Follow us on:

Major Initiatives:

Air Quality and Asthma

Air pollution is a serious health issue in Indiana, whether indoor or outdoor, urban, suburban or rural.  While the state has made great progress in improving air quality in many areas and for certain pollutants, levels of other contaminants remain at unhealthy levels, at least on some days of the year. Poor air quality can do real harm, especially to children with weak pulmonary systems such as asthma.  Air quality in Indiana is affected by both local and long-range sources of air emissions. 

Former IKE Executive Director Janet McCabe is now a national leader in improving air quality. Listen to a U.S. EPA podcast featuring Janet, now Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator of the EPA Office of Air and Radiation. She discusses the link between air quality and asthma problems and the importance of ensuring a clean air environment for children. She also discusses the importance of sun safety and protection against damaging UV rays. To read a transcript of the podcast on EPA's webiste, click here.

IKE's efforts to improve air quality include:

• Advocacy at the federal, state and local levels for rules that will reduce emissions of air pollutants

• Participation in IDEM's Utility Rules Workgroup, working on rules to reduce emissions of mercury, NOx and SO2 from Indiana's coal-fired power plants

• Member of the Indiana Joint Asthma Coalition and CoChair of the Environmental Subcommittee

• Member of USEPA's Clean Air Act Advisory Committee

• Working with elementary schools to reduce air emissions from vehicle idling through our Smart Schools Don't Idle program

• Reporting on the Indiana State Department of Health's inspections of Indoor Air Quality in Schools

• Results of asthma awareness survey conducted by IKE in partnership with the Indiana Builders' Association

• IKE and City of Indianapolis launch Smart Schools Don't Idle to reduce asthma at elementary schools! (6/16/06)

 **IDEM PULLS FUNDING FROM LOCAL AIR AGENCIES

FACT SHEET ON INDIANAPOLIS HERE 

Information on air quality in Indiana, including daily forecasts of air quality in your community,  is available through:

City of Indianapolis Knozone Program, Indiana Department of Environmental Management Smogwatch, Toxwatch, and the Air Monitoring Branch

PM2.5 daily and annual air quality values for Indiana monitors through 2008 are available here

Other good resources for information on air quality and the impacts of air quality on health include:

The Indiana Joint Asthma Coalition

The American Lung Association

The United States Environmental Protection Agency

The Indiana State Department of Health

The Asthma Alliance of Indianapolis