South Coast AQMD Mobile App Wins US EPA’s Clean Air Excellence Award

0

DIAMOND BAR – The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) awarded the South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) with a Clean Air Excellence Award in Education & Outreach for its enhanced air quality mobile app.

The 2020 Clean Air Excellence Awards were given to state, local, tribal, and private sector programs that educate the public in improving air quality or reducing harmful air pollutants that threaten health and the environment. The award was given via a virtual ceremony held on January 12, 2021.

The app, now the nation’s most advanced for monitoring air quality, was recognized in the category of Education and Outreach for efforts to educate and/or disseminate information to intended target audiences about air quality and related issues.

With South Coast AQMD’s latest update, the app now features more accurate and precise real-time air quality information from anywhere within the agency’s four-county jurisdiction.

The app features an improved air quality display that blends South Coast AQMD’s regulatory-grade air quality monitors with model data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and low-cost fine particulate matter sensors. Residents can easily look up their local air quality  for five key pollutants, including particle pollution (PM2.5 and PM10), ozone, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide.  This is especially important during air quality events such as wildfires.

The app allows users to personalize features when adding new locations, including customizable notifications when air quality reaches a particular level.  Pressing the app’s 1-800-CUT-SMOG button places a call to South Coast AQMD’s 24-hour complaint hotline, where users and businesses can report smoking vehicles, equipment breakdowns and file other air quality complaints. Users can also find alternative fueling locations with driving directions, weather, South Coast AQMD advisories, announcements, public events and more. Additional information on the South Coast AQMD app’s newest features can be found here.

The award-winning app is also available in Spanish and found in both Apple and Android app stores.

South Coast AQMD is the air pollution control agency for Orange County and major portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties, including the Coachella Valley. For news, air quality alerts, event updates and more, please visit us at www.aqmd.gov, download our award-winning app, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here