FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 4, 2021
(PDF)
(En español)
Contact:
Lyz Bantilan, Public Information Officer, (805) 961-8819
National Air Quality Awareness Week
New and improved APCD website — Sign up for air quality text alerts
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. — For National Air Quality Awareness Week (May 3-7), Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) will provide information to learn more about our air quality.
Today, APCD will provide information about new tools and resources on our revamped website. Yesterday, APCD provided an overview of where Santa Barbara County stands with certain pollutants. All week, you can follow our social media (@OurAirSBC on Twitter and Instagram) for more resources.
APCD is excited to announce its revamped website, www.OurAir.org. Taking into account feedback from the public, APCD staff worked with local website design professionals to enhance popular features, add important new resources, and improve the overall look and navigational tools across desktop and mobile displays. A local photographer also captured images of Santa Barbara County’s diverse landscapes to feature throughout the website. Below is a list of some of the other new elements:
- In addition to providing hourly Air Quality Index (AQI) conditions for each permanent air quality monitoring station in the county, the website also displays a rolling 24 hours’ worth of AQI conditions for every pollutant measured at each station.
- This page also shows the daily air quality forecast for different zones throughout the county, with projections for three days at a time.
- The website homepage now shows an at-a-glance summary of hourly air quality conditions.
Enhanced resources during wildfires:
- We wanted to provide a one-stop-shop webpage for smoke-related resources, for the next time wildfire smoke affects Santa Barbara County. A new splash page will take over the homepage during any future wildfires or other significant air quality incidents. The splash page will provide air quality data, considerations for protecting health, and links to related information.
- We also have expanded your options for receiving air quality alerts. In addition to being able to receive alerts via our email listserv, you can now sign up to receive text messages.
Enhanced accessibility:
- We have consistently provided bilingual news releases, air quality alerts, and other outreach materials. Now, many popular webpages are fully translated into Spanish and available in a dedicated, central location:
- English webpages that are available in Spanish also have a toggle link at the top that directs to the Spanish version.
- We will continue to work to make additional webpages available in Spanish.
- The new website also continues to ensure that information presented meets the latest Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines.
Online complaints form:
- In addition to being able to submit air pollution complaints via phone, people can now submit complaints via a new online form.
- More information about APCD’s complaint process is found here: OurAir.org/complaints.
Online payments:
- We are accepting payments online. Those interested in paying online can find full instructions on our website.
- For further questions, please contact APCD fiscal staff at (805) 961-8823.
“We hope these new tools and resources, available with a more streamlined look and feel, make it easier for everyone to be aware of local air quality conditions, understand how they can participate in our programs, and contact us with any questions,” said APCD Director, Aeron Arlin Genet.
