What is AB 617?
Assembly Bill (AB) 617 was signed by California Governor Jerry Brown in 2017. AB 617 requires regional Air Districts and the California Air Resource Board (CARB) to address and reduce air pollution in environmental justice (EJ) communities, such as East Oakland, that are disproportionately impacted.
There are 2 major components to AB 617: (1) Best Available Retrofit Control Technology (“BARCT”), which requires each air district with high pollution levels to create rules for industrial sources to put the best technological controls on facilities for certain pollutants; and (2) Community Emissions Reduction Plan (CERP) to be created in the chosen EJ community.
The CERP process requires the Air District and CARB to select EJ communities, with community support, to create a strategic plan to reduce air pollution in that community. CERPs are a strong tool to bring government agencies to the table with community and agree on actions to reduce air pollution, especially commercial and industrial sources of pollution.
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History
Communities for a Better Environment (CBE) has been a part of East Oakland’s AB 617 process since 2022.
CBE provides support to the East Oakland AB 617 project as a “Co-Lead.” Throughout the process, CBE has provided outreach efforts, guidance, technical analyses, data and research support, as well as staffing and administrative support to the process. The AB 617 CBE East Oakland internal team consists of research, organizing, legal, and program staff.
There are roles of other key players within the AB 617 process who have immensely helped push this initiative forward: namely community members (of East Oakland’s AB 617 Community Steering Committee, “CSC,” as well as general community member attendees of CSC meetings), the Bay Area Air District (BAAD), Just Cities, and CSC Co-Chairs.
Breakdown of Roles
Sets vision, guiding values, identifies key issues, input on strategies and process to develop the CERP
Provides leadership and guidance, helps plan CSC agendas, facilitates CSC break-out and ad-hoc discussions
Air District and CBE provide guidance, technical analyses, data and research, staffing and admin support
Provides admin support for the CSC (such as moderating CSC meetings) and facilitation support within the Co-Chair meetings
Where are we now?
As of August 2025, the CSC has wrapped up their comments on East Oakland’s Draft Community Emissions Reduction Plan (CERP). For the months of September until November, Bay Area Air District staff as well as CBE staff will incorporate CSC members’ comments into the Draft Plan.
It is anticipated that the Public Draft Plan will be released to the public in November 2025 and the public will be able to leave comments on the Plan.
To view the latest updates on the Draft Plan, please visit Bay Area Air District’s East Oakland AB 617 webpage.