Air Quality Awareness Week is being celebrated May 1-5, 2023. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has designated the theme as “working together for clean air.” Linn County Public Health is asking for all Linn County residents to work together in ensuring our outdoor air quality remains safe.
“Air quality is a vital component to the public’s health,” said Dr. Pramod Dwivedi, Linn County Public Health Director. “Our Air Quality branch is determined to ensure Linn County residents have healthy and safe air to breathe. This goal is accomplished through our permitting, enforcing, and monitoring efforts.”
According to the EPA, individuals can reduce their air pollution each day by following these simple tips:

• Conserve energy – at home, at work, everywhere.
• Look for the ENERGY STAR label when buying home or office equipment.
• Carpool, use public transportation, walk, or bike whenever possible.
• Mulch or compost leaves and yard waste.
• Consider purchasing portable gasoline containers labeled “spill proof,” where available.
• Keep your car, boat, and other engines properly tuned.
• Be sure your tires are properly inflated.
• Use environmentally safe paints and cleaning products whenever possible.
• Follow gasoline refueling instructions for efficient vapor recovery, being careful not to spill fuel and always tightening your gas cap securely.
• Consider using gas logs instead of wood.

In addition to practicing these daily tips for minimizing air pollution, residents should check the Air Quality Index (AQI) on a frequent basis. According to the National Weather Service, the AQI is used for reporting daily air quality and tells individuals how clean or polluted the air is and what associated health effects may be of concern. Linn County residents can view the AQI on our monitoring website 24/7 at: https://monitoring.linncleanair.org/.