Clean Air Council

CLEAN AIR COUNCIL IS A PUBLICLY SUPPORTED ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATION SERVING PENNSYLVANIA AND SURROUNDING REGIONS. IT IS DEDICATED TO PROTECTING AND DEFENDING EVERYONES RIGHT TO BREATHE CLEAN AIR.

GLOBAL WARMING EDUCATION: THE COUNCIL PARTICIPATED IN A CLIMATE ACTION RALLY IN WASHINGTON DC AND ADVOCATED FOR THE PASSAGE OF THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT, WHICH INCLUDES PROVISIONS TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE. IT LED A CLIMATE RESILIENCY EFFORT WITH COMMUNITIES IN SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA, HELPING THEM ADVOCATE FOR PROJECTS IN THEIR LOCALITIES THAT WILL MITIGATE THE EXPECTED IMPACT FROM CLIMATE CHANGE. ALSO UNDER ITS CLIMATE RESILIENCY WORK THE COUNCIL COMMENTED ON A NUMBER OF PHILADELPHIA AREA STORMWATER PERMITS TO ENSURE THEY CONSIDERED THE EXPECTED RAINFALL INCREASE DUE TO GLOBAL WARMING. THE COUNCIL CONTINUED TO PUSH PHILADELPHIAS HEATING FUEL UTILITY PGW TO TRANSITION AWAY FROM NATURAL GAS AS A FUEL AND VOICED OPPOSITION TO SPECIFIC SITES WHERE NEW GAS BOILERS ARE BEING PROPOSED SUCH IS IN INDEPENDENCE HALL. ALSO, IT ORGANIZED PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR EPA TO FURTHER REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS FROM NEW AND EXISTING POWER PLANTS.

OTHER EDUCATION: CLEAN AIR COUNCIL CONTINUED TO REDUCE TOBACCO SMOKE POLLUTION BY WORKING WITH APARTMENTS, SCHOOL CAMPUSES AND OTHER MULTI-UNIT HOUSING STRUCTURES TO GO SMOKE-FREE ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA. IT ADVOCATED AGAINST A PENNSYLVANIA LAW THAT WOULD PREEMPT LOCAL TOWNSHIPS FROM BANNING PLASTIC BAGS.

OUTDOOR AIR QUALITY EDUCATION: CLEAN AIR COUNCIL MAINTAINED ITS PROGRAM TO ADDRESS THE AIR QUALITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS FROM MARCELLUS SHALE NATURAL GAS EXTRACTION, PROCESSING, AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND FROM PETROCHEMICAL FACILITIES. ITS SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY OPPOSITION TO AND PARTICIPATION IN LITIGATION AGAINST THE PROPOSED RENOVO ENERGY CENTER NATURAL GAS POWER PLANT IN NORTH CENTRAL PA RESULTED IN THE OPERATOR WITHDRAWING ITS PLAN. IT ORGANIZED THE PUBLIC TO OPPOSE A SPECIAL PERMIT TO ALLOW LNG TO BE TRANSPORTED BY RAIL ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA. THAT PERMIT WAS DENIED. IT ALSO ORGANIZED RESIDENTS IN PHILADELPHIA TO OPPOSE A PROPOSED LNG EXPORT TERMINAL. IT FOUGHT WITH SUNOCO TO ADHERE TO STRONGER PIPELINE REGULATIONS. THE COUNCIL FOUGHT PERMITTING FOR THE PROPOSED ENCINA PLASTIC PLANT IN NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. IN PITTSBURGH, THE COUNCIL CONTINUED TO EDUCATE AND TRAIN RESIDENT WATCHDOG GROUPS TO PUSH LOCAL OFFICIALS TO REDUCE AIR POLLUTION.

TRANSPORTATION EDUCATION: THE COUNCIL CONTINUED TO PROMOTE USE OF ITS GOPHILLYGO REGIONAL MULTI-MODAL CARLESS TRIP-PLANNING WEBSITE. CLEAN AIR COUNCIL ENCOURAGED PHILADELPHIA EMPLOYERS TO PROVIDE FREE OR HEAVILY SUBSIDIZED PUBLIC TRANSIT ACCESS AS A BENEFIT TO THEIR EMPLOYEES THROUGH THE SEPTA KEY ADVANTAGE PROGRAM. IT ENCOURAGED DRIVERS TO SWITCH TO PAY-PER-MILE AUTO INSURANCE, WHICH INCENTIVIZES DRIVING LESS. THE COUNCIL CONTINUED TO ORGANIZE TWO DIFFERENT MONTH-LONG CYCLING CHALLENGES EACH YEAR WITH LOVE TO RIDE IN ORDER TO ENCOURAGE MORE BIKE-RIDING. ITS FEET FIRST PHILLY PROGRAM INCREASED THE NUMBER OF PEDESTRIAN ENHANCEMENT MINI-GRANTS IT AWARDED IN PHILADELPHIA THIS YEAR.