Information We Collect
We collect two types of information:
- Personal information you share when you send an email, fill out a form, participate in a survey, or similar activity.
- Tracking information collected as you navigate through our site.
Use of Personal Information
Personal information includes anything you share that could be used to identify you, such as your name, address, email address, credit card information, or similar. We collect personal information only as necessary to provide our services. For example, you can apply for a permit, pay fees or sign up to receive emails or other information through our website. These services generally require that you provide personal information, such as your name, email address, and, in some cases, a password to access an account. For services involving permits, registration, or payments, additional information will typically be required.
We collect your email address to better assist you, such as replying to your email, sending you requested information, or as a means of identifying you or your account. Under some circumstances, we may forward your email to another agency for appropriate action.
For transactions involving payments, you will be directed to an external contractor website for secure payment processing. The personal information collected (such as credit card numbers) through the external website will be directed by that website’s privacy policy and by federal and California law relating to this type of transaction. The Air District does not retain credit card information.
Use of Tracking Information
We automatically collect and store tracking information during your visit to our site through the use of “cookies.” A cookie contains unique information that can be used to track your computer’s Internet Protocol (IP) address, browser software, and operating system. It may also track the date and time you accessed the site and the Internet address of the website from which you linked to our site. Cookies created using this website do not contain personally identifying information and do not compromise your privacy or security.
We use tracking information to improve our web services and help us understand how people are using our site. This information does not identify you personally.
How We Protect Your Information
The Air District does not sell any personal information. Any information we share, such as to an Air District contractor handling payment transactions, will be restricted to the purpose for which you provide the information.
The Air District limits employee and contractor access to your information. Employees and contractors must protect confidentiality and are subject to disciplinary action, termination, and legal action if they fail to do so.
Our website logs do not identify visitors by personal information, and we make no attempt to link other identifying information to or from our website logs.
We do not encrypt incoming email or information submitted through web site forms, so you should not send us sensitive information through these channels.
We use standard security measures to ensure that your personally identifiable information is not lost, misused, altered, or destroyed. We also use software programs to monitor network traffic and control unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage.
Your Privacy Choices
Our goal is to be clear about the information we collect so that you can make personal privacy choices.
Email
If you wish to unsubscribe to Air District newsletters or change your subscription preferences, follow the instructions at the bottom of any email you receive. If you believe you have received an email from the Air District in error, please contact the Webmaster. We use “web beacons” in our email newsletters to track the aggregate number of emails opened. The web beacon does not collect any personally identifiable information. If you do not want to receive email messages with web beacons, you can opt to receive emails in text (non-HTML) format.
Cookies
You can refuse or delete the Air District’s cookie files from your computer using several methods, such as adjusting your browser’s settings to reject cookies or clearing your browser’s cache. If you reject a cookie, it will not prevent you from accessing or using our site, although some web services that rely on cookies may be unavailable.
Public Disclosure of Information
The California Public Records Act and other state and federal laws ensure that the public has a right to access certain government records and information. All information collected through this site becomes public record, which may be subject to public access and photocopying, unless an exemption applies. Examples of typical exemptions include but are not limited to: sharing information that would be considered an invasion of personal privacy; complaints submitted by those who have asked to remain anonymous, trade secrets deemed confidential,; or materials pertinent to an ongoing open investigation. The Air District will protect individual privacy and will refuse to share such information. Note that most information, whether requested or volunteered, however, is public record once shared.
Air District Information
This website may be linked to or from other external websites. This privacy policy only applies to this website and does not include other sites linked to this website. When you browse to another website, the privacy policy of that website governs the treatment of your information.