Air North Texas, our regional clean air campaign, recognized five local cities and organizations for their efforts to improve air quality throughout the 2018 ozone season, which ended November 30.

Dallas received the Arlo Ambassador Award for advancing the Air North Texas message with their campaign mascot, Arlo the Airmadillo. He is a native North Texan who loves playing outdoors and visiting local sights while being affected by asthma. Dallas branded its air quality alert emails and social media messages with Arlo and featured him in a Clean Air Action Day promotional video made with the help of children at the Mindbender STEAM Summer Camp.

Grand Prairie is the Air North Texas Partner of the Year after implementing a yearlong comprehensive outreach and communications plan centered on Clean Air Action Day, a regionwide event held on the first Friday of every summer to call attention to the actions individuals can take to improve air quality.

Grand Prairie built community and employee engagement through social media posts, air quality alerts, city newsletters and participation in local events to help raise awareness about air quality throughout the year. These efforts culminated with Grand Prairie’s Clean Air Action Day activities, including an art contest for city staff and the city’s annual corporate Clean Air Challenge. Industry leaders Lockheed Martin, PepsiCo and Siemens participated in the challenge, along with local employers such as Fruit of the Earth and Texas General Hospital.

Cedar Hill was awarded for outstanding initiative by featuring Air North Texas in a number of creative campaigns, community events and educational forums. Highlights include EarthX, the region’s largest Earth Day celebration, as well as events in Cedar Hill such as the city’s Earth Day and Environmental Collection Day programs, the I Love Clean Air campaign and the Cedar Hill ISD Back to School Rally.

Hood County Clean Air Coalition (HCCAC) set the standard for clean air advertising in 12 counties. Three public service announcements to promote clean air commitments ran daily on Granbury TV in March, and a PSA encouraging individuals to commit to clean air actions at home aired regularly on local radio stations. The coalition also published ads in two local magazines.

Plano received the award for outstanding outreach for using both traditional and digital strategies to engage residents and businesses. Programs and presentations for local businesses and city employees and volunteers emphasized the steps North Texans can take to improve air quality. SEED, Plano’s Sustainability and Environmental Education Division, partnered with other Air North Texas members to install air quality monitors at two local high schools, providing students the opportunity to learn about the science behind air quality. Plano also featured Air North Texas content on its sustainability and environmental homepage, Live Green in Plano, on social media and numerous city publications.

Air North Texas is one of many strategies designed to improve air quality in the nine North Texas counties striving to meet Environmental Protection Agency standards for ozone pollution. Air quality affects health outcomes and helps preserve the region’s quality of life and economic vitality.

For more information, visit AirNorthTexas.org.