The Clean Air Consortium

The Clean Air Consortium is an initiative of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to reduce air pollution that results from the use of lawn and building maintenance equipment and products (lawnmowers, leaf blowers, paint, etc.). Started in 2003, the Clean Air Consortium asks cities and counties in the Bay Area to sign voluntary agreements (pdf) to reduce ozone-producing emissions on Spare the Air days.

Cities and counties who sign the voluntary agreement pledge to reschedule the use of gasoline powered lawn and garden equipment, forgo surface coating and painting projects and postpone refueling vehicles until the end of the day on Spare the Air days, using a Clean Air Consortium Checklist (pdf) provided by the Air District.

Participating cities and counties designate a contact person to receive Spare the Air notices and to provide feedback on their clean air efforts. The idea behind the project is that the Air District will learn from cities and counties what barriers (scheduling difficulties, getting the word out in the field, etc.) exist to reducing pollution from lawn and building maintenance activities.

The Air District in turn is committed to working with cities and counties to find ways to overcome these barriers. With cities and counties serving as role models, this project can pave the way to broader behavioral change by citizens and private companies.