NDEP celebrates National Air Quality Awareness Week

Spring is in the air, a time to open the windows, soak in the season’s colorful blooms and explore Nevada’s inspiring natural surroundings. In recognition of National Air Quality Awareness Week, April 29 to May 3, the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection is encouraging Nevadans to “Check the AQI and Get Outside.” Throughout Air Quality Awareness Week, NDEP will share helpful information and resources about Nevada’s air quality on the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources blog, dcnr.nv.gov/blogs. Look for new air quality related themes each day.

At NDEP, the goal is to promote air quality awareness and encourage local communities to check the Air Quality Index to decide when it’s best to be active outside.

The AQI is a tool public agencies use to report daily air quality, and it is derived from real-time measurements. The AQI helps the public understand what local air quality means for its health. For clarity and accessibility, the AQI is divided into six levels of health concern: good, moderate, unhealthy for sensitive groups, unhealthy, very unhealthy and hazardous. As part of this effort, NDEP issues air quality forecasts every day to help Nevadans and visitors plan their outdoor adventures. Nevadans can check the forecast for their area at airnow.gov and sign up for email alerts and daily air quality forecasts at www.enviroflash.com.

“The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection is dedicated to ensuring our residents can live, work and play in a healthy, thriving environment,” said Danilo Dragoni, chief of the Bureau of Air Quality Planning within NDEP. “In keeping with clean-air best practices, we strive to support Nevada’s vast outdoor recreational opportunities, vibrant landscapes, and unique ecosystems — today and for generations to come.”