Ten Dallas-Fort Worth area counties (Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant and Wise) are in nonattainment for ozone and must comply with federal rules by 2018 or risk losing highway funding.
The North Central Texas Council of Governments is urging businesses, governments and individuals to Be Air Aware by committing to clean-air actions on days when ozone levels are expected to be highest.
Last year, as the campaign began, the focus was on encouraging individuals who live, work and play in North Texas, and public- and private-sector employers to sign up to receive email notifications from Air North Texas when the ozone levels were expected to be high. When they received the emails, individuals and employers who committed to actions were asked to implement them. Now that the public has been introduced to the system, the primary focus this year is on the strategies for improving the air for everyone.
Whether you as a resident want to do your part to encourage a cleaner environment, or your business or government would like to participate in the effort, there are strategies that will help the region meet its ozone goal.
Government commitments can be broken down into three categories: public services, programs and enforcement, and vehicle operations. Businesses can help by examining their operations, communication and employee initiatives, and vehicle operations. Individuals can assist in many ways, including by turning to transit, car- or vanpooling, or telecommuting. Complete lists are available at www.airnorthtexas.org/beairaware.asp.
Another important change this year is the date of Clean Air Action Day, which has been on July 7 since it debuted. In 2012, it fell on a weekend, requiring a different focus by many participants. Many people don’t work weekends, but they can still consolidate trips, idle less, obey the speed limit and help air quality in other ways. Still, organizers chose to move it to a more visible day in an effort to maximize participation. |
