Air Quality Action Program

The Air Quality Action Program is designed to educate people in the community about the health effects of ground-level ozone (Air Quality Guide for Ozone) and fine particles (Air Quality Guide for Particulate Pollution), the two pollutants that pose the greatest threat to human health in this country, and citizens’ actions to help mitigate the effects of these pollutants. The program also informs citizens of the tremendous economic impact associated with non-attainment of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. The ultimate goal of the program is to help clean the air by reducing emissions of particle pollutants and of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), essential precursors in the formation of ground-level ozone.

The Alabama Partners for Clean Air (APCA) is a consortium of organizations in Jefferson and Shelby Counties dedicated to the mission of this program, with the Jefferson County Department of Health being a partner in the organization. Funding for the Air Quality Action Program is made possible through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) program with matching funds from some of the members of APCA. Established under the Federal Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (originally TEA-21), the CMAQ program is designed to substantially expand the focus and purpose of federal transportation funding assistance to include air quality improvement as a specific objective.