To mitigate outdoor air pollution and protect public health, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management coordinates the Partners for Clean Air Program in Northwest Indiana. The program is a coalition of industries, local governments, and community members that use voluntary actions to reduce harmful air pollutants, such as ozone and particulate matter. Members develop Air Quality Action Plans to be implemented on Air Quality and Ozone Action Days.
| Action | Applicable Resources |
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Identified a target audience for distributing outreach materials and a target season for improving outdoor air quality
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Developed and distributed outreach and education materials to community members and industry leaders
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Established a scholarship program to increase awareness among younger generations
| Northwest Indiana Partners for Clean offers one or more scholarship award(s) in the amount of $2,500 to high school seniors annually.
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The World Health Organization estimates that ambient air pollution contributes to 4.2 million deaths per year due to chronic respiratory diseases, lung cancer, stroke, and heart disease. Climate change worsens outdoor air quality by increasing particulate matter and ground-level ozone.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management coordinates the Partners for Clean Air program to educate Northwest Indiana communities about ambient air quality and Air Quality Action Days.
In 1998, the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission established the Partners for Clean Air program after they were selected to be 1 of 14 demonstration communities to conduct outdoor air quality public education. In 2005, the program was transferred over to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
Partners for Clean Air is a coalition of Northwest Indiana businesses, local governments, and individuals that are committed to reducing harmful air pollutants through Air Quality Action Plans. Additionally, Partners for Clean Air provides members with up-to-date information about regional air quality issues. There are four membership levels that are available on an annual basis — Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Green. Each level has different commitments and benefits. All members, regardless of level, are responsible for developing and implementing an Air Quality Action plan during Air Quality Action Days.
While the Indiana Department of Environmental Management coordinates and runs Partners for Clean Air, the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission distributes outreach and education materials to Northwest Indiana cities and South Shore Clean Cities manages the social media accounts, develops marketing materials, and coordinates press releases.
To expand community involvement and overall awareness, Partners for Clean Air hosts events at various venues, such as sporting events and county fairs. They distribute flyers, tip sheets, pens, bags, and brochures. To increase engagement with younger generations, Partners for Clean Air runs an annual scholarship program for outstanding students.
In 2021, the Northwest Indiana Partners for Clean Air program had a budget of $35,000. The program acquires most of its funding through membership fees; gold level members contribute a minimum of $2,000 and silver members contribute a minimum of $1,000 annually. In 2020, the program had eight gold-level members and three silver-level members.
Additionally, the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission covers 80 percent of the cost of outreach and promotional materials purchased by Partners for Clean Air; this is done through grant funding given to the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission from the United States Department of Energy.
The Northwest Partners for Clean Air program was developed in the 1998 and remains active today.
Due to the historically poor air quality in Northwest Indiana, the Partners for Clean Air program was specifically developed to improve outdoor air quality within the region. While the program itself is not directed at vulnerable communities, most outreach events take place in demographics already subjected to environmental injustices.
In 2021, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management intends to ask the Partners for Clean Air steering committee to enhance outreach efforts to better serve these communities. Ideas include holding more events targeted at vulnerable populations and developing outreach materials in languages other than English.
In 2021, the Partners for Clean Air program had 19 members; there are nine businesses, five governmental agencies, and five individuals. Specifically, there are eight gold-level, three silver-level, and seven bronze-level members committed to reducing harmful air pollutants.
To limit air pollutants, there is a list of voluntary actions members have taken, such as reducing driving, conserving energy, and avoiding excessive idling on Air Quality Action Days. For businesses, some members have designated a workplace coordinator for Air Quality Action Days, started an in-office rideshare program, and used telecommuting and teleconferencing. Together, these actions have assisted in improving the air quality of Northwest Indiana.
The biggest challenge for the Northwest Indiana Partners for Clean Air has been encouraging small entities and individuals, with limited resources, to join the program and improve their local air quality through voluntary actions. Since many individuals view ambient air pollution as a problem caused solely by large industrial facilities, with significant emissions, many individuals do not believe their actions will impact local air quality. To overcome this challenge, the program continues to educate community members about air pollution and highlight daily actions residents can take to limit their air pollution.
Additionally, as the program’s outreach efforts are mainly targeted at adults and industry leaders, it has historically struggled to communicate its message to youth. To increase youth engagement, the program established college scholarships that assist qualified students who have educational goals aligned with clean air and public health.
These questions are designed to inspire readers—especially those wanting to learn broadly about climate change solutions—to think critically about the case study on this page and encourage deeper, more meaningful conversations. A list of ERIT case studies that include discussion questions can be found on the Resilient Communities Case Studies page.
Charles Breitenfeldt
Partners for Clean Air Coordinator
chbreite@idem.IN.gov
Indiana Department of Environmental Management
(219) 250-0119
To see how the City of Cincinnati developed an Air Quality Advisory Action Plan for their city operations, view the Cincinnati case study.
