The City of Longmont highlighted Air Quality Awareness Week, which runs from May 5 to May 9, in their email newsletter that was published this morning. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the week aims to raise awareness about air quality and how individuals can contribute to cleaner air and provides an opportunity for people to learn how they can take action to prepare for and respond to events and environments with poor air quality. The theme for the nationally-celebrated 2025 week is "Stay Air Aware."
The daily topics for each day of the week are as follows, according to the EPA:
Monday, May 5: Wildland Fires and Smoke
Tuesday, May 6: Asthma and Your Health
Wednesday, May 7: Indoor Air Quality
Thursday, May 8: Air, Animals and Plants
“Poor air quality affects everyone,” the City of Longmont said in its newsletter. “Some people, including those with asthma and outdoor workers, are particularly at risk from ozone pollution and wildfire smoke. Luckily, there is a lot you can do to protect your lungs, including signing up for air quality alerts, adjusting your schedule when the air is unhealthy, replacing outdated lawn equipment, riding bikes and switching to cleaner electric cars.”
The city has a webpage specifically designed for highlighting their sustainability objective to “improve air quality to protect public and environmental health.”
“One of the best things about Longmont is the view of Mount Meeker and Longs Peak from just about anywhere in town,” the city said on its website. “However, air pollution because of transportation, building operations, and industrial activities not only obscures our mountain views but also negatively affects public health, decreasing everyone’s quality of life and increasing healthcare costs. Integrating sustainable practices into how we manage building operations, transportation, industrial activities, and waste streams improves air quality across the city.”
The page lists ways in which Longmont aims to achieve improving air quality, including increasing inspections of emissions from oil and gas sites, expanding air quality monitoring and improving access to information about air quality, develop programs and participate in regional efforts to reduce ozone emissions, and adopting and enforcing leak detection and repair associated with oil and gas operations. The site also lists resources and ideas for individuals who hope to personally reduce their negative impacts on the environment and air quality.
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