Campus works to preserve air quality on ‘Clean Air Action Days’

Another Clean Air Action Day has been scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 2, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison will again employ a number of measures to help safeguard local air quality.

To help reduce ground-level ozone levels, the university takes a number of actions, such as avoiding fueling and travel, if possible. And there are other ways that the campus community can reduce ozone-causing emissions.

On Clean Air Actions Days, Madison Metro provides free bus service to encourage people to leave their cars at home.

Clean Air Action Days also provide an opportunity to promote awareness of a number of existing campus programs which encourage use of more environmentally friendly means of transportation.

For example, all UW–Madison faculty, staff and students are eligible for passes that allow them unlimited bus rides throughout the year. The university also provides a park-and-ride program, car and van pools, a free on-campus bus, flex parking, a bicycle program and a partnership with Community Car for a car-sharing program.

The university is a founding partner in the Dane County Clean Air Coalition, which called the alert. The coalition is a group of government agencies, business and citizens working to voluntarily reduce air pollution and ensure that Dane County continues to meet state and federal air quality standards.

During a Clean Air Action Day, university employees are instructed to postpone travel, keep tight seals on solvents, turn off delivery vehicles at every stop, and avoid “jack-rabbit” starts. Signs will be posted on fuel pumps, urging postponement of fill-ups, if possible.

In addition, grounds crews will refrain from chipping mulch and running chain saws, delay hedge-trimming or use hand tools, and limit mowing and using power equipment with two-stroke, gasoline-powered engines. And, floor stripping, waxing and painting with solvent-based paints will be delayed. Schedules of ground crews are also changed to ensure that mowing is done with equipment with better emissions ratings.

According to the coalition, individuals can also help reduce ozone formation by taking some simple steps in their personal lives, such as delaying lawn mowing with gas-powered equipment and refueling of vehicles until after 6 p.m., avoiding overfilling gas tanks and reducing the use of air conditioning and lighting.

For more information on Clean Air Action Days, visit the coalition’s website at http://www.cleanairdane.org.