The regional body that regulates and monitors air quality in the Bay Area has a new name and a redesigned logo.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has rebranded as the Bay Area Air District, or BAAD.
The district comprises the nine Bay Area counties — Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and portions of Solano and Sonoma counties.
The changes were designed to “better connect with the public,” according to a Wednesday press release from the air district.
The old logo was a square comprised of nine, wavy, navy blue-and-white lines and a light-blue triangle, with nine stripes for nine counties.
The new logo also has nine blue-and-white lines, but with four different shades of blue, and this one is circular, with lines that sweep to the left of the circle they form, giving it a swooping or wing-like effect, evoking flowing, clean air on a clear summer day in the Bay Area.
The circle, according to the air district’s website, represents “environmental justice and our global impact.”
Not just a ‘visual update’
The district’s executive officer Philip Fine said the rebranding was a “fresh, modern look” that represented a more “contemporary” time and mission.
“This rebrand isn’t just a visual update — it’s a renewed promise to lead with purpose and align with the aspirations of the communities we serve,” he said in a statement.
The air district was formed by state legislation in 1955 and was the first regional air quality regulator in the state. The blue colors in the new logo represent the district’s history of championing clean air and the “changing landscape of air quality management,” according to the district’s website.
The district is governed by a 24-member board drawn from the cities and counties under its jurisdiction and can set and enforce emissions and environmental standards.
In 2024, the air district levied three major fines against regional refineries, including a $20 million fine in February for violations at the Chevron refinery in Richmond. It was a record amount at the time but was dwarfed by an $82 million fine levied in October against Valero for decades’ worth of regulatory violations at its Benicia refinery for unreported emissions from its hydrogen system.
It also fined Marathon Petroleum Corporation $5 million that month for violations at its Martinez refinery for frequent flaring events that emitted pollution above the district’s standards.
The air district also issued Spare the Air alerts for the Bay Area when pollution levels are deemed unhealthy. The alerts ban wood burning during the winter and advise sensitive populations to take precautions against prolonged outdoor exposure.
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