Fresh Air News: Winter 2022

Fresh Air News

Winter 2022

What is the Clean Air Force of Central Texas?

We work to keep Central Texas’ Air Healthy

Did you know that Austin is the ONLY large city in America that has always met the EPA’s National Air Quality Standards and never fallen out of attainment? The region is not just lucky. The Clean Air Force of Central Texas works hard to keep air pollution under control and air clean!

Founded in 1993, the CLEAN AIR Force of Central Texas is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to working with industry, government, and organizations to safeguard and improve air quality in Central Texas. We are a collaborative resource advocating for clean air in Central Texas from San Antonio to Waco. We look to inform, educate, and promote proactive air pollution-reducing activities in Central Texas.

The Clean Air Partners Program is the Heart of the Clean Air Force

The Partners are a group of companies, governmental entities, and organizations all working to reduce air pollution in Central Texas. These partners are environmental heroes and leaders in building a sustainable future. They pledge to reduce and eliminate harmful air pollution.

Members from the Partners make up our Board of Directors. The board is led by Executive Committee Chair Dr. Elena Craft (Environmental Defense Fund), Vice-Chair Melissa Reynolds (Emerson Automation Solutions). Treasurer Rick Perkins (Chemical Logic, Inc.), Secretary Zoe Trieff (POWER Engineers), and Member Adele Noel (Travis County). Other Partners include Applied Materials, Austin Community College, the Capital Area Council of Governments, the City of Austin, ICU Medical, the Lower Colorado River Authority, NPX Semiconductor, Samsung, St. David’s, TEL Tokyo Electron, Texas State Senate District 14, and the University of Texas.

We invite companies and organizations to join us a Clean Air Partners. For more information about partnership benefits, please email Jim Stephens, Executive Director, at jstephens@cleanairforce.org, or call 979-777-0171.

AQPF Informs and Educates

The Quarterly Air Quality Professionals Forum brings together Air Quality specialists and managers who work at our Clean Air Partner companies. These meetings provide training and networking and provide Air Quality professionals with science updates and research.

The summer AQPF meeting looked at governmental policy. The meeting featured presenters Luke Metzger, Environment Texas spoke on “Policy Solutions for Securing Clean Air in Texas,” and Christiane Heggelund, with Capital Area Council of Governments, presenting on NAAQS and Central Texas.

The Fall meeting focused on the health implications of poor air quality. It included Heggelund, who presented on “Regional Air Quality and Monitoring for 2020,” and Dr. Elizabeth Matsui, with the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas, Austin. Dr. Matsui spoke on the health implications of air pollution.

Our most recent meeting, held in January, focused on measurement of air pollutants, with a presentation by Univer. of Texas Professor Dr. Pawel Misztal. Also presenting were Elizabeth Munger with Lone Star Clean Fuels Alliance and Christiane Heggelund, presenting an update on 2021 Air Monitoring.

The next meeting will be in April. To find out how to attend members of your company can attend the next AQPF meeting, please contact Jim Stephens, Executive Director, at jstephens@cleanairforce.org or 979-777-0171.

Students Learn About Air Quality

Improving Air Quality starts in schools. We have placed PurpleAir Particulate Matter sensors in Austin-area schools and provided educational matter to teach students how to use the sensors. Could your school use a sensor?

A new educational program called “Be Air Smart” launched in August. The clean airforce purchased and placed 10 PurpleAir Particulate Matter sensors in Austin Area public and private schools. Additional sensor installations are planned in cooperation with the City of Austin, Travis County, and the Capital Area Council of Governments. CAF also developed educational material for educators to teach students how to use the sensors and analyze air quality. The Be Air Smart Program is a nominee for a TCEQ 2022 Texas Environmental Excellence Award in the Education Category.

How do you get a sensor for your school?

We are currently in the process of placing 20 sensors in selected schools all over Central Texas. These sensors were purchased with funds from Travis County, The Capital Area Council of Governments, and Clean Air Force Partners. However, we cannot provide sensors to all the schools wanting them. If you would like a sensor placed at your school, we invite you to donate $300. This will cover the cost of the sensor (About $250) and installation. We also accept general donations for sensors to be placed where most needed.

Ozone Alerts Impact Texans

When an Ozone Action Day is announced, how do you know about it? What should you do to help solve the problem? Start by signing up for our free Ozone Alert emails, and be prepared to take action!

Although they are rare (Central Texas averages only 2 to 3 a year), Ozone Action Days are serious air pollution events that require everyone to do their part to lower the level of polluting emissions. Here are two actions you can take.

First, Make sure you and those you know are signed up to be alerted to an Ozone Action Day. This is easy to do: SIGN UP FOR OZONE ACTION ALERTS!

Next, fight Ozone with the “Texas Top 10.” The Texas Top Ten is not a set of the latest pop tunes popular across the state. But they are music to the ears of those who care about Air Quality in Central Texas. They are 10 actions you can take to keep our Central Texas air clean and healthy. These are especially important when there is an Ozone Action Day, and you need to take immediate action to help us lower emissions.

Ten simple things everyone can do to help keep Central Texas air healthy, especially on Ozone Action Days:

Be aware of the Ozone Action Day announcements and take precautions if you are in a sensitive group. Sign up to receive them at cleanairforce.org
Refrain from burning anything because it releases gases and particulates, contributing to poor air quality.
Maintain your vehicles. Make sure they are tuned up, and tires inflated to the correct pressure.
Replace older gas-burning vehicles with newer ones or purchase an electric or a hybrid vehicle. Replace your gas mower with an electric model.
Reduce idling vehicles at schools and drive-through lanes and encourage delivery trucks to turn off their engines when possible.
Telecommute or avoid commuting during rush hours.
Replace one-person car use with public transportation, carpooling, ridesharing, and combine multiple car trips into one.
Replace driving with walking or biking instead of using gasoline or diesel-fueled vehicles.
Be Fuel Smart. Fuel vehicles in the evenings and avoid “topping off” the tank.
Reduce your overall energy consumption, if possible. This takes the burden off power plants on the hot summer days that help create air pollution problems.

By everyone doing their part, together we can make a difference!

Meteorologists Recognized

They work hard to keep us safe. Our annual Meteorologist’s Luncheon thanks local weathercasters for their efforts to inform the public about Ozone Action Days and Air Quality issues.

Central Texas meteorologists, plus board members and guests, attended the annual Meteorologists Luncheon, held at Green Pastures Restaurant in Austin. The luncheon recognizes the valuable role meteorologists, especially those on TV and radio, play in alerting the public to Ozone Action Days.

The annual luncheon brings together weather broadcasters from throughout Central Texas. Stations and meteorologists represented at lunch included:

KEYE (Avery Tomasco and Nicole Hartford)
KOKE (Troy Kimmel)
KTBC (Chelsea Andrews and Bernald Falco)
KVUE (Mariel Ruiz, Shane Hinton, Erika Lopez, and hunter Williams)
KXAN (Sean Kelly Kristen Currie, and David Yeomans)
Spectrum (Megan Campbell and Burton Fitzsimmons)
The Lower Colorado River Authority (Bob Rose)
Univision (Valeria Barriga)

Presenters included Andrew Hoekzema, the Capital Area Council of Governments; Thomas Dydek, Dydek Toxicology; Sabine Lange, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ); and Kevin Ellis, Power Engineers.

You Can Help Us!

The Clean Air Force is part of the Amazon Smile program. If you designate us as your charity of choice, you can help keep our air clean every time you order from Amazon! There is no extra cost to you at all! We also participate in the Randall’s Supermarkets Good Neighbor Program.

Four ways to help keep our air clean

Encourage your company/workplace to become a Clean Air Partner
Volunteer at our special events
Donate to offset our expenses
Designate the Clean Air Force of Central Texas as your “Amazon Smile” or “Randall’s Good Neighbor” recipient. A percentage of each purchase will be donated to us at no additional cost to you. Let us know if you need help on how to do this.