Santa Barbara County APCD

What Santa Barbara County APCD does

Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (SBCAPD) is a county-level government agency established under California state law in 1970, headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, and operating as a special district with 11-50 employees. The District's statutory mandate is to protect public health and the environment from air pollution across Santa Barbara County through ambient air quality monitoring, permitting of stationary pollution sources, rulemaking, compliance oversight, and community education.

The District operates a multi-tier monitoring network comprising five SLAMS (State and Local Air Monitoring Stations) in Lompoc, Santa Ynez, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and Goleta, plus seven industrial stations measuring criteria pollutants (ozone, PM10, PM2.5, NO2, CO, SO2, lead) under EPA and CARB standards. It has deployed over 50 PurpleAir low-cost sensors at K-12 schools and community organizations, with CAPCOA funding approved in June 2025 for up to 100 additional sensors. Core products include the Air Quality Monitoring Network, Air Quality Forecasting & Alerts, Permitting Program, Compliance Programs, Air Toxics Program, Clean Air Rooms, Clean Air Ambassadors K-3 education program, and a broad Grants & Incentives portfolio covering on-road vehicles, off-road equipment, agricultural engines, marine vessels, school buses, locomotives, and EV infrastructure. The District maintains 100+ rules and regulations governing stationary air pollution sources, with an interactive Permitted Facilities Map and Tyler Technologies-powered online payment portal.

The business model is fundamentally public-sector: the District is funded through permit and fee revenue regulated under Rule 210 (last updated July 1, 2024), supplemented by federal and state grants (notably $40,000 from CAPCOA in 2025) and county appropriations. There is no equity funding, no venture backing, and no commercial revenue stream. Customer segments include all Santa Barbara County residents as public beneficiaries, permitted industrial and commercial facilities (oil and gas, refineries, manufacturing, wineries, agricultural operations) as regulated entities, K-12 schools as sensor deployment partners, and vulnerable populations (children, seniors, pregnant women, respiratory patients) as priority health advisory recipients.

Name

Santa Barbara County APCD

Legal name

Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District

Website

https://ourair.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Santa Barbara County APCD is a county-level California government agency that monitors ambient air quality, issues and enforces permits for stationary pollution sources, and runs community education and grant programs to protect public health throughout Santa Barbara County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Air Quality Management

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411)

akta.pro primary industry

Air Quality & Emissions Health Regulators (HLAJAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ambient Air Quality Monitoring (Criteria Pollutants & Air Toxics) (EUAHACAA), Environmental Public Health (Food Safety, Water Quality, Sanitation) (BPAIAJAE)

Keywords

• Air quality monitoring
• Air pollution control
• Environmental permitting
• Emissions compliance
• Air quality regulations

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Barbara

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Permit and Fee Revenue: The District operates primarily through fee-based services regulated under Rule 210 (Fees). Permit application fees, annual operating fees, and other regulatory fees fund district operations. Online payments processed through Tyler Technologies municipal platform with a $1.25 service charge per transaction.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Santa Barbara County APCD protects public health through air quality management, including operation of ambient air monitoring stations, real-time AQI reporting, issuance of permits for stationary pollution sources, enforcement of air quality rules, and administration of grants and incentive programs to reduce emissions. It also runs community programs such as the Clean Air Rooms and Clean Air Ambassadors initiatives and partners with K-12 schools to deploy low-cost air quality sensors.

Product overview

Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District operates a comprehensive air quality management system consisting of a countywide monitoring network with 7+ stations measuring ozone, PM10, and PM2.5 in real-time; a permitting and compliance program regulating stationary pollution sources; air quality forecasting and public alert systems; and community programs including Clean Air Rooms, Clean Air Ambassadors, and low-cost sensor deployment. The District also administers grant programs for emission reductions across transportation, equipment, and infrastructure sectors. Air quality data is disseminated through the website and integrated with EPA AirNow and PurpleAir platforms. The District maintains 100+ rules and regulations governing emissions, with an online payment portal for permit fees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Network County-wide network of regulatory-grade ambient air monitoring stations that measure pollutants and feed the public AQI reporting system. Available to all Santa Barbara County residents and businesses.
• Real-Time Air Quality Index (AQI) Reporting and Advisories Online portal publishing current AQI values, health advisories, and wildfire smoke alerts; offers an email subscription service for notifications. Targeted at Santa Barbara County residents, schools, and the public.
• Air Pollution Permitting Program Statutory program to issue permits to operate for stationary sources of air pollution within Santa Barbara County, including Authority to Construct and Permit to Operate. Serves industrial facilities, refineries, dry cleaners, wineries, manufacturers, agricultural operations, and other regulated businesses.
• Compliance and Enforcement Program Inspection and enforcement program ensuring permitted facilities comply with applicable air quality rules, emission limits, and standards. Directed at regulated stationary sources in Santa Barbara County.
• Air Toxics Program Program administering Air Toxics Control Measures (ATCMs) and Health Risk Assessments for toxic air contaminant emissions from stationary sources. Targets facilities emitting toxic air contaminants and the surrounding community.
• Rules and Regulations (Rule Adoption Program) Formal rule-making process adopting and amending local rules and regulations governing air pollution sources within the county, including Rule 210 Fee Schedule. Available to regulated businesses and the public.
• Grants and Incentives Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Santa Barbara County fails to meet California 8-hour ozone standard and California PM10 standard
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PurpleAircoreTechnology or Integration · 1 December 2018PurpleAir provides low-cost air quality sensors ($100-$2,500) for community monitoring. The District deploys PurpleAir sensors at K-12 schools and organizations. Sensors share data on PurpleAir map and AirNow Fire & Smoke map. PurpleAir sensors have been evaluated and perform well per SCAQMD AQ-SPEC evaluation.
• Sonoma Technology, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Worked with Sonoma Technology, Inc. in 2016 to study low-cost portable air sensors, collocating sensors with reference method sensors at Cuyama Valley High School to evaluate sensor performance during high wind events.
• San Luis Obispo County APCDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe District's Clean Air Ambassadors Program was modeled after the successful initiative developed by San Luis Obispo County APCD and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo students.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)coreTechnology or IntegrationEPA sets Ambient Air Quality Standards (AAQS) for criteria pollutants. District monitors air quality against EPA standards. EPA's AirNow Fire & Smoke Map integrates District and low-cost sensor data. EPA Fire & Smoke Map provides additional wildfire smoke information.
• California Air Resources Board (CARB)coreTechnology or IntegrationCARB sets state Ambient Air Quality Standards (AAQS) and Airborne Toxic Control Measures (ATCMs). California standards are typically more protective than federal. District implements CARB programs including agricultural diesel engine registration (Rule 1201).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• San Luis Obispo County APCD: Neighboring California county-level air pollution control district explicitly cited as the model for the District's Clean Air Ambassadors Program. Operates an analogous SLAMS-based monitoring network, permitting regime, and community education model within a comparable Central Coast county.
• Ventura County APCD: Adjacent Southern California county air district with a similar mix of oil/gas, refining, agricultural, and stationary-source permittees. Operates comparable SLAMS monitoring, permitting under California Health & Safety Code, and CEQA review responsibilities.
• Monterey Bay Air Resources District: Multi-county California air district (Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz) with a comparable permitting, monitoring, and grants portfolio covering agricultural and industrial emitters in a coastal California geography.

Broad incumbents

• South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD): The largest and most prominent California air district, operating the AQ-SPEC sensor evaluation program referenced by the District. Overlaps significantly on rules, permitting, monitoring, and air toxics but operates at vastly greater scale across a four-county region.
• Bay Area Air Quality Management District: Large regional California air district with analogous responsibilities for permitting, AB 2588 air toxics, AB 617 community programs, and incentive grants. Operates a much larger SLAMS network and budget across nine Bay Area counties.
• California Air Resources Board (CARB): State-level agency that sets the California Ambient Air Quality Standards and Airborne Toxic Control Measures enforced by the District. Functions as a regulator-of-regulators for California's 35 local air districts and a direct funder of district programs.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Federal regulator that sets National Ambient Air Quality Standards, operates the AirNow platform integrating District data, and holds ultimate enforcement authority under the federal Clean Air Act over local districts like Santa Barbara.

Regional players

• San Diego County APCD: County-level California air district serving San Diego County with the same permitting and monitoring mandate under state law. Comparable in scale and structure to Santa Barbara County APCD but operating in a different southern California geography.
• Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District: California regional air district covering Sacramento and Yolo counties with similar responsibilities for non-attainment planning, stationary source permitting, AB 617, and incentive grants. Operates in a distinct inland geography with comparable scale.

Others

• PurpleAir: Low-cost air quality sensor vendor and crowdsourced data platform that the District has deployed at scale. Functions as a technology/integration partner rather than a direct competitor, but its expanding community-sensor map is reshaping how public air monitoring is delivered.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ourairsbc
• Instagraminstagram.com/ourairsbc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/santa-barbara-county-air-pollution-control-district

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Santa Barbara County APCD