Recently, the Valley Air District released its 2024 Annual Report to the Community, providing a comprehensive overview of the Valley’s air quality progress and continued efforts to improve air quality and public health. Most notably, in 2024, the entire Valley reached attainment of the federal annual PM2.5 standard of 15 μg/m³ – micrograms per cubic centimeter – a historic achievement decades in the making. The publication highlights the District’s work over the past year and invites continued input from communities across the Valley as the Air District works toward a healthier tomorrow.
Decades of public and private collaboration, paired with innovative strategies and strong funding support from the state and federal government, have driven record-low pollution levels for both ozone and PM2.5 in the Valley. Since PM2.5 monitoring began in 1999, annual averages have dropped from 27.6 µg/m³ to 13.5 µg/m³ in 2023—a reduction of more than 50 percent in the micrograms per cubic centimeter level. In fact, the majority of the Valley has been in attainment of the standard for many years with the exception of a few areas. This significant progress has led to the region’s design value for the three years spanning 2022–2024 falling below the federal PM2.5 standard of 15 µg/m³. Alongside these improvements, the Valley has seen an increasing number of days meeting health-based air quality standards across all counties in the district, even amid challenges like wildfire impacts, reflecting a clear and positive trend toward cleaner air.
“Meeting the federal annual PM2.5 standard marks a historic milestone for the San Joaquin Valley and reflects decades of collaboration, innovation, and unwavering commitment of Valley residents, businesses, farmers, and agency partners working together to improving public health from all sectors,” said Samir Sheikh, Executive Director and Air Pollution Control Officer of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. “This proven track record of success validates the need for continued innovation and investment in clean air public-private partnerships to continue improving air quality in the coming years.”
While the Valley has made remarkable progress, air quality challenges remain a concern, particularly as wildfire impacts and other factors continue to impact the region and state. This reality reinforces the urgency of strengthening partnerships and accelerating efforts to reduce pollution. The district is committed to working with local, state, and federal partners to meet upcoming federal air quality standards and deliver lasting improvements for the region’s residents.
The Annual Report is available at valleyair.org or a printed copy can be requested at public.education@valleyair.org or by calling the District at 559-230-6000.
The Valley Air District covers eight counties including San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and San Joaquin Valley air basin portions of Kern.
