REMINDER: 2024 Air Central Texas Awards

Do you know someone whose work has had a positive effect on air quality in Central Texas? Nominate them for an Air Central Texas Award! 

The Air Central Texas Awards honor organizations and individuals who have made significant contributions to regional air quality in Central Texas. Whether it is promoting electric vehicles, planting trees, creating an environmental education program, or providing air quality media coverage, we want to recognize those who help protect the air we breathe.

The awards recognize all types of contributors, from those who have made significant contributions throughout their careers to students who may not have started their careers. Look at the award categories to see where your nominee best fits. Click on the category to submit your nominations, and don't forget self-nominations are encouraged.

The nomination deadline is Friday, Oct. 25, 2024.

This year's award categories include:

• Air Central Texas Outstanding Organization Award - recognizes an activity by an organization that helped reduce local air pollution over the past year.
• Air Central Texas Media Award - recognizes exceptional media coverage of air quality or air quality issues within the past year. 
• Air Central Texas Environmental Education Award - recognizes an individual or organization that has exhibited exceptional leadership in air quality education over the past year.
• Air Aware Student Leadership Award - recognizes a student who has had a significant and lasting impact on Central Texas air quality in their community. 
• Bill Gill Central Texas Air Quality Leadership Award - recognizes an individual who has had a significant and lasting impact on Central Texas air quality.

Formula 1 & Commuting

October doesn’t just mean awesome events such as the Formula 1 race at the Circuit of the Americas. It’s also a month where we continue to experience high ozone days through Ozone Season. With more travelers on the road heading to outdoor events and the potential for an increase in vehicle emissions, it’s important that we take action to reduce air pollution in the region.

We can help to keep air pollution down by choosing alternative travel options:

• Ride your bike or rent a bike to exercise and avoid event parking.
• Take the bus or shuttle to safely catch up on social media for the event.
• Carpool or vanpool with your friends to arrive together and save on parking.

You can track your trips for a chance to win prizes with Carbon Cred, which will also pay you cash for every trip you take using active or shared modes like carpooling, transit, vanpools, biking, bike share, scooters, or walking. You can also use CapMetro’s Trip Planner or my Commute Solutions to find a route and transit mode that works best for you.

Fire Prevention Month 2024

October is Fire Prevention Month and this year's theme is "Smoke Alarms: Make Them Work For You!" This year’s focus on working smoke alarms comes in response to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) data, which shows that the majority of U.S. home fire deaths continue to occur in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. Smoke, ash, and soot after a fire can deposit fine particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds, such as benzene, and other chemicals inside your home on furniture, walls, floors, and other surfaces. These pollutants can also spread into the surrounding outdoor air and affect neighbors.

House fires can also spread and cause wildfires, which can contribute to an increase in fine PM in the region. With our annual fine PM reaching levels exceeding the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) and our risk of nonattainment designation increased, it's important that we take action to prevent wildfires.

Actions you can take to prevent house fires include:

• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area (like a hallway), and on each level (including the basement) of the home.
• Make sure smoke alarms meet the needs of all family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.
• Test smoke alarms at least once a month by pushing the test button.
• Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old or don’t respond when tested.

You can stay up to date on active wildfires through AirNow's Fire and Smoke Map, which provides real time air quality conditions based on fine PM concentrations from air quality monitors and fire locations by satellite detection.

Air Quality News

Study Finds Levels of a Dangerous Gas "Off the Scales" in Central Texas Oilfield - The smell of oil wells has long permeated Caldwell County, near Austin and San Antonio. Now researchers have documented wells releasing dangerous amounts of hydrogen sulfide gas. (The Texas Tribune)

CapMetro Seeks Public Input on Transit Plan 2035 to Help Shape Next Decade - CapMetro wants to hear from the community on its Transit Plan 2035, a roadmap for the next ten years. It's in the public feedback phase of Transit Plan 2035 which will look at improving services and infrastructure over the next ten years. (CBS Austin)

Dusty Conditions at Austin City Limits Have Some Suffering From 'ACL Flu' - "It's kind of a phenomenon that happens because it lies right in this time where the barometric pressure is changing. The temperatures you can see have dropped a lot just from weekend one to weekend two. And that really changes the milieu of the allergens that are in the air," said ER Dr. Ryan McCorkle. (Fox 7 News)

Opinion: A New Austin Solar Program Could Unlock a Clean Energy Future - The Austin City Council is expected to vote on a proposed Solar Standard Offer program this month. The program will allow rooftop solar development without the costly barrier of property owner investment. Solar companies will instead lease a property owner’s roof space to host solar arrays. (Austin American-Statesman)

AFD: East Austin Brush Fire 'Out', 2 Firefighters Injured - The Austin Fire Department said a 55-acre brush fire that was previously “spreading rapidly towards structures” is “out” as of 5 p.m. Thursday, October 10. Several structures were threatened by the fire, including Austin Discovery School and homes in a nearby neighborhood, but AFD didn’t force any evacuations. AFD said no structures were damaged.(KXAN)

2024 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos MSA Monthly Air Quality Index Levels

Go to AirCentralTexas.org for a more detailed breakdown of air quality conditions by pollutant and location.

Air quality trends in September 2024 were improved compared to those of September 2023, when the region experienced ten good days, 12 moderate days, and eight unhealthy for sensitive groups days.

Access the Air Quality Index (AQI) forecast using most weather apps or visit AirNow.gov for localized information.

Learn how these pollutants can affect public health:

• Particulate Matter
• Ozone

Share the Air Central Texas newsletter with your friends, family, and coworkers to help people understand the risk of poor air quality and how their actions can affect our breathable air.  

Make an air quality commitment to improve our local air quality, today!