Ventura County Air Pollution Control District

What Ventura County Air Pollution Control District does

Ventura County Air Pollution Control District (VCAPCD) is a California county-level government agency established in 1968 under Ventura County Government with statutory authority over air quality management within the county. The district operates five permanent air monitoring stations — located at El Rio (Rio Mesa High School), Ojai (Ventura County Fire Station #21), Piru, Simi Valley (Simi Valley High School), and Thousand Oaks (Thousand Oaks High School) — equipped with gaseous pollutant analyzers (ozone via UV photometry, CO, NO2, SO2, lead), beta-ray attenuation particulate monitors (PM2.5 and PM10), aethalometers for black carbon speciation (seven-wavelength source differentiation between diesel and biomass burning), and a ceilometer at Simi Valley for aerosol backscatter and cloud height. A separate four-station My Oxnard Air aethalometer network extends monitoring into Oxnard and Port Hueneme disadvantaged communities that experience asthma and cardiovascular disease at roughly 60% higher rates than other California communities.

The agency's product surface centers on regulatory and public-information services: air quality permitting (New Source Review, Title V, agricultural engine registration at $200/engine/year under Rule 250), enforcement and compliance assistance (notices of violation, breakdown reporting, emergency diesel engine reporting, asbestos notification, CEQA air quality assessment), implementation of California's Air Toxics Hot Spots Act (AB 2588), and an evolving rulebook (Regulations I–XIII). Recent product additions include a multilingual Farmworker Wildfire Smoke Alert System (SMS "SMOKE" or "HUMO" to 855-522-0034) launched in 2021, an interactive black carbon data visualization webpage (July 2026), $1.97M in heavy-duty electric truck incentive funding (July 2026), and Ventura County's first clean air shelter (June 2026).

VCAPCD operates a non-commercial, government funding model. Per the input, the district receives no property tax revenue and no Ventura County general fund revenue; instead, operations are funded by state and federal grants (including EPA Region 9 grants — e.g., $500,000 in 2023 for diesel pollution expansion), California automobile registration fees, and fees charged to regulated sources of air pollution (Rule 42 permits, Rule 46 Air Toxics Hot Spots fees, Rule 48 agricultural engine registration). Customer segments served include industrial and commercial permit holders, agricultural operations, construction and development applicants, farmworker/outdoor laborer populations, and the general public through forecasts, e-News, and social channels; partnerships span EPA Region 9, Port of Hueneme, CSUCI, CFROG, CAUSE, and the Ventura County Agricultural Commissioner and Fire Department.

Name

Ventura County Air Pollution Control District

Legal name

Ventura County Air Pollution Control District

Website

https://vcapcd.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ventura County Air Pollution Control District is a California county government agency that monitors air quality across five permanent stations, issues permits to industrial and agricultural emitters, enforces state and federal air quality standards, and runs incentive and public alert programs serving county residents, businesses, and farmworkers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Air Quality Regulation and Environmental Compliance Services

NAICS

Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924)

akta.pro primary industry

Air Quality & Emissions Health Regulators (HLAJAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pollution Control & Environmental Compliance Enforcement (BPAIAMAB), Industrial Hygiene & Exposure Standards Regulators (Air/Noise/Chemical/Biological) (HLAJAFAC)

Keywords

• Air quality monitoring
• Air pollution permitting
• Emissions regulation
• Air toxics assessment
• Environmental compliance enforcement

Headquarters

HQ city

Ventura

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Permit and Fee Revenue: Fees charged to sources of air pollution including permit fees (Rule 42), Air Toxics Hot Spots fees (Rule 46), and agricultural engine registration fees (Rule 48, $200 per engine per year). Permit renewal fees are adjusted periodically to recover operating expenses.
2. Government Grants: State and federal grants fund district operations. The district receives funding from EPA Region 9 grants (e.g., $500,000 grant in 2023 for diesel pollution monitoring expansion).
3. Vehicle Registration Fees: Automobile registration fees contribute to district funding as part of the California air pollution control funding mechanism.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ventura County Air Pollution Control District is a government regulatory agency that administers air quality monitoring, permitting, enforcement, and public information programs across Ventura County. It operates continuous ambient air monitoring at five permanent stations, issues air pollution control permits (including Title V and agricultural engine registrations), conducts inspections and enforcement, develops rules under the federal Clean Air Act and California Air Toxics Hot Spots Act, and provides daily air quality forecasts, agricultural burn status, wildfire smoke alerts, and emissions reduction grants and incentives.

Product overview

Ventura County Air Pollution Control District is a government regulatory agency that provides air quality monitoring and management services. The district operates five permanent air monitoring stations and the 'My Oxnard Air' black carbon monitoring network. Services include real-time air quality monitoring, forecasting, agricultural burn status, air toxics programs, permitting for air pollution sources, compliance assistance, rule development, and various grants and incentive programs for emissions reduction. The district also maintains the comprehensive VCAPCD Rulebook covering regulations I through XIII.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Real-Time Air Quality Monitoring
• My Oxnard Air (Black Carbon Monitoring)
• Air Quality Forecasting and Agricultural Burn Status
• Farmworker Wildfire Smoke Alert System
• Air Toxics Hot Spots Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Air quality has improved significantly since district creation in 1968 even though population has doubled
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Port of HuenemecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Port of Hueneme is a key partner in the My Oxnard Air black carbon monitoring project. The Port purchased and installed monitors at its entrance gate and Haycox Elementary School in 2019. In 2023, the U.S. EPA Region 9 awarded the Port a $500,000 grant to expand air quality monitoring for diesel pollution in Oxnard. The Port's Director of Environment & Sustainability Giles Pettifor serves as contact for the project.
• Climate First: Replacing Oil & Gas (CFROG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019CFROG is a partner in the My Oxnard Air collaborative project providing community air quality monitoring data. CFROG Executive Director Haley Ehlers serves as a contact for the project. The organization represents community interests in addressing diesel pollution and black carbon in Oxnard and Port Hueneme.
• California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2019CSUCI serves as a technical partner in the My Oxnard Air project, contributing academic expertise in environmental science (ESRM program) and research capabilities for air quality monitoring data analysis.
• County of Ventura County Executive OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with the County Executive Office, Agricultural Commissioner, and nonprofit CAUSE to develop the first-of-its-kind Farmworker Wildfire Smoke Alert System launched in 2021.
• Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAUSE is a nonprofit partner in developing the Farmworker Wildfire Smoke Alert System, contributing to the first-of-its-kind text/audio alert system for outdoor farmworkers when air quality reaches dangerous levels.
• Ventura County Agricultural CommissionercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with the Agricultural Commissioner in developing the Farmworker Wildfire Smoke Alert System to protect agricultural workers from wildfire smoke impacts.
• Ventura County Fire DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFire Department participates in public outreach for the Farmworker Wildfire Smoke Alert System, with Captain Brian McGrath featured in informational videos about wildfire smoke protection for farmworkers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District: Similar-sized California air district performing monitoring, rulemaking, permitting, and grants. Operates under the same California Health & Safety Code framework with comparable products (forecast, burn status, alerts) to VCAPCD.
• Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District: Neighboring county-level California APCD operating under the same state statute, with comparable service scope (monitoring, permitting, rules, hot spots). Geographic and regulatory proximity makes it the closest size and function match to VCAPCD.
• Monterey Bay Air Resources District: Coastal California air district comparable in scale and service portfolio to VCAPCD, including agricultural engine registration, burn programs, and community-focused monitoring initiatives.
• San Diego County Air Pollution Control District: County-level APCD performing the same core functions—air monitoring, permitting, rule development, and air toxics—as VCAPCD. Both serve similar mix of urban, agricultural, and disadvantaged community populations.

Broad incumbents

• Bay Area Air Quality Management District: State-chartered air district covering the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. Directly comparable regulatory scope (monitoring, permitting, AB 2588 hot spots, incentive programs) and operates the same California regulatory framework as VCAPCD.
• San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District: Large California APCD covering eight counties with extensive agricultural and incentive programs. Highly comparable mandate including agricultural engine registration, burn programs, and Carl Moyer/AB 617 incentives analogous to those VCAPCD administers.
• California Air Resources Board (CARB): State-level agency that delegates authority to and oversees California APCDs like VCAPCD. Sets the statewide standards VCAPCD enforces and channels grant funding (Carl Moyer, FARMER, AB 617) through VCAPCD.
• South Coast Air Quality Management District: The largest air quality management district in the U.S., serving a four-county Southern California region. Directly comparable as a California APCD performing air monitoring, rulemaking, permitting, and incentive programs, but at a much larger scale than VCAPCD.

Others

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9: Federal counterpart that funds and oversees VCAPCD's federal Clean Air Act implementation. Directly comparable regulatory role at the federal level and a key grant source ($500K award to Port of Hueneme through the district).

Regional players

• Placer County Air Pollution Control District: Smaller California APCD delivering the same suite of state-mandated services. Comparable in size, regulatory authority, and revenue mix (fees, grants, registration surcharges), making it a useful small-district benchmark.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/VCAPCD
• Facebookfacebook.com/vcapcd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ventura-county-air-pollution-control-district

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ventura County Air Pollution Control District