Organization Helps Central Texans Breathe More Easily

DALLAS (U.S. EPA) – The Environmental Protection Agency this week announced that seven organizations from around the country were recognized this month for their efforts to protect health, reduce air pollution and address climate change. One of those organizations was from Texas.

Clean Air Force of Central Texas (CAF) was recognized in the Community Action category for its Clean Air Partners Program.

According to Clean Air Force’s website, the program was a response "to the Austin Gridlockfact that most pollutants creating harmful ground-level ozone pollution in Central Texas are coming from vehicles, both on-road (commuting vehicles) and off-road (construction/lawn/site vehicles and equipment). Since local employers are the main cause for on-road vehicle emissions, the CAF went straight to the source and recruited six major employers in the region to charter the program and help develop strategies to reduce emissions. The six Charter Partners were AMD, Intel, Motorola, Samsung, Solectron and Vignette."

Efforts to clean up the air included encouraging public transit use, vanpooling, carpooling, teleworking, biking and walking.