Title:
Breathing Room - Improving Air Quality Beyond the Ozone Health Standard
Summary
ACTION:
Adopt the Breathing Room strategies and timeline
Staff Contact: Leslie Rhodes, Director - Air Quality
Presentation: No
BACKGROUND/JUSTIFICATION:
Despite dramatic improvements in local air quality over the last decade, there are still a few days each year when the Charlotte region experiences poor air quality. That’s why Mecklenburg County Air Quality initiated Breathing Room, in partnership with the N.C. Division of Air Quality and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The goal is to take proactive steps to reduce ozone-forming air pollution and put "breathing room" between our local air quality data and the health standard for ozone.
Breathing Room drew ideas for improving air quality from existing stakeholder-developed plans, like LivableMeck and the Air Quality Commission Review of Air Quality. Staff then sought community input on how to prioritize these voluntary and incentive-based ways to reduce air pollution. Community input, along with information about grant funding and policy priorities, was used to create a “Path Forward”, a list of strategies we will pursue to improve local air quality. See attachment for a brief description of each strategy.
Now (FY20-21)
· Transit Expansion Advocacy
· School Bus Electrification
· Greenway Expansion Advocacy
· Airport Shuttle Electrification
· Ground-Support Equipment Electrification
Next (FY22)
· Complete Streets
· Community Solar
· PACE
Future (FY23+)
· Energy Audit Program
· Zoning: EV Charging Infrastructure
On July 22, 2019, the Mecklenburg County Air Quality commission voted unanimously to recommend that the Board of County Commission (BOCC) endorse the Breathing Room “Path Forward”.
On September 10, 2019, the Breathing Room Path Forward was presented to and unanimously supported by the BOCC Environmental Stewardship Committee.
The final Breathing Room “Path Forward” will...
Click here for full text