Industrial Boilers in the South Coast

The South Coast is home to approximately 1,900 industrial boilers, used in factories and buildings across the South Coast. These aging boilers, used by manufacturers, universities, and hospitals, emit massive amounts of smog-forming pollution from burning fossil fuels, worsening our region’s air quality crisis and harming public health.

In 2024, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) updated Rule 1146.2 to pass the South Coast’s landmark zero-pollution rule for small industrial boilers. This rule will eliminate 5.6 tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx) pollution every day by 2033 — equivalent to half of all NOx emissions from cars in the nation’s most smog polluted region.

FIND THE INDUSTRIAL BOILERS NEAR YOU

Use the map below to see how pollution from industrial boilers affects your community.

Spotlight: Clean Industrial Heat in the South Coast

Leading institutions across the South Coast are showing what's possible with clean industrial heat. CSU Dominguez Hills reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 70% through innovative heat pump technology, while UCI Health – Irvine opened the nation's first all-electric acute care hospital—proving that cleaner, more efficient equipment can improve air quality, reduce costs, and power even the most demanding facilities.

(Left) Kenny Seeton, Director of Central Plant Operations and Strategic Energy Projects at California State University Dominguez Hills, points to a poster of Alice H. Parker. (Hannah Benet for Earthjustice)

(Right) Members of the SoCal Clean Manufacturing Coalition with Kenny Seeton in CSU Dominguez Hill’s Central Plant. (Hannah Benet for Earthjustice)

Growing Demand for Clean Air

Across the South Coast, more than a dozen cities and student governments have passed resolutions in support of clean industrial heat.

SCAQMD has led the country in passing life-saving rules and meeting their mission to clean the air and protect the health of all residents while creating good-paying jobs by enacting zero-emission rules for industrial boilers.

They need to hear from the people they represent. Every signature shows that our community wants clean air and life-saving protections.

SIGN THE PETITION FOR CLEAN AIR

Fast Stats

  • Nearly a quarter of all the South Coast's air pollution comes from stationary sources.

  • Over 1/3 of K-12 schools are located within 1 mile of a facility operating a large industrial boiler

    Over 1/3 of K-12 schools are located within 1 mile of a facility operating a large industrial boiler. 816 of these schools are located in an environmental justice community.

  • The South Coast is home to some of the worst air quality in the United States, directly harming our health and exacerbating asthma.

Resources

South Coast Clean Manufacturing 101 Fact Sheet

Fact Sheet: SoCal's Clean Manufacturing Opportunity

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