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“The Caucus has served as an important catalyst in bringing divergent groups together on a plan to improve the Chicago region’s air quality. Cooperation like this between so many governments, organizations, and institutions will serve as a model for other metropolitan areas across the country.”
-- John M. Novinson, Manager, Village of Northbrook
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On August 24, 2005 the Clean Air Counts program hosted a tour of its outreach corridor located in the River North Industrial Corridor of Chicago. The corridor is a unique neighborhood in which residential, commercial and industrial development operate in close proximity, all just minutes from Chicago’s Loop. The tour highlighted Clean Air Counts participants and their voluntary efforts to improve air quality in the region.
Comcast and WTTW (Channel 11) filmed the tour and interviewed Mayor Murawski and Rob Brenner, Director, Office of Policy Analysis and Review, Office of Air and Radiation, US EPA. Scenes from the tour were featured on that evening’s edition of Chicago Tonight.
Clean Air Counts is a partnership of the Caucus and United States EPA. The Campaign encourages businesses, other organizations and private citizens to voluntarily reduce smog-causing pollutants from unregulated sources. As a result of recruitment efforts in the outreach corridors, over 250 businesses and hundreds of households have joined Clean Air Counts.
Clean Air Counts Broadcasts Its Message
The Clean Air Counts Billboard was displayed from March 15th through April 30th over the Kennedy Expressway in Chicago.
Clean Air Counts Honored by U.S. EPA
On April 7, 2005, Clean Air Counts was awarded a Clean Air Excellence Award. Northbrook President Mark Damisch, Clean Air Counts Chairman, traveled to Washington, D.C. with Northbrook Administrator John Novinson and Director of Clean Air Initiatives Kate Agasie to receive the award.
The Clean Air Excellence Awards Program is sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Air and Radiation. The Program was suggested by the Clean Air Act Advisory Committee (CAAAC), a senior-level federal advisory committee that provides advice to EPA on Clean Air Act issues and the Awards Program.
The Awards Program, now in its fifth year, annually recognizes and honors both individuals and organizations that have undertaken the risks of innovation, served as pioneers in their fields, and have improved air quality. Each award recipient has either directly or indirectly reduced emissions of criteria pollutants or hazardous/toxic air pollutants. The programs are innovative, replicable, and sustainable; their efforts have helped to make progress in achieving cleaner air.
The award recipients are chosen through a multi-step judging process. EPA staff conducts an initial technical screening of all applications. Selected entries are then reviewed by a CAAAC task force, which provides advice to EPA on the candidates’ programs. EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance then provides additional comments on entries. EPA’s Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation makes the final award determinations. This year’s twelve recipients were selected from over 100 regional air quality programs who applied.
Further information on the Clean Air Excellence Awards Program is available on the EPA’s website at www.epa.gov/air/caaac/clean_award.html.
Quality of life has everything to do with the quality of the air we breathe. This is why, in 1999, Mayor Daley invited the suburban municipal associations that participate in the Caucus and their member Mayors to join him in developing an innovative, non-regulatory approach to reducing smog-causing emissions in the metropolitan region and achieving compliance with standards of the federal Clean Air Act.
Funded by a network of local foundations, the Caucus worked with an organization known as the Delta Institute to develop an ambitious smog-reduction plan. The planning effort involved the region’s municipalities working in collaborative partnership with the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the Regional Transportation Authority, the Chicago Transit Authority, Citizens for a Better Environment, the Center for Neighborhood Technology, the Openlands Project and other groups.
We’re proud to report that this proactive plan was adopted in December 2001. It is literally a breath of fresh air that will result in reduction of polluting emissions by five tons per day – the equivalent of removing 80,000 cars from our roads on a daily basis. In addition, the “Clean Air Counts” Campaign will help reduce costly public health problems caused by pollution. Businesses and industries that participate will also save money as a result of more efficient operations, less maintenance, and reduced use of energy.
Total cost of the plan is $9.6 million. The Caucus plans to fund the project through federal appropriations, foundation grants, as well as state, county and municipal funds. An appropriation request is currently pending in the United States Congress for first year funding. Planning also includes a local funding match for the project, pending congressional action on the appropriation.
For more information about the “Clean Air Counts” Campaign, visit the website:
www.cleanaircounts.org
Grant Opportunities Available through Clean Air Counts
The Clean Air Counts (CAC) campaign is pleased to announce that we have $503,078 available to offer a variety of grant opportunities to municipalities participating in the CAC campaign. Following are brief summaries of current grant possibilities:
• Lawn Care Buyback Events: The use of gas-powered lawn care equipment (mowers, trimmers, leaf blowers, chainsaws, etc.) contributes to regional smog and air quality problems. To promote the use of low-emissions equipment, communities can organize Lawn Care Buyback events that allow households to trade in their old, gas-powered lawn care equipment and receive a discount and/or rebate toward the purchase of cleaner (electric, battery, or non-motorized) equipment. Grants of up to $12,600 are available to cover equipment disposal costs, staff expenses, and all other event costs.
• Gas Can Replacement Events: Portable gas cans, like those used to fuel lawnmowers and other power equipment, account for a significant amount of smog-forming emissions. Storing traditional gas cans in the home or garage poses a health threat to inhabitants, as toxic fumes are emitted into the air and may cause and/or aggravate respiratory ailments. Communities can address this issue by conducting events that allow citizens to trade in old gas cans and receive a rebate, discount, or even a cost-free, environmentally-friendly gas can. Grants of up to $3,300 are available to cover all event costs.
• Diesel Retrofits: A diesel retrofit program is designed to reduce emissions of soot, smog-forming pollutants, and other toxic air pollution caused by diesel-powered vehicles. Using EPA-approved retrofit technologies, reductions in soot, hydrocarbon, and carbon monoxide emissions can make significant progress toward improving regional air quality. One technology, a diesel oxidation catalyst, can reduce particulate matter and carbon monoxide emissions by 10-40% and 40-90%, respectively. Another, a diesel particulate filter, can reduce particulate matter and carbon monoxide emissions by 60-90% and 50-90%, respectively. Grants are available to cover the cost of the purchase and installation of these EPA-approved retrofit technologies.
For more information about the “Clean Air Counts” Campaign, visit the website:
www.cleanaircounts.org
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