

* This is the latest complete inventory including mobile sources emissions from ARB. 

** It is the latest update from the District permit database based on the actual 2012 throughput data reported by permitted facilities in 2013.

Off-road mobile

27%

On-road mobile

23%

Area-wide 

27%

District Permit**

11%

Stationary 

23%

2012 ROG Emissions (21 tpd)*

Off-road mobile 

25%

On-road mobile

55%

Area-wide 

4%

District Permit**

27%

Stationary 

16% 

2012 NOx Emissions (23 tpd)*
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Placer County Air Pollution Control District 

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contributions of the ROG and NOx inventories are from mobile and unpermitted area and 

stationary sources, with mobile source emissions more responsible for ozone formation 

than permitted industrial sources in Placer County. 

Health Advisory Level 

The PCAPCD proposes 0.15 ppm as a Health Advisory level to initiate emergency 

actions. The Health Advisory level (0.15 ppm) is lower than the Alert level (0.2 ppm), 

which is the lowest of three trigger levels required by the CFR. Figure 2 represents the 

annual maximum one-hour ozone concentration measured in Placer County since 1978, 

when air monitoring began. It also contains the red line showing the proposed Health 

Advisory level at 0.15 ppm. 

Figure 2 

Annual Maximum one-hour Ozone Concentration in Placer County since 1978 

*Preliminary data downloaded from ARB ADAM on 12/13/14 

Figure 2 shows that the 0.2 ppm level was last reached in 1978, which was the first year 

of air monitoring for ozone in Placer County. The ozone concentration trend shows a 

generally consistent decrease over time, and there has not been an exceedance over 0.15 

ppm in the last thirteen years (2000-2013). Accordingly, Figure 2 shows that the 

maximum ozone one-hour concentration in Placer County has been substantially reduced 

and would need a high ozone concentration to trigger the Alert level, and therefore 

initiate the ozone emergency episode plan implementation. 

Ozone concentrations in Placer County have been substantially reduced through the 

implementation of existing control regulations and programs. Placer County is located 

within the Sacramento Federal Ozone Nonattainment Area (SFONA), which is 

designated as nonattainment for the federal ozone standards. Two ozone State 
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Placer County Air Pollution Control District 

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Implementation Plans (SIP) have been developed to identify emission control strategies 

for mobile and non-mobile sources within the SFONA. Based on the SIP commitments, 

the PCAPCD adopted or amended rules and developed programs to facilitate the 

SFONA’s progress towards attaining the federal ozone standards. The air districts within 

the Sacramento Region continue to work on the development of control strategies to 

fulfill the attainment requirement by CAA. Since the current federal ozone eight-hour 

average standard (0.075 ppm) is more stringent than the previous one-hour standard, the 

PCAPCD believes that the development and implementation of control regulations and 

programs identified by the ozone SIPs will ensure that the ozone one-hour maximum 

concentrations in Placer County will continue decreasing, and would not reach the 

proposed Healthy Advisory level of 0.15ppm. 

In addition, the PCAPCD also regulates various types of open burning, including 

residential, land development, fire hazard reduction, vegetation management, prescribed 

fire, and agricultural 11 . For the Sacramento Valley Air Basin, the PCAPCD works 

cooperatively with the ARB year round, and in the fall, with the Sacramento Valley Air 

Basin Agricultural Burn Coordinator, to provide daily burn day allocations and 

notifications based on meteorological conditions and air quality forecasts. For the 

Mountain Counties and Lake Tahoe Air Basins, the District works cooperatively with 

the ARB on the daily burn day information. The burn day information is broken down 

into burn day types to help indicate the quality of a burn day. Through the existing burn 

programs, the PCAPCD works carefully to balance the public health impacts from air 

pollution, along with the open burning activities which exist in the county, especially 

since much of the county is considered a high fire hazard area. 

Furthermore, the PCAPCD, along with the other air districts within the Sacramento 

Region, fund the regional “Spare the Air” program that is managed by the Sacramento 

Metropolitan Air Quality Management District. This is an air pollution forecasting 

program which provides notifications to the public on the daily ozone concentration 

forecasts, along with advisories with an episodic ozone reduction element, during the 

summer ozone season. It is designed to protect public health by informing people when 

air quality is unhealthy, and by encouraging the public to reduce vehicle trips to achieve 

emission reductions. The program’s notification includes current ozone concentration 

measurements from all monitoring stations within the SFONA, including Placer County, 

and forecasts, based on the meteorological conditions from the national weather service 

advisories and local agencies. When atmospheric stagnation conditions are forecasted, the 

public will be notified through email, text, or the media, that a “Spare the Air Day” is 

issued. The participation of the Sacramento regional “Spare the Air” program will 

                                                            

11 PCAPCD Rule 301~306, http://www.placer.ca.gov/departments/air/rules
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Placer County Air Pollution Control District 

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promote the acquisition of forecasts of the atmospheric stagnation conditions, pursuant to 

the CFR requirements12. 

In conclusion, the PCAPCD believes that the proposed Health Advisory level at 0.15 

ppm will be an appropriate and logical condition, in addition to the required ozone 

emergency episode levels set forth in the CAA, to initiate and fulfill the air pollution 

emergency episode actions proposed by the Plan. 

Emergency Episode Criteria 

Table 3 summarizes the four emergency episode trigger levels proposed by the PCAPCD 

for the one-hour ozone concentration measurement in Placer County. The following 

section identifies the corresponding actions for each trigger level, when that one-hour 

ozone concentration is reached. 

Table 3 

Trigger Levels of Ozone Emergency Episodes in Placer County 

 Health 

Advisory 

Alert 

(Stage 1) 

Warning 

(Stage 2) 

Emergency 

(Stage 3) 

Ozone 

(one-hour average) 0.15 ppm 0.20 ppm 0.35 ppm 0.50 ppm 

Proposed Actions for Ozone Emergency Episodes: 

The actions identified for each trigger level of the ozone emergency episodes include 

public notification and emissions mitigation for industrial and mobile sources. The 

purposes of these actions are 1) to provide notification to the public when atmospheric 

stagnation conditions would result in substantially high ozone concentration 

measurements, and 2) to reduce the ozone precursor emissions rapidly in order to lower 

the ozone concentration below the triggered emergency episode level. 

Air Pollution Forecast 

The PCAPCD continues to use the Sacramento regional “Spare the Air” program to 

provide public notification for air quality forecasts when atmospheric stagnation 

conditions would result in substantially high ozone concentration measurements. The 

notification with episodic ozone reduction strategies is to encourage the public to take 

voluntary actions to reduce ozone precursor emissions. 

Emergency Episode Declaration 

Whenever the ozone one-hour concentration, measured at any location within Placer 

County, reaches or is predicted to reach any of the episode trigger levels as shown in 

                                                            

12 40 CFR 51.152 “Contingency Plans” 
Ozone Emergency Episode Plan 

Placer County Air Pollution Control District 

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Table 3, the PCAPCD shall declare that an emergency episode is in effect in Placer 

County. 

In addition, should the Air Pollution Control Officer (APCO) of a district adjacent to the 

PCAPCD declare a stage 1, 2, or 3 episode within that district and request assistance, the 

APCO of PCAPCD may implement measures as described in this Plan as if such episode 

level has been measured within the District. 

Notification of an Emergency Episode 

The PCAPCD shall establish and periodically update and review an emergency episode 

notification list (List). When any emergency episode is declared, the APCO shall notify 

the officials on the List. The List shall include, and is not limited to, the following public 

agencies and organizations: 

1. California Air Resources Board, 

2. The Placer County Executive Officer, chief executive officers of the incorporated 

municipalities within Placer County, police chiefs, fire chiefs, and any other 

public safety officers as deemed appropriate by the APCO, 

3. The Placer County Health Officer, 

4. The Placer County Office of Emergency Services, 

5. The Placer County Office of Education Superintendent, school districts’ 

superintendents , and private schools’ principals, 

6. All air pollution control districts within the Sacramento Valley, Mountain 

Counties and Lake Tahoe Air Basins, as well as all upwind districts. 

7. Major newspapers in daily circulation and major television and radio stations 

(including those who are part of the emergency broadcast system) broadcasting 

within Placer County for appropriate warning, notices, and advisories, 

8. Sacramento Regional Spare the Air Program, 

9. PCAPCD permitted facilities, and 

10. PCAPCD Staff who are responsible for public outreach. 

Content of Notification 

Notification of an emergency episode shall include information on the predicted or 

current episode level, the expected duration of the episode, the expected geographic 

boundaries of the affected area, a statement for the public on the health significance of 

the air quality during the episode, and the appropriate voluntary or mandatory control 

actions proposed for each episode level. 
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Placer County Air Pollution Control District 

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Termination of an Emergency Episode 

The PCAPCD shall declare an episode as terminated when the one-hour ozone 

concentration measurements from all monitoring sites within Placer County fall below 

the level of the Alert episode and the meteorological data indicates the ozone 

concentration is expected to continue decreasing. 

Notification of the Termination of an Episode 

Upon the declaration of the termination of an episode, the PCAPCD shall notify those 

agencies and organizations specified in the List. 

Actions for Each Emergency Episode 

When an emergency episode is declared, the PCAPCD shall implement the following 

control actions: 

1. Health Advisory Episode: 

a) Prepare the emergency episode notification; 

b) Notify those public agencies and organizations identified in the List that a 

health advisory episode has been declared; 

c) Advise the Placer County Office of Education Superintendent that sustained 

strenuous activities by students (for both public and private schools) lasting 

longer than one hour should be discontinued; 

d) Through the Placer County Office of Emergency Services, notify the news 

media to broadcast the appropriate warning to the public, which will include 

a recommendation that the public curtail unnecessary motor vehicle 

operation; 

e) Work with the industry to identify targeted facilities with possible emission 

control actions to reduce the relative emissions; and 

f) Coordinate with the Placer County Office of Emergency Services to identify 

possible actions which shall be taken when Placer County declares a local 

emergency for an air pollution emergency, which might include, for example, 

ceasing painting, construction, lawn mowing, pesticide application, and 

charcoal grilling. 

2. Alert (Stage 1) Episode: 

a) Prepare the emergency episode notification; 

b) Notify those public agencies and organizations identified in the List that an 

Alert episode has been declared; 

c) Request the Placer County Office of Education Superintendent contact the 

School Superintendents and coordinate with private schools, to suspend 

students’ strenuous activities; 
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d) Through the Placer County Office of Emergency Services, notify the news 

media to broadcast the appropriate warning to the public, which will include 

a request that the public to curtail any unnecessary motor vehicle operation; 

e) Request targeted facilities to initiate specified emission control actions to 

reduce relative emissions and to recommend employees refrain from using 

their vehicles until the episode is terminated; 

f) Conduct on-site inspection of targeted facilities to ascertain accomplishment 

of applicable emission control actions; and 

g) Prohibit all open burning, including agricultural burning, and incineration 

throughout the affected area, except in an emergency situation as provided 

for in Section 41862 of the H&SC. 

3. Warning (Stage 2) Episode: In addition to the actions associated with the Stage 1 

Alert episode, the following actions should be implemented in a Warning 

episode. 

a) Request that those agencies and organizations in the List, within the scope of 

their authority: 

i. Prohibit all types of open burning, including agricultural waste; 

ii. Close all non-essential public agency facilities, except emergency 

facilities and those facilities necessary in emergencies to protect national 

security or national defense; and 

iii. Request that employees of closed non-essential public agency facilities 

refrain from using vehicles until the episode is terminated. 

b) Request closure of all public and private schools, colleges, and universities 

within Placer County; 

c) Request targeted facilities to shut down; 

d) Request that employees of facilities which close refrain from using vehicles 

until the episode is terminated; 

e) Conduct on-site inspection of facilities to ascertain the accomplishment of 

applicable emission control actions; 

f) Request the suspension of all indoor and outdoor events at parks or 

recreational facilities open to the public; 

g) Request the suspension of all scheduled athletic events; and 

h) Request that the Placer County Executive Officer and Health Officer 

consider declaring a local emergency for air pollution, pursuant to the Placer 

County Code13, and implement emergency control measures, pursuant to the 

California Emergency Services Act, when the ambient ozone concentration 

continues rising and reaches the level at 0.45 ppm. 

                                                            

13 Placer County Code Article 2.88 Emergency Services 
Ozone Emergency Episode Plan 

Placer County Air Pollution Control District 

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4. Emergency (Stage 3) Episode: In addition to the actions associated with the 

Stage 2 Warning episode, the following actions should be implemented in the 

Emergency episode. 

a) Request that the Placer County Executive Officer declare a local emergency 

for air pollution and initiate its emergency operations plan; 

b) Request the media to broadcast to the public that a local emergency exists for 

air pollution, due to high ozone concentrations; 

c) Through the Placer County Office of Emergency Service operations, the 

following actions shall be conducted, but are not limited to: 

i. Close all government facilities which are not immediately necessary for 

public health and safety, national security or national defense; 

ii. Close all recreational facilities, including but not limited to those 

servicing boating and off-road vehicles; 

iii. Close all non-emergency commercial and industrial facilities; 

iv. Request implementation of emergency carpooling, or the use of mass 

transportation; 

v. Request that the public use only mass transit; and 

vi. Hospitals within the affected area shall be notified of the alert level to 

prepare for the possible increase in the number of patients seeking 

treatment. 

d) Close principal streets, as deemed necessary by the Placer County Executive 

Officer, Health Officer, APCO, and local law enforcement agencies, in order 

to protect the health and welfare of the general public; 

e) Request that the Placer County Office of Emergency Services engage with 

the State agency for necessary actions pursuant to the California Emergency 

Services Act, which includes prohibiting the use of all motor vehicles except 

for emergencies, or any other action deemed warranted; 

f) Restrict all non-essential construction and painting; and 

g) Restrict all lawn care and mowing activities and stop the use of lawn and 

garden chemicals. 

The PCAPCD commits to implementing the proposed actions associated with each 

episode identified in this Plan. The implementation of the Plan shall prevent the ambient 

ozone concentration from reaching the harmful level at 0.60 ppm.