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The Clean Air Partnership of Middle Tennessee
The Clean Air Partnership of Middle Tennessee is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focused on air quality in the eight-county area including Cheatham, Dickson, Davidson, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson, and Wilson counties. We work to encourage lifestyle changes by promoting concepts like carpooling, mass transit, and regular car maintenance. From air alert notices to finding rideshare partners, CAP is a one-stop information source connecting you with the resources you need to make smart transportation choices.
The mission of the Clean Air Partnership of Middle Tennessee is to improve air quality in our area by ultimately changing transportation habits and other activities that contribute to air pollution.
In March 2008, the EPA tightened its federal ozone standard for the first time in 10 years. Middle Tennessee is at risk of failing to meet this new standard, which could mean serious restrictions on how federal highway funds are spent. These restrictions could negatively affect economic growth in the area, which would have an impact on all Middle Tennesseans.
In addition, if we fail to reduce ozone levels, we’re inviting smog into our lives, which can cause serious respiratory problems, damage plant and animal life, and greatly reduce how far we can see through the air.
We have a lot of work to do.
Because the EPA significantly strengthened its national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) in March 2008 for ground-level ozone, several Middle Tennessee counties are now at risk of not meeting the new standards. Working toward meeting this new standard will improve public health protection and the protection of sensitive trees and plants, fostering an overall healthier environment and increasing the quality of life in Middle Tennessee.
This is where the Clean Air Partnership comes in.
The Clean Air Partnership of Middle Tennessee is the implementing organization for the Air Quality Alert program. We also provide a central contact point for all of the alternative transportation resources in Middle Tennessee. CAP is led by a board of directors composed of representatives from Vanderbilt University, the Metro Health Department, Nashville MTA, Tennessee Department of Transportation, the Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and many others. A complete list follows.
Joan Barnfield, Chair
Tennessee Department of Transportation
Steven Gild, Vice Chair
Vanderbilt University
Jeff Gowdy
J. Gowdy Consulting, LLC
Shannon Hornsby
Tennessee Pediatric Society Foundation
Leslie Meehan
Nashville Area MPO
Vicki Pommer
Community Member
Amanda Carrico
Vanderbilt University
Rob Raney
Metro Public Health Department
Eric Rubinstein
LetterLogic, Inc.
Wendy Smith
Nashville MTA
Michael Vandenbergh
Vanderbilt University
Brad Wood
Bass, Berry & Sims, PLC
Here’s how we got started:
In April 2004, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designated all or parts of 18 counties in Tennessee as “non-attainment” areas for ozone, which means that these areas exceed federal air quality guidelines.
Five of the 18 counties are here in Middle Tennessee: Davidson, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson and Wilson. Because officials of these five counties – plus Cheatham, Dickson and Robertson counties – agreed to work together on an ozone Early Action Compact (EAC), the EPA was willing to postpone the effective date of the non-attainment designation.
This postponement was to remain in effect as long as the eight counties continued to meet the milestones in the EAC and achieved compliance with the ozone standard by spring 2008. Seven out of the 12 milestones involved the choices individuals can make:
- carpool or vanpool
- ride the bus or train
- reduce the number of trips in the car
- ride bikes
- take action on Air Quality Alert days
Failing to meet these milestones would have resulted in the EPA’s withdrawing the postponement and designating Middle Tennessee as non-attainment.
The Clean Air Partnership was formed to help educate the public about these “individual” milestones with help from several stakeholder organizations including:
In November 2006, the EPA reported that the Nashville area was ahead of schedule to reduce ground-level ozone or smog. The air quality monitoring data for the Nashville area has demonstrated that we’ve succeeded in fulfilling the commitments made to the EPA, so the region was designated “attainment” in February 2008, two years ahead of the date required by the Clean Air Act.
Soon after the region gained attainment status, the EPA strengthened the ozone standards, leaving us once again at risk of being designated as a non-attainment area. The Clean Air Partnership has ramped up its efforts to get the community, businesses and individuals involved in reducing the ozone level and improving air quality in Middle Tennessee.
We need your help! If you would like to count yourself or your organization as one of the many leading the way for Tennessee’s air quality, sign up as a Clean Air Partner or contact us.
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