The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently recognized the seven winners of the 2016 Clean Air Excellence Awards with a ceremony in Washington, D.C., including three groups based in Southern California.
The awards, which were established in 2000, are designed to honor state, local, tribal and private sector programs that work to improve air quality or reduce air pollutants and emissions through public education. The EPA and the Clean Air Advisory Committee serve as judges.
The Southern California winners for this year include the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District, in Santa Barbara, for its Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies project; the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District, in Bishop, for its Owens Lake project; and the University of California at Irvine Transportation Services, in Irvine, for its Sustainable Transportation project. These projects reduced emissions and air pollution by a combined 96,500 tons.
“Our winners from the public and private sectors have shown true environmental leadership,” EPA Acting Deputy Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest Deborah Jordan said. “We applaud these pioneering efforts to cut harmful air pollution and improve public health through a range of innovative approaches.”
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