BIA|Bay Area & BAAQMD Webinar: Vapor Intrusion Mitigation Permits

Is housing a source of air pollution that requires a mitigation permit from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD)? The answer can be yes!

Builders have recently had significant trouble getting these permits for a common site mitigation system. The delays can leave a project caught between agencies, with one requiring the builder to run the system and the builder unable to run it without BAAQMD approval.

BIA|Bay Area has arranged a one-hour virtual meeting where BAAQMD representatives will explain the permit requirements for these systems and the steps the agency is taking to improve its permitting process. They will also answer questions and hear member suggestions.

At issue is a measure builders commonly use to protect indoor air quality for future residents, which BAAQMD classifies as a new stationary source of emissions requiring an air district permit. The Department of Toxic Substances Control, the Regional Water Quality Control Board or county health departments often require these systems, known as active subsurface ventilation or vapor intrusion mitigation systems, to keep soil vapors out of homes. But because the systems vent those vapors away from the building and into the atmosphere, BAAQMD considers them a new source of air pollution.

Understanding these permits and the problems they can cause will help builders doing due diligence on sites with potential vapor intrusion issues, and help them find ways to limit their exposure to air district requirements.