Dust Control Requirements

District Rule 228, Fugitive Dust (PDF), establishes standards to be met by activities generating fugitive dust. Rule 228 applies to the entire County of Placer and addresses fugitive dust generated by construction and grading activities, and by other land use practices including recreational uses.

Fugitive dust is particulate matter discharged into the atmosphere due to a man-made activity or condition. Examples of dust sources that are subject to the rule are:

• Boring
• Brush Clearing
• Drilling
• Earthmoving and Grading Operations
• Excavating and Trenching
• Pavement or Masonry Cutting Operations
• Travel on Unpaved Roads Within Construction Sites
• Wind-Blown Dust from Uncovered Graded Areas and Storage Piles

Dust Standards

Rule 228 establishes standards to be met by activities generating fugitive dust. Among these standards to be met is a prohibition on visible dust crossing the property boundary, generation of high levels of visible dust (dust sufficient to obscure vision by 40%), and controls on the track-out of dirt and mud on to public roads. The regulation also establishes minimum dust mitigation and control requirements.

What Is Required

Rule 228’s minimum dust control practices must be used for all construction and grading activities. See the Fugitive Dust Control Requirements Fact Sheet (PDF).

Dust Control Plan

When an area to be disturbed is greater than one acre, and if required by a Condition of Approval of a discretionary permit, a dust control plan (DCP) must be submitted to and approved by the District. The District has developed an application for this purpose. The dust control plan instructions contain a DCP Application form. The District urges the use of the DCP Application form as opposed to submitting an original Plan which may be subject to higher fees if it requires increased time to review. 

Completion of this application and subsequent approval by the District will satisfy requirements to have a dust control plan. Failure to implement the plan is subject to enforcement through the Conditions of Approval, and by District through Rule 228. If you have questions, please contact Bruce Springsteen at 530-745-2337. If a dust control plan is a Condition of Approval required for land use project please contact the District's Planning and Monitoring Section at 530-745-2330. The Dust Control Plan Application can be submitting by completing the online form.

Asbestos Dust Mitigation

If an asbestos dust mitigation plan is required by a conditional of approval for land use project see the Naturally Occurring Asbestos page.