Air Quality
The Air Quality Program is composed of two sections: Enforcement and Monitoring. Enforcement focuses on conducting inspections of businesses and responding to citizen concerns. The monitoring section monitors pollution with a monitoring network and oversees necessary repair, maintenance, and quality-control activities.
Report concerns
During regular business hours call (915) 543-3599
After hours contact the Complaint Hotline at (915) 771-5812
Additional Information
Ozone Action Days
On days when ozone is expected to be high you can take the following actions to help protect your health and the environment:
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Conserve electricity and set your air conditioner at a higher temperature.
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Choose a cleaner commute—share a ride to work or use public transportation. Bicycle or walk to errands when possible.
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Refuel cars and trucks after dusk.
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Combine errands and reduce trips.
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Limit engine idling.
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Use household, workshop, and garden chemicals in ways that keep evaporation to a minimum, or try to delay using them when poor air quality is forecast.
High Pollution Days
On days when pollution is expected to be high you can take the following actions to help protect your health and the environment:
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Reduce or eliminate fireplace and wood stove use.
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Avoid using gas-powered lawn and garden equipment.
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Avoid burning leaves, trash and other materials.
Help Reduce Air Pollution
There are actions every one of us can take to reduce air pollution, keep the air cleaner and protect our health. These tips will help reduce air pollution and help you determine ways to protect your family's health when ozone or levels reach the unhealthy range.
Drive Wise | Home | Lawn and Garden
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Car Pool
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Maintain Your Vehicle. Proper vehicle care that follows manufacturers' recommended maintenance guidelines reduces emissions, extends the vehicle's life, increases its resale value, and optimizes its fuel economy. Fixing a vehicle that has failed an emissions test can improve its gas mileage by an average of 4 percent.
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Check and replace a clogged air filter to improve your car's gas mileage.
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Don’t top off your gas tank and overfill it. Topping off your gas tank is bad for the environment and your wallet.
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Emissions are highest when a vehicle is started "cold." Starting a 5-mile trip with after a car has been sitting for more than an hour generates 50% more volatile organic compounds and 17% more nitrogen oxides than starting up when the engine is warm.
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Keeping tires properly inflated can improve gas mileage.
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When fueling, avoid "topping off" the tank – that is, dispensing a little more gasoline into the tank after the pump automatically clicks off – because it allows more fuel to escape as vapor and increases the possibility of spilling fuel on the ground where it will evaporate into the air.
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Avoid Idling. Extended idling is not an effective way to "warm up" a modern vehicle's engine. The best way to warm up the engine is to drive the vehicle. For the computer-controlled, fuel-injected engines found in most modern vehicles, no more than 30 seconds of idling should be needed; this is enough to circulate oil through the engine. Idling for long periods of time, such as while waiting in line at a drive-through, can burn more gasoline and create more polluting emissions than turning off and then re-starting the vehicle.
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Drive a Cleaner Vehicle. The Green Vehicle Guide on the EPA website provides information about the fuel efficiency and emissions ratings of new vehicles.
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Drive the Speed Limit. A vehicle burns more gas and emits more pollution when quickly accelerated, driven fast, climbing a grade, carrying extra weight, or the engine is being revved.
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Drive Less. You can drive less by combining trips, carpooling, using public transit, and choosing clean transportation alternatives such as biking or walking.
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Use environmentally safe paints and cleaning products whenever possible. Some products that you use at your home are made with smog-forming chemicals that can evaporate into the air when you use them. Follow manufacturers' recommendations for use and properly seal cleaners, paints, and other chemicals to prevent evaporation into the air.
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Conserve electricity. Consider setting your thermostat a little higher in the summer and lower in winter. Participate in local energy conservation programs. Look for the ENERGY STAR label when buying home or office equipment.
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Consider using gas logs instead of wood. If you use a wood-burning stove or fireplace insert, make sure it meets EPA design specifications. Burn only dry, seasoned wood.
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Mulch or compost leaves are yard waste. Compost is organic material that can be used as a soil supplement or as a medium to grow plants. Using compost can reduce the need for water, fertilizers, and pesticides. Composting also extends landfill life by diverting organic materials from landfills and provides a less costly alternative to conventional methods of cleaning contaminated soil.
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Learn about the City of El Paso
Mulch Program
