The WAIRE Program
Everything you need to know to about SCAQMD Rule 2305 and the WAIRE Program
What is the WAIRE program?
According to South Coast Aire Quality Management District (or AQMD), Rule 2305 or the Warehouse Actions and Investments to Reduce Emissions (WAIRE) Program “includes compliance and reporting requirements for warehouse owners and operators.” Rule 2305 was adopted in May 2021 in an effort to reduce emissions from the goods movement industry.
Other anticipated benefits of WAIRE include reducing nitrogen oxide and diesel emissions associated with warehouses, meeting federal standards and improving public health.
To whom does the WAIRE Program apply?
The WAIRE Program, or Rule 2305, applies to the owners and operators of any warehouse with 100,000 square feet or more of indoor floor space in a single building that’s within the jurisdiction of California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District. Are you in the district? View the map below to find out.
How will the WAIRE Program Work?
The WAIRE Program relies on a menu-based point system that requires warehouse operators to earn a specific number of WAIRE Points. The number of points required is based on the number of trucks trips made to and from the warehouse each year. Larger trucks (like tractors and tractor-trailers) are multiplied by 2.5. The total number of points needed is known as the WAIRE Points Compliance Obligation (WPCO).
- By completing actions off of the WAIRE menu
- By implementing an approved Custom WAIRE Plan
- Paying a mitigation fee every year
If operators earn more points than needed throughout the time period, they can bank extra points for a future year or transfer the point to another warehouse that they operate. They cannot, however, sell the points external companies.
By paying the mitigation fee, the funds will be used to provide incentives for near-zero and zero-emission trucks and zero-emission charging and fueling infrastructure in communities close to the warehouse that paid the fee.
What do Warehouse Owners and Warehouse Operators need to know and do in order to comply with the WAIRE Program?
Warehouse owners
Owners will need to submit an informational report on their buildings called a Warehouse Operators Notification (WON). The WON report is documentation detailing the warehouse and its tenants. Warehouse owners do not need to earn WAIRE Points unless they are also warehouse operators.
Warehouse Operators
Operators will need to submit two reports. One is about facility operations and compliance approaches to Rule 2305 and is called the Initial Site Information Report (ISIR). This is a one-time submission per location and would only need to be resubmitted in the case of relocation to a new warehouse.
What’s the WAIRE Program Schedule for Implementation?
The WAIRE Program will be phased in over time based on warehouse size. Currently, we’re in Phase 2, which means all warehouses greater or equal to 250,000 square feet already submitted their First Annual WAIRE Report and all warehouse 150,000 – <250,000 square feet must submit their initial site information report by July 1, 2023.
Once a phase is initiated, the rule requirements will increase over a 3-year period.
WAIRE Program Schedule
| Phase | Warehouse Size | Warehouse Operations Notification* Due Date | Initial Site Information Report Due Date | First Annual WAIRE Report Compliance Period | First Annual WAIRE Report Due Date *** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | ≥ 250,000 sq.ft. | 9/1/2021** | 7/1/2022 | 1/1/22 to 12/31/22 | 1/31/2023 |
| 02 | ≥ 150,000 - 249,999 sq. ft. | 9/1/2021** | 7/1/2023 | 1/1/23 to 12/31/23 | 1/31/2024 |
| 03 | ≥ 100,000 - 149,999 sq.ft | 9/1/2021** | 7/1/2024 | 1/1/24 to 12/31/24 | 1/31/2025 |
Are there any exemptions?
Operators may be exempt from parts of the WAIRE Program if the size of the warehouse is less than 50,000 square feet, if the number of points required is less than 10, or if the WAIRE menu action that was chosen underperforms (due to circumstances out of the operator’s control, like manufacturer defect).
Online Report Filing is Now Available via WAIRE POP
For more information on the WAIRE Program, visit the South Coast AQMD website.
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