A state program helped make a historic building in Fayetteville, North Carolina safer for years to come with the removal of two underground storage tanks (USTs) in November of 2019. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Waste Management worked with the Orange Street School Restoration and Historical Association to have two USTs removed from the property of the Orange Street School. Orange Street School is the oldest public education structure remaining in Fayetteville, and it serves as a reminder of the history of black education in the area.
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The NC Air Awareness team has developed resources for teachers and students to complete from their homes and offices. Most years, the NC Air Awareness staff are busy working directly with students and the public at environmental field days, classroom visits, and public events and Earth Day Celebrations. As these events and invitations to participate evaporated with the COVID-19 crisis, the NC Air Awareness team turned our efforts into creating resources which can be done from home. NEW – Introduction to Air Quality for Educators
Continue ReadingThe NC Division of Air Quality has improved the way in which air quality is forecasted across the state. Starting March 1, 2020, the current ozone season, and beyond, we have updated both the scope and detail of our air quality forecasts.
Continue ReadingWhat do you think of when you think of fire? Camp fires, a fireplace, a wildfire....there are all sorts of fires. While some fire is destructive, other fire is beneficial.
Continue ReadingGood air quality is often one of those things we take for granted. It's not something that we can see, smell, or taste. North Carolina’s air has been improving every year due to the efforts from a variety of groups and individuals. Every day, three hundred and sixty-five days a year, the North Carolina Division of Air Quality (DAQ) works with the state’s citizens to protect and improve outdoor, or ambient, air quality for the health, benefit and economic well-being of all.
Continue ReadingAs we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, we reflect on what we do everyday as an agency, and specifically air quality, to promote the values of this year’s Earth Day theme: climate action. Climate action is more than just using metal straws and recycling a plastic bottle. It involves thinking outside the box with all types of minds to innovate the future that we want. Over the past few years, North Carolina has made strides in improving our state’s air quality, particularly in response to climate change. Ground Level Ozone –
Continue ReadingWith around 9 million vehicles registered in North Carolina, we have a large amount of emissions that affect air quality and contribute to climate change. It can seem overwhelming-how do we address an issue that is so central to our society? The convenience and independence of driving a personal vehicle is necessary for many people; they don’t want to or are unable to consider alternate forms of transportation. Additionally, we have to think about the emergency response teams, transport of goods, buses, and more that are required for our society to function. It’s safe to say vehicles are h
Continue ReadingAs of January 2020, there were just under 9 million vehicles registered in North Carolina. These vehicles include the cars that are driven every day to school, work, the grocery store, the gym...you name it. Vehicle emissions are one of the biggest sources of air pollution in North Carolina, and contribute to both particle pollution and ground level ozone. These pollutants have a negative impact on human health, environmental health, visibility, tourism, and more, not to mention the contribution to climate change. While governmental regulations make a big difference for air pollutant emiss
Continue ReadingEvery year since 2004, the AQ-IQ Contest has given seventh grade students a chance to show off what they know about the air and how to keep it clean. It was started by Margie Mears, Director of the Clean Air Community Trust in Asheville, but has been a statewide competition run by the North Carolina Division of Air Quality since 2014.
Continue ReadingNC Air Awareness, a section of the Division of Air Quality that has been around for some time now; our mission has always been to educate and bring awareness to people’s lifestyle and how their behaviors impact air quality, and thus their health. Our programs reach far and wide from school classrooms across the state, to drivers education coursework to teachers and environmental educators, and a myriad of public events . These include electric car shows, asthma summits, environmental field days, museums, and more – the list is exhaustive.
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