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Air

Air Quality

Solano congestion mngt program Watershed health, air quality, and energy are all related. Electricity generation is the single greatest source of air pollution in the United States, contributing to smog, acid rain and global warming. Luckily, we have some personal control over the production of energy and our own air quality. By using public transportation, planting a tree, buying alternatively fueled vehicles or switching to “green” energy, we can all contribute to significant, positive changes in air quality. Breathing is an essential activity for nearly all life on this planet. As human inhabitants of the watershed we breathe two kinds of air:

The Air Inside

Many of us spend most of each day inside a building. The quality of the indoor air we breathe during that time has a big impact on our health and well-being. Mold, off-gassing of paint, furniture and carpeting, and pet allergens can all affect the quality of the air we breathe inside a building. More information about managing these pollution sources can be found at the following resources:

The US Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 office (415-744-1219) has information about potential sources of indoor air pollution and ways to prevent poor indoor air quality. You can also find a wealth of information at US EPA’s indoor Air Quality web site (http://www.epa.gov/iaq/).
The American Lung Association at (323) 935-5864 or www.lungusa.org offers information about indoor air quality in the home and workplace.

The Air Outside

The Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District is the agency responsible for protecting human health and property from the harmful effects of air pollution. The District has jurisdiction over all of Yolo County and the northeast portion of Solano County, from Vacaville on the west, to Rio Vista on the south.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is responsible for protecting air quality in Fairfield, Suisun City, Benicia and Vallejo and their outlying rural areas.

Both Districts are governed by air quality management boards composed of representatives from both the county boards of supervisors and mayors/city council members from the cities within each District.

Prevention is the most effective and best strategy.

Things you can do to improve the quality of our air:

Reduce your energy consumption

Turn lights off when not in use, and replace incandescent light bulbs with more energy efficient models, like compact fluorescents and LED bulbs.
Drive less, maintain your vehicles well, and make fuel efficiency and pollution ratings. part of your next vehicle purchasing decision.
Use energy-efficient appliances.
Landscape to shield your home from heat in the summer, and maximize sun time in the winter.
Ride your bike or walk for errands.
Car pool to work and social events.
Use public transportation.
Buy local products to reduce air pollution generated by shipping.

Simplify! Use fewer products in your daily living.

Provide regular maintenance for consumer goods to extend their useable life span. If you buy fewer things, fewer things will be shipped via truck, which will reduce the engine emissions, resulting in less air pollution, and help preserve resources (which are used to make consumer goods).