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EPA awards 2004 Clean Air Excellence award to Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality District

Release Date: 4/22/2005
Contact Information: Mark Merchant, (415) 947-4297

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently honored the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality District with a Clean Air Excellence Award to for creating a Web site that provides resources for air education efforts.

“EPA applauds this innovative effort that is working to provide air education resources to the public,” said Deborah Jordan, division director for the EPA Pacific Southwest region’s Air Division. “We encourage others to follow this example in their work to discover creative ways to make our air cleaner and provide information on air quality.”

The AirShare website, allows individuals to access public clean air education campaigns and materials that agencies across the county have created and posted on the site. Since going on line, the 110 participating agencies have added nearly 300 items to the database, which can be searched and downloaded.

Other features of the website include:

• an air quality index section that can display the air quality forecast and current conditions in any city submitting data to the EPA’s AirNow website;

• a calendar of upcoming air quality conferences;

• a “Find-a-Colleague” feature that allows users to find contact information for AirShare members; and

• an newsroom section which profiles the latest news stories submitted by agencies across the county.

The Clean Air Excellence Awards Program is sponsored by EPA's Office of Air and Radiation. The Program was suggested by the Clean Air Act Advisory Committee, a senior-level federal advisory committee that provides advice to EPA on air issues.

The awards program is now in its fifth year and recognizes and honors both individuals and organizations that have undertaken the risks of innovation, served as pioneers in their fields, and have helped to improve air quality. Each award recipient has either directly or indirectly reduced emissions of air pollutants and the programs are innovative, replicable, and sustainable.