Dear Friends,
As California enters another fire season, I’m proud to announce the creation of a new Air Quality Incident Notification System from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. This new program will help alert communities on how to take action to avoid air quality hazards caused by nearby emergencies, including industrial fires, refinery flaring, wildfires or other widespread pollution events.
Communities across the state have already begun to feel the impact of recent fires, including several industrial fires within Assembly District 18 (AD-18).To stay alerted to local Bay Area air hazards as they occur, and to protect yourself and your family from breathing toxic pollution, visit the link below to register for the Air Quality Incident Notification System.
Register for Air Quality Incident Notification System
To stay up to date with California’s existing air quality services and nearby fires, visit CALFIRE’s fire.ca.gov, the EPA’s Fire and Smoke Map, and Spare the Air Alerts.
Protecting our communities from the long-term health impacts of air pollution is a key priority in Assembly District 18, and I’m proud to announce that my bill, AB 2851 - which creates new emission protection standards for metal shredding facilities and warns communities in real-time about nearby dangerous air pollution - has passed the California State Senate Committee on Environmental Quality. Together we can stand alongside movements across the nation to prioritize public health and protect the right of every community to breathe clean air.
If you support keeping communities safe from toxic metal shredding waste, submit a position letter to encourage the Senate Appropriations Committee to pass AB 2851. Also included in this newsletter is an update on the concerning Patelco Security Breach, with resources to assist impacted Patelco members in accessing their accounts.
Yours in Service,
Mia Bonta
Assemblymember, 18th District
In this newsletter, you'll find the following information:
- Section 1: Register Now for Bay Area Air Quality Incident Notifications
- Section 2: Support Clean Air and AB 2851 in Senate Appropriations Committee
- Section 3: Patelco Credit Union Cyber Security Breach Resources
Assemblymember Mia Bonta & staff are committed to keeping AD-18 residents fully engaged and informed. Please send this newsletter to a friend and subscribe!
Stay connected with our office at (510) 286-1670, Email Me, or follow us on social media.
Section 1: Register Now for Bay Area Air Quality Incident Notifications
Exposure to air pollution can be extremely harmful to sensitive or aging community members with long-term air pollution exposure associated with several long-term ailments. To help warn community members ahead of pollution emitting emergency events, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District has launched a new alert program known as the Air Quality Incident Notification System.
Residents can sign up to register for emails and text alerts for incidents affecting specific counties or the entire Bay Area. Air Quality Incident Notifications are a courtesy service the Air District is providing to help Bay Area residents track notable air quality incidents in their communities. They are not a replacement for other important sources of air quality information - such as local Community Warning Systems, CALFIRE’s fire.ca.gov, the EPA’s Fire and Smoke Map, and Spare the Air Alerts.
To register for Air Quality Incident Notifications, click below; call (415) 749-5000 or email texthelp@baaqmd.gov for any questions.
Section 2: Support Clean Air and AB 2851 in Senate Appropriations Committee
I am incredibly grateful for the outpouring of community support to help enshrine AB 2851 into state law to protect communities across the state from toxic metal shredding pollution. In our district alone, a single metal shredding facility shares airspace with more than eight schools, ten parks, and 18 daycare centers within a square mile of the facility.
From local community groups like the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project to national organizations like the NRDC and Clean Earth 4 Kids, Californians from across the Town and the state have volunteered time to speak, organize, and activate in support of AB 2851.
Excited about air quality legislation and want to support it? Submit a Position Letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee in support of AB 2851.
Section 3: Patelco Credit Union Cyber Security Breach Resources
On June 29, 2024, the Bay Area-based Credit Union Patelco suffered a ransomware cyber attack that affected some day-to-day banking systems and electronic services. Patelco has reported that this has not affected customers’ personal account balances and the California Legislature is monitoring the situation to support any affected customers.
Members can still access cash through ATM service and in-person at a local Patelco branch, and call centers remain open. Patelco has engaged a cybersecurity firm to investigate the incident, and is working to restore full functionality. For the latest updates, members can check Patelco's dedicated webpage: Security Incident Update. If you require assistance by phone, please call a Patelco call center at (800) 358-8228.
If you are currently a customer who has not been able to reach Patelco directly and would like support, click below to contact Assemblymember Mia Bonta’s office.