Inventory of the Records of the Air Resources Board
Processed by Archives Staff
California State Archives
1020 "O" Street
Sacramento, California 95814
Phone: (916) 653-2246
Fax: (916) 653-7363
Email: ArchivesWeb@sos.ca.gov
URL: http://www.sos.ca.gov/archives/
© 2000
California Secretary of State. All rights reserved.
Inventory of the Records of the Air Resources Board
Collection number: F3935
California State Archives
Office of the Secretary of State
Sacramento, California
- Processed by:
- Archives Staff
- Date Completed:
- January 2000
- Encoded by:
- Melissa Tyler
© 2000 California Secretary of State. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Records of the Air Resources Board
Dates: 1953-1982
Collection number: F3935
Creator:
Air Resources Board
Collection Size:
23 cubic feet
Repository:
California State Archives
Abstract: Beginning in 1954 the state air pollution control program was centered in the State Department of Public Health, Bureau of
Air Sanitation, and later shared with the Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Board, created in 1959. In 1967, state air pollution
control programs were combined to form a new agency, the Air Resources Board. The Records of the Air Resources Board (1953-1982)
deal with subjects including land use and transportation planning; water resources; motor vehicle and power plant emission
control standards, testing procedures, and devices; air quality and pollution; and related federal and state legislation.
Physical location: California State Archives
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
Administrative Information
Access
While the majority of the records are open for research, any access restrictions are noted in the record series descriptions.
Publication Rights
For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the California State Archives. Permission for reproduction or publication
is given on behalf of the California State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility
for possible infringement which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives
collections.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Air Resources Board Records, F3935, California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State,
Sacramento, California.
Acquisition History
The California State Archives acquired the Air Resources Board Records according to state law.
Agency History
Beginning in 1954 the state air pollution control program was centered in the State Department of Public Health, Bureau of
Air Sanitation, and later shared with the Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Board, created in 1959 (Assembly Bill 17, Cameron
Bill). Related directly to the federal Air Quality Act of 1967, the Mulford-Carrell Act, passed in 1967 by California's legislature,
combined the state air pollution control programs and formed a new agency, the Air Resources Board (ARB).
The ARB is responsible for the control of motor vehicle emissions (Pure Air Act) and also coordinates state and local programs
to control nonvehicluar emissions. The goal of the ARB is to control air pollution from all sources to meet the air quality
standards in all parts of California.
The board is involved in various activities relating to air pollution. It sets air quality standards, maintains a statewide
network of air quality surveillance and inventory of air pollution sources, adopts standards and test procedures for emissions
from motor vehicles, approves motor vehicle emissions control systems, maintains surveillance over the effectiveness of motor
vehicle emission control systems, coordinates control of air pollution within the fourteen air basins in California, reviews
the rules and regulations of local and regional air pollution control agencies, provides technical assistance to local air
pollution control agencies, and may enforce control of nonvehicular sources if local agencies fail to do so.
The administrative staff and technical staff are located in Sacramento. The ARB laboratory is in El Monte.
Scope and Content
The Records of the Air Resources Board (ARB) consists of 23 cubic feet of materials dating from 1953 to 1982. The records
are organized into 9 series: (1) Meeting Files, (2) Motor Vehicle Emission Control Board Files, (3) Subject Files, (4) George
Taylor Files, (5) Administrative Files, (6) Evaluation and Planning Division Subject Files, (7) Local Government Planning
Files, (8) Land Use Files, and (9) Legal Files. The records deal with subjects including land use and transportation planning;
water resources; motor vehicle and power plant emission control standards, testing procedures, and devices; air quality and
pollution; and related federal and state legislation. The records reflect the relationship of the ARB with private citizens;
state, local, and federal agencies; industry; and regional pollution control districts. Types of records include budgets,
contracts, correspondence, grant applications, minutes, proposals, reports, resolutions, and studies.
Accruals
Further accruals are expected.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
California. Air Resources Board
Air--Pollution--Standards--California
Automobiles--Motors--Exhaust gas--California
Automobiles--Pollution control devices--California
Related Collections at the California State Archives
Assembly Natural Resources Committee Records
Assembly Natural Resources and Conservation Committee Records
Assembly Transportation Committee Records
Senate Natural Resources Committee Records
Senate Transportation Committee Records
Dept. of Agriculture--Division of Plant Industry Records
Dept. of Natural Resources Records
Dept. of Public Health Records
Environmental Affairs Agency Records
Resources Agency Records
Gordon W. Duffy Papers
F3935:1-85.
Series 1
Meeting Files.
1968-1971,
1975-1976.
Physical Description: 85 file folders.
Arrangement
Arranged roughly in chronological order by date of meetings or other documents.
Scope and Content Note
These records include reports, technical studies, resolutions, public hearings, proposals, and executive committee meeting
files of the Air Resources Board (ARB). Also included are the Environmental Quality Study Council's proposals and recommendations
to the ARB concerning land use, air quality, water resources, and noise abatement. Subjects reflected in the ARB meeting files
concern emission control standards, vehicle emission measurements, test procedures for emission control devices, and resolutions
to change emission standards and testing procedures. Progress reports concerning California air quality, including Governor
Reagan's 1969 report, are also found in these files.
F3935:86-163.
Series 2
Motor Vehicle Emission Control Board Files.
1953-1970.
Physical Description: 78 file folders.
Arrangement
Arranged roughly in chronological order by date of correspondence or other documents.
Scope and Content Note
These records include reports, studies, correspondence, legislative files, and committee files of the Motor Vehicle Emission
Control Board. Subjects include legislation regarding air pollution, plans to enforce emission control devices, complaints
about the devices, testing procedures of control devices, budget analysis of testing procedures, and descriptions of automakers
plans for smog control devices. Many reports and studies are here including surveillance reports of exhaust emission controls
conducted by Scott Research Laboratories. Because the Motor Vehicle Emission Control Board was, after 1967, merged into the
newly formed Air Resources Board, records of the two entities overlap.
F3935:164-220.
Series 3
Subject Files.
1969-1973.
Physical Description: 57 file folders.
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by subject.
Scope and Content Note
The subjects contained in these files reflect the relationship between the Air Resources Board; private citizens; various
state, local and federal agencies; industry; and regional pollution control districts. The records include reports, technical
studies, resolutions, proposals, interagency agreements, hearings and minutes of the Air Resources Board. Subjects within
these files concern air basin and air pollution control districts sitings and budget analysis, departmental administration
and organization, power plant emission control standards, test procedures for emission control devices, vehicle emissions
measurements, resolutions to implement change in emission standards and testing procedures, alternative fuel and transit proposals,
and miscellaneous reports and correspondence ranging from environmental toxicology reports to floodplain management.
F3935:221-247.
Series 4
George Taylor Files.
1973-1976.
Physical Description: 27 file folders.
Arrangement
Divided into two categories: reports/plans and correspondence. Within each category, arranged roughly in chronological order
by date of documents.
Scope and Content Note
The subjects contained in these files reflect the relationship between the Air Resources Board (ARB) and its Assistant Administrative
Officer, George Taylor. The records include correspondence, reports, and administrative files. Subjects within these files
concern administrative budget analysis, activities assessments of the ARB, emergency evaluation and planning in the event
of disaster, legal affairs pertaining to compensation for smog devices, legislative analysis of statutes relating to the ARB,
and Environmental Protection Agency reports concerning air quality standards.
F3935:248-273.
Series 5
Administrative Files.
1981-1982.
Physical Description: 26 file folders.
Arrangement
Arranged roughly in chronological order by date of correspondence or other documents.
Scope and Content Note
The subjects contained in these files reflect the relationship between the Air Resources Board and its Chief Meteorologist
and his staff. The records include correspondence, reports, and audits. Subjects within these files concern audits of program
activities within the Data Division, operational records concerning the Aerometric Data Division, and correspondence relating
to air quality data.
F3935:274-373.
Series 6
Evaluation and Planning Division Subject Files.
1969-1976.
Physical Description: 100 file folders.
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by subject.
Scope and Content Note
These subject files deal with various issues and functions within the Evaluation and Planning Division including federal grant
applications, budgets, correspondence, energy workshops, future studies and population projections, land use and transportation
plans, federal and state legislation, power plants, reports, and studies. The subjects contained in these files reflect the
relationship between the Air Resources Board, private contractors, and regional pollution control districts. The records also
reflect the interagency liaison between the Air Resources Board and various state agencies in all aspects of pollution control,
and plans for land use, transportation, and power plant sitings.
F3935:374-384.
Series 7
Local Government Planning Files.
1971-1974.
Physical Description: 11 file folders.
Arrangement
Arranged roughly in alphabetical order by name of county or other government agency.
Scope and Content Note
These files concern air quality data in California counties. Types of materials include correspondence, reports, and air quality
standards. Subjects include the relationship between the Air Resources Board and local governments and air quality maintenance
guidelines and grant guidelines for federally assisted programs. Counties represented in these files are Los Angeles, Riverside,
San Benito, San Diego, Stanislaus, and Ventura counties.
F3935:385-445.
Series 8
Land Use Files.
1970-1976.
Physical Description: 61 file folders.
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by county and alphabetically by subject thereafter.
Scope and Content Note
These files have to do with the land use planning issues of the Evaluation and Planning Division. Types of materials include
city land use and transportation plans, reports, correspondence, and administrative files. These files reflect the relationship
between the Air Resources Board, local governments, and various state agencies. In 1973, the Land Use Planning Program was
created to develop a liaison between local, regional, and state agencies by integrating state and local air quality and land
use planning, and these files reflect that relationship. Counties represented in these files are Alameda, Fresno, Los Angeles,
Orange, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, Sonoma, and Yolo counties. On two aperture cards in F3935:435 there is a 74
page report by the U. S. Senate Committee on Public Works entitled,
Some Environmental Implications of the National Fuel Policy (1974). Following the files that are arranged alphabetically by county, there are files arranged under the headings: Administration,
Land Use Planning Program, and Regulations.
F3935:446-481.
Series 9
Legal Files.
1968-1975.
Physical Description: 36 file folders.
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by subject.
Scope and Content Note
These files contain several types of materials including federal grant applications, budgets, contracts, correspondence, hearing
statements and transcripts, program goals, state and federal regulations, reports, and resolutions. Topics reflected in these
files are the budget and contract process, guidelines, goals and policies of the Air Resources Board and the relationship
between the board, private contractors, local, state, and federal governments. Subjects include: budgets, contracts, George
Cornelius, correspondence, federal grants, hearings, legislation, North American Rockwell Corp., plans, pollution control
devices, program proposals, regulations, reports, and test procedures.