Partners for Clean Air Program
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Partners for Clean Air Program |
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, in partnership with NIPSCO, hosts the Partners for Clean Air Award Luncheon to recognize local public and private organizations making special efforts to promote clean air practices.
The 2013 Partners for Clean Air Awards Luncheon was held on April 23, 2013.
Presentations:
Air Quality Overview for Northern
Indiana - Shawn Seals, IDEM - Office of Air Quality
Stationary Internal Combustion
Engines and Compliance - David McIver, IDEM - Compliance & Technical
Assistance Program
2013 Partners for Clean Air 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 call or email MACOG at 674-8894 or
macogdir@macog.com. It’s that easy to take
the pledge!
The critical period when
weather conditions may combine with emissions to create ground-level ozone
is May 1 through September 30. It is during this time that Air Quality Action
Days 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 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.
Annually MACOG recognize Partners' actions and voluntary programs. We would like to recognize your group for its efforts.
Once again, it’s that easy! So take the Pledge today!
During
the summer, many of our Partners make special efforts to develop unique and
effective Air Quality 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.
The Interurban Trolley offered free rides on Air Quality Action Days.
Many
businesses have undertaken employee education on Air Quality 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 Air Quality 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 at Coveleski Stadium, and Elkhart's Envirofest.
With
a little creative thinking you can find ways to add clean air efforts to your
workplace, too.
Designate a
workplace coordinator for your Air Quality Action Day program.
Notify
employees of upcoming Air Quality 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.
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 and Goshen Transit Service in Elkhart and Goshen is available by calling MACOG at 674-8894. Information about The Interurban Trolley is available by calling 674-4094.
Start a ridesharing program.
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 Air Quality 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 Air Quality 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 Air Quality 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 Air Quality 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 Air Quality 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.
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. 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.
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.