Air Quality Complaints
(Quejas Sabre la Calidad del Aire)

Complaint Form Fillable

Formulario de Queja Sobre La Calidad del Aire

Complaint Records - Pubic Data Portal

 

You can protect yourself and others by reporting anything unusual in the air that could harm health or well-being.
 

What should I report?

PollutionThe most common sources include smoke, paint-spraying operations, agricultural burning, dust, diesel fumes, construction equipment and odors, including those associated with oil and gas operations. See "How do I report other issues?" for information on smoking vehicles, agricultural operations odors and natural gas leaks.
 

How do I make a complaint?

Online: A fillable complaint form is available.
Phone: Call the 24-hour complaint line at (805) 303-3700 or the Compliance Division office 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at (805) 303-3708.
Email: Send to complaints@vcapcd.org.
 

What information should I include?

  • Your name, phone number, email and address. Identifying information will be kept confidential. Anonymous reports are allowed but not recommended because they hinder investigations and prevent staff from updating complainants.
  • Date and time the incident occurred, whether it is still happening and the time of any previous instances.
  • Location name, address and type of operation.
  • Nature of the problem — smoke, odor, dust, etc.

 

What happens after I make a complaint?

Response: A district inspector responds quickly, usually within 24 hours or on the following business day. The inspector contacts the reporting party to verify details and ask additional questions if contact information was provided.
SoysterInvestigation: The inspector tries to resolve the complaint by calling the locations of possible sources. If the issue can't be resolved by phone, the inspector visits the site to try to confirm the complaint and locate the source by canvassing the suspected area. Confirmation requires that the inspector smell the odor or see the dust or smoke. Once the source is verified, the inspector conducts an inspection to determine the cause of the air quality problem.
Report: Regardless of whether the complaint is confirmed or it can't be confirmed because the odor, dust or smoke has disappeared, the inspector completes a report on the incident. The inspector provides the results of the investigation to the reporting party. The district retains records of all complaints investigated.
 

How will it be resolved?

Public nuisance: If district regulations have been violated or a considerable number of people are endangered, inspectors can issue a notice of violation. A business can be fined each day it is in violation. In severe cases, the district could take the case to court or seek criminal prosecution.
Private nuisance: If district regulations have not been violated and only a few people are affected, those parties may need legal help to resolve the problem.
 

How do I report other issues?

Smoking vehicles: Call the California Air Resources Board at 800-END-SMOG.
Agricultural operations odors and pesticide spraying: Call the Ventura County Agricultural Commissioner's Office at (805) 388-4222.
Natural gas odors or leaks: Call SoCalGas at (800) 427-2200.
Sewage or hazardous waste: Call Ventura County Environmental Health at (805) 654-2813.
Aircraft (including contrails): Call Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 at 866-EPA-WEST or Federal Aviation Administration Western-Pacific Region at (424) 405-7000.