Advance Program

Webinars and Training

Upcoming Webinars:

Jan. 19, 2017 1-2pm EST - Sustainability With Trees: Community Canopy Project In this Sustainable City Network Webinar, speakers from the Arbor Day Foundation and the City of Orlando will discuss how a tree distribution to homeowners offers the ability to interact with the community, educate on strategic tree planting, and promote green infrastructure leading to measureable environmental benefits (air quality, stormwater management, energy efficiency). To register

Jan. 25, 2017 2-3pm EST - IdleBox Anti-Idling Resources Join us to hear how your efforts to reduce idling can be supported by the materials and tools available in the recently updated Dept. of Energy Clean Cities IdleBox Toolkit. IdleBox makes it easy to learn about and educate others aobut the benefits of idling reduction, how to implement an idling reduction initiative or campaign, and how to initiate an idling reduction policy or ordinance. A wide range of users can benefit from IdleBox resources, including state, tribal and local government air quality planners; environmental organizations and civic groups committed to improving air quality; and fleets focused on the bottom line.

Intended Audience: States, tribes, and local governments that are participating in the Advance Program
Presenters: Patricia Weikersheimer and Linda Gaines, PhD from Argonne National Laboratory
To register: Send an e-mail to advance@epa.gov and include your name, organization, telephone number, and the number of individuals expected to listen from your location.
More information about the IdleBox toolkit for idling reduction projects

Recorded Webinars:

December 7, 2016 - Proposed 2015 Ozone NAAQS Implementation Rule

Webinar recording

October 27, 2016 - Green Infrastructure and Air Quality

Learn how green infrastructure can improve air quality, reduce local pollutants and provide other environmental and economic benefits in your community. Green infrastructure uses vegetation, soils, and natural processes to manage stormwater by reducing runoff and increasing filtration and retention of runoff. In addition to managing runoff, green infrastructure can improve community livability, improve air quality, reduce heat island effects, reduce electricity use, increase property values, and create local jobs.

Intended Audience: States, tribes, and local governments that are participating in the Advance Program
Presenters: Robyn DeYoung, U.S. EPA Office of Water and Steve Grantham, Tulsa, OK Up With Trees program
More information

September 15, 2016 - Heat Island Effect and Air Quality

The webinar provides Advance Program participants with an overview of the causes and impacts of heat islands and describes strategies that states, tribes, and local governments can implement to help reduce both the heat island effect and ozone levels, including green roofs, trees, and cool pavements.

Intended Audience: States, tribes, and local governments that are participating in the Advance Program
Presenter: Victoria Ludwig, U.S. EPA Office of Atmospheric Programs
More Information

August 10, 2016 - Multi-Pollutant, Risk-Based Air Quality Management Analysis for Upstate South Carolina

This webinar features a multi-pollutant, risk-based analysis conducted by EPA and South Carolina with respect to the Upstate South Carolina area. The analysis evaluated a local control strategy targeting ozone and PM2.5, while at the same time reducing air toxics in order to maximize both health benefits and air quality improvements. The webinar provides an overview of the data and steps needed for such an analysis.

Analyses of this kind can help states, tribes, or local areas assess the strategies they could implement at the local level to improve air quality. The results can be used by decisionmakers to effectively direct resources toward air quality improvement strategies that are the most beneficial from a risk perspective. In addition, the results of this project demonstrate that improving air quality in areas already attaining the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) can yield significant health benefits.

More Information

March 17, 2016 - Ozone Advance Guidance Updates
Updates to the Ozone Advance guidance are needed in order to reflect the new 2015 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). At the same time, other revisions are warranted in order to refresh outdated information and to clarify various issues that have called for further explanation over the years since the program’s inception in 2012. One substantive change would allow areas that are designated nonattainment for a revoked NAAQS, but that are designated attainment for subsequent NAAQS to join the program. This webinar walks through the revisions and provides an explanation for each one.

Intended Audience: State, tribal, and local air agencies that are participating in the Advance Program.
Presenter: Laura Bunte, U.S. EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards
More Information

Nov. 5, 2015 - Safer, More Efficient Wood Stove Heating and LIHEAP
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provided information on wood smoke health impacts, wood stove change outs, the importance of dry wood, and HHS funds through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) that can cover the costs of safe and efficient home heating.

More Information

October 16, 2014 - Air Quality Planning in Austin, Texas; Sharing Lessons Learned
This webinar highlighted the extensive experience of the Austin, Texas area with early air quality planning, including the area’s current participation in Ozone Advance. It covered how the Austin area set air quality goals, engaged stakeholders, developed an outreach plan, and established an approach for tracking and quantifying the local commitments included in the plan. It also covered the types of local measures that are currently being pursued as part of the area’s efforts to maintain air quality.

Presenters: Andrew Hoekzema, Air Quality Program Manager, Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG) Austin, TX, and Pharr Andrews, Air Quality Program Coordinator, Austin Transportation Dept., City of Austin

Webinar Recording
Presentation Materials (PDF) (43pp, 2.6 MB)

June 5, 2014 - Advance Program Update and Louisiana Case Study
The Advance Program is a collaborative effort by EPA, states, tribes, and local governments to encourage emission reductions in ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) attainment areas nationwide to help these areas maintain the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone and PM2.5. Many of the areas participating in the Program have completed their initial planning, including compilation of a “path forward,” and have begun implementing their plans and adjusting them as needed. This webinar provides a general update on what has been accomplished to date, as well as next steps. The webinar also highlights the State of Louisiana’s experience with early air quality planning and the Advance Program in six local areas across the State.

Presenters: Laura Bunte, U.S. EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards and Michael Vince, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality

Webinar Recording
Presentation materials (PDF) (59pp, 1.9 MB)

November 14, 2013 - PM Advance Measures to Address Mobile Sources
PM Advance is a collaborative effort by EPA, states, tribes, and local governments to encourage emission reductions in fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) attainment areas nationwide to maintain the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for PM 2.5. In many PM Advance areas, mobile sources account for a significant portion of total PM 2.5 emissions The webinar provides an overview of some of the types of programs and projects that PM Advance areas may choose to implement to reduce PM 2.5 emissions from mobile sources. The webinar includes maps and data representing mobile source information in PM Advance areas, and an overview of available PM 2.5 reduction programs, incentives and initiatives for mobile sources.

Webinar Recording
Presentation materials (PDF) (49pp, 650k)

September 19, 2013 - Reducing Residential Wood Smoke: Is it Worth it? This webinar describes an analysis of whether an on-bill utility burn-ban subsidy program or modifications to a wood stove replacement grant program would significantly reduce fine particle pollution in the Puget Sound area in Washington. The findings are the result of a joint project between the US EPA, the Environmental Finance Center at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill (EFC), and the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA). The project examined the cost benefit of proposed wood smoke reduction programs for the Tacoma-Pierce County PM2.5 nonattainment area. Jen Weiss of the EFC and Kathy Strange of PSCAA presented.

Webinar recording
Presentation materials (PDF) (72pp, 3.8MB)
For more information about EPA’s wood smoke programs, please visit www.epa.gov/burnwise

June 25, 2013 - Innovative Strategies and Case Studies to Reduce Residential Wood Smoke.
This webinar for state, local and tribal air agency representatives includes the following topics and speakers:

EPA Programs and Tools Available to States, Tribes and Locals (Larry Brockman, EPA)
A Case Study: Responding to a Wood Smoke Health Complaint (Judy Abbott, NY State Dept. of Health)
Residential Wood Smoke Monitoring Kit: A Tool to Consider (George Allen, Northeast States for a Coordinated Air Use Management)
Oregon’s Wood Stove Removal Upon Sale of Home Program: How it Came To Be (Rachel Sakata, Oregon, DEQ)
Wood Smoke Reduction and Public Outreach: Lessons Learned in Pierce County, WA (Melissa Paulson, Puget Sound Clean Air Agency)
- Webinar Recording
- Presentation Materials (PDF) (72pp, 3.8 MB)
- For more information about EPA’s wood smoke programs, please visit www.epa.gov/burnwise

April 11, 2013 - School Flag Program: Resources and Strategies for Reaching out to Schools.
EPA and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) presented a joint webinar on the School Flag Program. Over 180 schools participate in the ADEQ school flag program. The webinar provides a quick overview of the school flag program, discusses ADEQ’s experience, and describes the resources EPA has available, including some guidance for schools that want to start a program. The primary audience for this webinar is State, Tribal and local air agency representatives interested in starting and/or expanding a school flag program. For more information on the EPA’s school flag program, please visit www.airnow.gov/schoolflag. For more information on Arizona’s School Flag Program, please visit http://www.azdeq.gov/ceh/flag.html.

EPA - resources and strategies for reaching out to schools (PDF) (13pp, 884k)
Arizona School Flag program (PDF) (17pp, 182k)

December 19, 2012 - Final 2012 PM National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)

Webinar Recording
Presentation Materials (PDF) (23pp, 370k)

November 29, 2012 - PM Advance
An overview of the draft PM Advance guidance as it stood in November 2012, prior to program rollout. The webinar also describes how areas might benefit from participating, and how timing of PM Advance would relate to the timing of designations for any revised 2012 PM2.5 NAAQS.

Webinar Recording
Presentation Materials (PDF) (17pp, 890k)

November 15, 2012 - Local Resource Conservation and Recovery Strategies that Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Guide (PDF) (40pp, 2.8 MB)

October 25, 2012 - Clean Energy Emission Reduction Opportunities and Resources for Ozone Advance Areas
Clean energy strategies such as energy efficiency (EE), renewable energy (RE), and combined heat and power (CHP) are proven and cost-effective strategies that can reduce ozone precursor emissions associated with the production of electricity from fossil-fuel power plants. The webinar provides an overview of types of clean energy policies and programs Ozone Advance areas can consider as part of their Ozone Advance "path forward." The webinar describes steps for getting started, successful examples and EPA resources available to assess clean energy programs and their emission reduction potential.

The primary audience for this webinar is state, tribal and local air agencies that are participating in the Ozone Advance program, as well as agencies that may be considering joining the program.