Clean Air Resources

Thank you for your interest in helping improve the air quality in Arlington! 

For the Clean Air Challenge, you can focus your Public Service Announcement on encouraging people to:
Take the bus or mass transit
Carpool
Walk
Bike
Turn off their engines when they are not driving - Stop Idling!

Reasons to take action include:
Cleaner air
Healthier lungs and bodies
​Less wasted resources
Reduce emissions causing climate change

To learn more about this issue or get some ideas for your creative PSA, check out these websites with great information about ways to make a difference in air quality and improve the health of children in schools

Buses

Environmental Protection Agency's Clean School Bus Program
https://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/clean-school-bus
​
Clean School Bus USA: EPA's Initiative to Reduce Pollution from School Buses
​https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-02/documents/120303mstr_cohenschoolbus.pdf​

What You Should Know About Reducing Diesel Exhaust from School Buses
https://www3.epa.gov/region1/eco/diesel/pdfs/csbusa_factsheet.pdf

Local Resources

Arlington Transportation Partners - http://arlingtontransportationpartners.com/​ Arlington Partnership for Children Youth and Families - https://apcyf.arlingtonva.us/ Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment - https://www.arlingtonenvironment.org/ ​
APS Superintendent's Advisory Committee on Sustainability - https://www.apsva.us/aps-goes-green/superintendents-advisory-committee-sustainability/
APS Safe Routes to School
https://www.apsva.us/safe-routes-to-school-overview/
​Commuter Connections SchoolPool 
https://www.apsva.us/safe-routes-to-school-overview/resources-srt/schoolpool/

Clean Air Partners
http://www.cleanairpartners.net/ ​
American Lung Association State of the Air report cards by state (with city/county breakdowns)

Clean Air Action programs in Other Cities and States

Idle-Free Philly
https://www.idlefreephilly.org/faq

Idle-Free Pennsylvania
​https://idlefreepa.wordpress.com/about/

Idle-Free Arlington Heights, Illinois
​http://www.vah.com/residents/green/idle_free.aspx

New York State Green Vehicle Laws and Regulations
http://www.dmv.org/ny-new-york/green-vehicle-laws-and-regulations.php

Idle-Free NYC Fact Sheet
https://www.edf.org/sites/default/files/9581_Anti-Idling_FactSheet_April09.pdf

Examples of PSAs
PSA Video for Idle-Free Arlington Heights
https://youtu.be/Sam72KWCsKo

Lawrence School No Idling Flyer
http://lawrenceschoolbrookline.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/No-idling-at-Lawrence.pdf

Why Air Quality is important to health & resources to make a difference


October 2017 Lancet report finding that 9 million premature deaths were caused by pollution in 2015: http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/10/19/558821792/report-pollution-kills-3-times-more-than-aids-tb-and-malaria-combined
 
Air Quality Action Guide
http://mde.maryland.gov/programs/Air/AirQualityMonitoring/Documents/CAP_AQAG_brochure.pdf

What You Can Do: On The Road
​https://www.epa.gov/climatechange/what-you-can-do-road

How You Can Keep the Air Cleaner
https://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=resources.whatyoucando

​5 Anti-Idling Heroes
http://www.sustainableamerica.org/blog/5-anti-idling-heroes/

Idle Threat documentary​
http://www.videoproject.com/idlethreat.html

Big Nose, Big City Children's Book
https://www.createspace.com/3955098

Schools

Idle-Free School Toolkit 
https://www.epa.gov/region8/idle-free-schools

5 Reasons to Stop Idling 
http://www.momscleanairforce.org/5-reasons-stop-idling/

Idle-Free Schools Campaign
https://acespace.org/action/projects/idle-free

What You Can Do At School
https://www.epa.gov/climatechange/what-you-can-do-school

Video on Idle-Free Toolkit
https://youtu.be/prYvxgQLBpw

Moms Clean Air Force Interview with the EPA
http://www.momscleanairforce.org/interview-with-epas-tracy-enger-air-quality-in-schools/

School Air Facts
http://www.momscleanairforce.org/school-air-facts/

When Students Return to School, Be Idle-Free: Maryland Department of the Environment
http://mde.maryland.gov/programs/ResearchCenter/ReportsandPublications/Pages/ResearchCenter/publications/general/emde/vol2_no5/idlefree.aspx

​Idle Moments Turn into Tons of Air Pollutants at Schools
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/idle-moments-turn-into-to/

Turn It Off
http://iturnitoff.com/resources.html

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Laws & Regulations

Turn Off Your Engine DC-MD-VA Laws
http://www.turnyourengineoff.org/laws.html

Full Language of Virginia Law Idling Regulations
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+reg+9VAC5-40-5670

Compendium of Idling Laws by State from American Transportation Research Institute
http://atri-online.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/2017-ATRI-IdlingCompendium-Jan.pdf

An overview of local idling laws​: 

Local Idling Regulations
DC
Motor vehicles are the largest source of emissions in the District. To reduce these emissions, the District has implemented a law to limit engine idling. With a few exceptions, motor vehicles powered by gasoline or diesel are not allowed to idle for more than three minutes while the vehicle is parked, stopped or standing. Any person or organization owning or operating a vehicle seen violating this regulation will be issued a civil infraction ticket for $1000 for a first-time violation.
The only exceptions are as follows:
·         Private non-commercial passenger vehicles are exempt.
·         When temperatures are below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, vehicles may idle for no more than five minutes.
·         Engines may idle when they are necessary for the operation of power takeoff equipment such as dumping beds, cement mixers, refrigeration systems, content delivery equipment, winches, or shredders.
https://doee.dc.gov/node/9352
https://doee.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/ddoe/service_content/attachments/Engine%20Idling%20Handout%202_0.pdf
 
Maryland
A motor vehicle engine may not be allowed to operate more than 5 consecutive minutes when the vehicle is not in motion, except as follows: o When a vehicle is forced to remain motionless because of traffic conditions or mechanical difficulties over which the operator has no control; o When it is necessary to operate heating and cooling or auxiliary equipment installed on the vehicle; o To bring the vehicle to the manufacturer’s recommended operating temperature; or o When it is necessary to accomplish the intended use of the vehicle.
http://mde.maryland.gov/programs/Air/MobileSources/Documents/Idling%20Technology%20Fact%20Sheet%20Final.pdf
 
Virginia
In commercial or residential urban areas, propulsion engines of motor vehicles licensed for commercial or public service use shall not be left running for more than three minutes when the vehicle is parked, unless the propulsion engine is providing auxiliary power for other than heating or air conditioning; except that:
1. Tour buses may idle for up to 10 minutes during hot weather in order to maintain power to the air conditioning system; and
2. Diesel powered vehicles may idle for up to 10 minutes to minimize restart problems.
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+reg+9VAC5-40-5670

Related ENvironmental Health & Asthma Subcommittee Links:


Recap of May 1, 2017 clean air event

archival 
CLEAN AIR AWARENESS MONTH EVENT
MAY 1, 2017 AT ARLINGTON CENTRAL LIBRARY
​CLEAN AIR CHALLENGE

​
Environmental Health & Asthma Subcommittee (EHAS) Main Page