SOLEDAD — City of Soledad has opened the North Central Coast Air Basin’s first Clean Air Center at the Soledad Community Center, creating a designated public space where residents can seek cleaner indoor air during wildfire smoke events.
The new center, located at 560 Walker Drive, was announced earlier this year and was established through a partnership between Breathe California, the Monterey Bay Air Resources District (MBARD), the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association (CAPCOA) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB).
During a ceremony in late May, Breathe California CEO Tanya Payyappilly called the opening “a monumental moment in regional public health.”
The Clean Air Center is designed to provide a safe, publicly accessible indoor space equipped with enhanced air filtration during periods of unhealthy air quality caused by wildfire smoke. The facility is intended to protect residents, particularly seniors, children and individuals with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions who are most vulnerable to smoke exposure.
“The community center being selected will provide a safe refuge area with clean, purified air, while providing a climate-controlled atmosphere where everybody can relax and feel comforted while they’re indoors,” said Jason Luckenbach, assistant chief of Cal Fire’s Southern Division for the San Benito-Monterey Unit.
According to city officials, Soledad was selected for the investment based on environmental and public health criteria identifying historically underserved communities with elevated wildfire smoke exposure.
“We are also trying to establish our community center as a climate resiliency center. So this is a great component to that overall vision,” added Soledad City Manager Megan Hunter.
The project was funded through California’s Budget Act of 2020 (AB 836), a statewide initiative established to help communities reduce the health impacts of wildfire smoke. CAPCOA, CARB, MBARD and Breathe California jointly administer the program throughout Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties.
David Frisbey, planning and air monitoring manager for MBARD, stressed that the facility marks an important milestone for the region.
“I want to congratulate the City of Soledad on being the first to establish a Clean Air Center in the North Central Coast Air Basin,” Frisbey said, “… and we’re grateful to the City of Soledad for having the insight to establish a Clean Air Center for the betterment of the community’s health when the next wildfire impacts our region with smoke.”
For Mayor Anna Velazquez, the project reflects both her role as a public official and as a parent.
“I’m a mayor, but I also want to say that I’m a mom. Obviously, as mothers we want to make sure that our kids can breathe clean air, and so for me it was really important to ensure that not only as a mom, my child has that, but as a community, that everyone in our community has an opportunity to breathe clean air,” Velazquez said.
