Community Air-Quality Levels (CALs) are used to describe air quality in terms of how harmful the level of particulate matter (PM) pollution in the air is to human health. The CALs are derived using similar methods as EPA’s Air Quality Index (AQI).
You should use both IVAN Air Monitoring and government air data to understand the air quality levels around you. When comparing health recommendations from both sources, you should follow the most health protective recommendation.
*Sensitive groups include children, teens, older adults, pregnant women, and people with heart, lung, or other chronic diseases
When using this information, please note the following:
Learn more about our monitor validation process, how to use the data on this website, and how to compare the data with government
View the Air Monitoring Q&A for more information on the following topics:
Air quality data for Imperial County currently reported by government regulatory air monitors are available at www.imperialvalleyair.org and www.co.imperial.ca.us/AirPollution.
Data reported by IVAN Air Monitoring and by government monitors should both be used to better understand air quality levels near you. There are differences in how these data are collected, such as the locations monitored, the equipment used, and pollutants measured. Therefore, differences in reported air data are expected. When considering how to best protect your health, we recommended you consider multiple sources of air quality data and follow the most health protective recommendations.
Visit the Air Monitoring FAQs for more information about how our data compares with government data.
If you are experiencing an emergency, call 9-1-1.
Step 1. Report to Imperial County Air Pollution Control District.
Call (442) 265-1800 as soon as you notice a problem with air quality. Their website lists what information to provide in order to support their investigations. It also describes what to expect when you submit a complaint.
Step 2. Report on IVAN.
After contacting the APCD, we recommend that you also submit a record of the problem here on IVAN Imperial, including a note that APCD has been contacted. This ensures that the Environmental Justice Task Force is aware of the complaint and that the complaint is documented on the IVAN Imperial website.
IVAN-Washington is managed by Front and Centered, and https://ivan-washington.org/ is co-managed and supported by Comite Civico del Valle (CCV) (https://www.ccvhealth.org/). Front and Centered is a statewide coalition of over seventy community organizations that represent and are staffed by frontline communities in Washington State. Front and Centered advances climate justice through the framework of a Just Transition. (https://frontandcentered.org/) Both Front and Centered and CCV are nonprofit community organizations trying to improve the environmental regulation process in frontline communities, but is not an enforcement agency or part of any other government agency.
This project has been funded in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving Grant # EC-02J02401-0 to Front and Centered. The contents of this tool do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the EPA, nor does the EPA endorse trade names or recommend the use of commercial products mentioned in this document.
