Air Quality Frequently Asked Questions

Air Quality responds to outdoor air quality and asbestos-related complaints. This can include complaints related to smoke, odor or dust that affect outdoor air quality.

Air Quality does not offer indoor air quality inspections or services. The Pinellas County Air Quality Division has no authority to regulate or respond to indoor air quality complaints regarding mold, mildew or radon. Florida Statutes do not require remediation or abatement of mold.

Submit an outdoor air quality complaint using the SeeClickFix website or mobile app.

Air Quality staff do not give out information about who filed the complaint during field inspections. However, citizen complaints are part of the public record in Florida, and these records can be accessed by coming to Air Quality in person or by submitting a request for a copy of the citizen complaint.

Yes. Air Quality investigates anonymous complaints. However, the inspector will not be able to inform you of the results. Contact Air Quality at (727) 464-4422 to receive investigation results.

An inspector can often resolve these complaints by making the source aware of the problem and letting them know a complaint has been filed. A restaurant can change its operating practices, improve maintenance of its cooking equipment or install odor-control equipment.

Restaurants are not exempt from causing nuisance odors. If a sufficient number of complaints from different households are reported and an inspector witnesses the problem, the division can take appropriate enforcement action.

Campfires or other fires are allowed solely for recreational purposes, for ceremonial occasions, for outdoor non-commercial food preparation, or on cold days for warming of outdoor workers, as long as excessive visible emissions (>20% opacity) are not emitted.

All recreational fires must use clean-burning charcoal, coal, manufactured fire logs or untreated dry wood as fuels. The burning of treated wood, yard waste, paper, garbage or other waste material is prohibited.

Pinellas County Code does not prohibit the use of grills, camp stoves or similar devices designed for cooking — fueled by LP gas, butane, naphthalene or other liquid fuel — as long as they are not used to burn yard waste or other material.

Air Quality responds to dust complaints and, if necessary, informs the source the problem needs to be addressed. In the case of a construction site, Air Quality will request reasonable precautions be taken to keep dust to a minimum, such as using water trucks, restricting earthmoving activities to times when the wind is low and altering work practices.

Air Quality will inspect a permitted business to determine whether the business is complying with air permit conditions and/or the Pinellas County Code. If the company is operating in violation of its air permit or the County Code, or if they are creating a dust nuisance, the division can take appropriate enforcement action. Air Quality can also issue warning letters to businesses that are creating a dust nuisance that do not have an air permit.

Pinellas County is the most densely populated county in Florida. Many of the activities associated with a thriving community — traffic, construction and even lawn mowing — occur in a tightly-packed area and contribute to the formation of fine airborne dust. As this fine dust settles, it comes to rest on our cars, windowsills, screens and other surfaces. This light dust is often referred to as urban fallout.

Contact Pinellas County Air Quality’s Compliance Section at (727) 464-4422 or submit an air quality complaint through the SeeClickFix app or website.

Contact Pinellas County Air Quality at (727) 464-4422 or email airquality@pinellas.gov.

Check out the following websites for more information on indoor air quality:

• Indoor Air Quality Resources (Florida Department of Health)
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Indoor Air Quality Information
• Frequent Questions about Mold (EPA)
• Mold Testing or Sampling (EPA)