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Partners for Clean Air
Program
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Welcome to the
Partners for Clean Air Program!
This is your opportunity to join
the Michiana community to protect the quality of the air we breathe. Every
year, MACOG, partnered with NIPSCO, holds a Partners for Clean Air Award
Luncheon to recognize the businesses making special efforts to promote clean air
practices.
The 2007 Partners for Clean Air
Awards Luncheon was held on September 19th, 2007
2007 Partners for Clean Air Award
Winners and Program
Stripco Inc.
St. Joseph County Parks Department
Goshen Parks Department
Previous Award Winners
Partners for
Clean Air is a program for individuals and
businesses alike! Your agency can become a Partner for Clean Air...It's
free and you can make a difference!
- To become a Partner for Clean
Air merely fill in the on-line form below. It’s that easy to take
the pledge!
- The critical period when
weather conditions may combine with emissions to create ground-level ozone
is April 1 through September 30. It is during this time that Ozone Action
Days and Health Alerts may be declared. As a Partner for Clean Air,
you will be notified of these events. You and your employees will be
encouraged to take note of voluntary actions to minimize creation of
ozone.
- As a Partner for Clean Air
you will receive a colorful Partner’s certificate, suitable for framing,
along with educational materials to share with your employees. Several
brochures, a video, and colorful logo stickers are also available. All
of which are free. (T-shirts and flags can also be available
for purchase.)
- Annually MACOG and Indiana
Department of Environmental Management recognize Partners' actions and
voluntary programs. We would like to recognize your group for its
efforts. More information about this event is contained in the packet.
Once again, it’s that
easy! So take the Pledge today!
Do
you need a drop-in article that can be used in your company's newsletters?
Here’s an article you
can place in your employee newsletter. Feel free to edit it – insert your
company name and some personal quotes.
"Take the Pledge for Clean Air
Take a look at the air you
breathe. Does it look clean? As summer approaches and brings with it hot
temperatures, the appearance of the air may be deceiving. Each year,
the St. Joseph County Health Department monitors Michiana air for various
pollutants – particularly ozone. High levels of ozone cause
shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, eye and nose irritation. It is
especially dangerous to older adults, children, asthmatics, and persons with
chronic respiratory ailments. Here's what we can do to help.
First, we’ve become a
"Partner for Clean Air." The Michiana Area Council of
Governments (MACOG) and the area Chambers of Commerce foster activities to
preserve air quality on "Ozone Action Days" in coordination with this
voluntary program. These days are declared when monitored data indicates
conditions are right for unhealthy levels of ozone. We’ll be notified when an
"action day" is announced. And we’ll share with you simple things we
can all do to protect the air.
Second, you can watch your local
TV weather forecasts. From April through September (the ozone season) WNDU and
WSBT include air quality reporting during their noon and early evening
TV-weather reports. WSJV includes it with their nightly news. So watch for your
favorite meteorologist to keep you updated.
Third, we have lots of good
ideas to promote clean air and tips for you to use. [Insert examples of
those that fit your work place and note how you’ll distribute the information].
We encourage any of you who have ideas on ways we can participate together to
let us know. We’ve taken the pledge for clean air. We hope you will too!"
What actions
are Partners Taking on "Ozone Action Days"?
During
the summer, many of our Partners make special efforts to develop unique and
effective Ozone Action Day plans.
“Top
Ten” signs and the wearing of Partner’s T-Shirts are the order of the day
when ozone alerts are called. Other
efforts include fleet owners like the City of South Bend Equipment Services
limiting refueling of vehicles to before 7 a.m. and after 7 p.m.
Transpo and The BUS offered free rides on Ozone Action Days.
Many
businesses have undertaken employee education on Ozone Action Days.
Clean Air videos have been shown at staff meetings and distributed to
department heads, clean air articles placed in company newsletters, and the
“Top Ten Tips” posted in employee break rooms.
Employees are encouraged to brown bag it for lunch on Ozone Action Days,
as well as carpool or bike to work.
General
clean air efforts have also been undertaken.
MPA
Architects continues to promote clean air efforts by incorporating “green
architecture” into designs so that environmentally friendly building materials
can be used.
More
permanent changes have also been made. For
example, Elkhart County Health Department has added a clean air education
component to their informational booths for health and county fairs.
Genencor International in Elkhart developed a Sustainability Management
System to reduce consumption of electricity and raw materials.
City of Goshen Utilities spearheaded the project to place permanent signs
by all railroad crossings in Goshen to remind people to shut off vehicle engines
while waiting for trains.
Additional
public education efforts were offered through the “O”Zone Promotion at
Coveleski Stadium, and Elkhart Envirocorps’ Envirofest.
With
a little creative thinking you can find ways to add clean air efforts to your
workplace, too.
What
actions can you take on "Ozone Action Days" to do your part to reduce
ozone?
Employee
Activities:
Designate a
workplace coordinator for your Ozone Action Day program.
Notify
employees of upcoming Ozone Action Days through e-mail, banners, intercom
announcements, etc. Also, have your contact person insure that managers remind
their employees.
Allow your
staff to work at home, if possible, through telecommuting.
Use
teleconferencing, instead of driving to meetings.
Promote
alternatives to drive alone commuting. Walk, ride a bike
(click here to see how easy riding a bike to
work can be.),
rideshare or carpool
to work (Need help finding a ride to share? Click
here.).
Obtain
transit maps and schedules for nearby routes and promote use of transit to
your employees. Call TRANSPO at 233-2131
for bus service in South Bend and
Mishawaka. Information on Heart City Rider in Elkhart, Goshen Transit Service,
and Plymouth’s Rock City Rider is available by calling MACOG at
674-8894.
Information about The Interurban
Trolley is available by calling 674-4094.
Start a
ridesharing program. Call MACOG (674-8894) for help
or click here.
Offer
employee incentives, recognition, and praise for alternatives to driving alone
(Example:
preferred
parking for those who rideshare.)
Encourage
flex-time to reduce roadway congestion.
Subsidize and
sell employee transit passes at your office.
Buy a bike
rack for your employees’ use, or allow them to park bicycles safely indoors.
Create a
special lunch discount in your cafeteria to encourage lunch onsite.
Encourage
brown bag lunches on Ozone Action Days. Provide free sodas, or coffee and
doughnuts, to employees who make this extra effort. Or organize deliveries
from popular restaurants.
Fleet
Maintenance Activities:
Delay
refueling vehicles and equipment until late in the day. On Ozone Action Days,
particularly if you must refuel, do so after 7:00 p.m.
- Coordinate
deliveries from your site to eliminate multiple vehicle trips.
- Turn off vehicles
when loading or unloading for more than 30 seconds. Idling for just 30
seconds uses more fuel than stopping and starting your engine.
- Consider conversion
of your fleet vehicles to use alternative fuels: compressed natural gas (CNG),
liquefied natural gas (LNG), propane, electricity, methanol, or ethanol.
Industrial
Activities:
Defer
cleaning with volatile solvents until late in the day. Use alternative
cleaners that are non-volatile and non-hazardous when possible.
- Put off using
gas-powered tools on Ozone Action Days. Small engines are a significant
source of air pollution.
- Schedule structural
painting for cooler weather.
- Defer high emission
or batch production activities until evening shifts on Ozone Action Days.
- Make water-based
latex paints, stains, and sealers your first choice. If using oil-based
coatings, ask for low-solvent versions.
- Implement money
saving pollution prevention actions in such areas as waste separation,
solvent recycling, or the use of high efficiency electric motors.
On the
Road:
Park and walk
into your drive-through locations on Ozone Action Days. This eliminates idling
which wastes fuel and increases
emissions
Do errands on
the way home from work, and consolidate trips when you drive. A cold engine
consumes about 20% more fuel than a warm one.
Maintain your
vehicle. Get regular tune-ups and keep filters and fluids cleaned.
Well-maintained vehicles pollute less.
Keep tires
properly inflated. Low pressure reduces gas mileage and the life of the tire.
Use
high-efficiency motor oil. An "EC-II" rated oil can provide a 2.7%
mileage boost.
Your car’s
air conditioner can reduce gas mileage by 20%, so when possible, skip the AC.
Driving
at 55 mph rather than 65 mps can increase your mileage by over 15%.
Buying a new
car? Consider getting a model rated to get 35 mpg or more.
At Home:
Mow your lawn
less, and don’t mow on extremely hot, sunny days. Gasoline powered lawn
mowers can produce as much pollution in one mowing as driving your family car
300 miles.
- Use lawn rakes, push
mowers, and hand hedgers when possible.
- Use household
products and insecticides according to the manufacturer’s directions.
Better yet, use simple substitutes (vinegar, baking soda, and borax) for
cleaning and for pest control.
- Compost your yard
wastes.
- When you barbecue,
start the charcoal with an electric or chimney-type fire starter instead of
using lighter fluid.
- Insulate your home.
It will reduce summer cooling and winter heating bills.
- Don’t forget to
caulk and weather strip.
- Keep your water
heater at 121 degrees.
- Set the thermostat
at 78 degrees in summer, or run your home air conditioner at a lower speed.
- Close off unused
areas of your home to reduce cooling needs.
- Buy energy efficient
appliances.
- Use paintbrushes or
rollers instead of spray-painting to reduce the evaporation of paint fumes.
- Choose water-based
paints, stains, and sealers instead of similar oil-based products. If you
must use oil-based coatings, ask about the availability of low-solvent
versions.
- Plant trees. They
filter the air and shade your home to reduce cooling needs.
- Recycle. It takes
less energy and pollution to recycle many articles than it does to make new
ones from raw materials.
What materials can
MACOG provide to each Partner? (NOTE: Some items are free of charge and some are
not).
- Partners for Clean Air Packet
- "Top Ten Tips" Sign
- Clean Air brochure, "A
Gift We Share with One Another"
- Ride Share applications
- Clean Air video (7 minute
presentation)
- Diskette of Partners logo
- 4" x 4" color logo
sticker
- Partners Logo Window Cling
- Partners for Clean Air
T-shirt
(available in
size XL only) - $5.25 each
- 3’ x 5’ nylon Partners
Flag - $35.00 each
- Regional Bicycle
Facilities Maps
Fill
out the on-line form to become a Partner for Clean Air!!
If you have any questions about the Partners for
Clean Air Program, please contact MACOG at (574) 674-8894 or e-mail us at macogdir@macog.com.
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