Ambient Air Quality
The Montgomery County Air Program aims to give all residents healthy air, making Montgomery County a leader in air quality protection and setting an example for other local and state jurisdictions to follow. It is especially important in the ambient air quality arena to reach out and become good stewards of our airsheds since not only do our actions affect the air quality of those downwind, but others’ actions affect the quality of air that we breathe locally. Montgomery County air quality strategies and priorities will coordinate actions and incorporate significant changes in thinking within the field of air quality management. The 2003 Air Quality Strategy, outlines eight realistic, step-by-step actions that we can take to reduce air pollutants, including harmful levels of ground-level ozone and particulate matter. The guiding principle behind this important new strategy is that protecting and improving air quality is a community effort: no single jurisdiction can make a difference without the cooperation of the entire region. No single government agency can hope to improve air quality without the determined cooperation of residents and businesses, each learning what they can do as part of a whole, working with us — and working together.
Examining Your Vehicle Fleet
There has been a lot of talk lately about SUVs both in fleets and being driven by the public. When looking at pollutant emissions, it is more complicated then merely looking at the type of the car. There are several factors to consider: the age of the vehicle; the type of the vehicle; the weight of the vehicle; and the vehicle’s gas mileage. All of these important factors need to be studied when determining which vehicles release more pollutants and should be replaced in your fleet. Much of this stems from when different automotive emission control standards were adopted and became effective.
Open Burning: A Regulatory Factsheet
Open burning creates air pollution that can directly effect the health and well being of people who live or work near open burning sites. Air pollution from open burning can cause property damage to nearby residential and commercial property. In addition to smoke and odors, open burning contributes carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides that contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone (smog). See also below:
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