Breathing polluted air can pose serious health risks. As late as the 1980s, air pollution regularly blanketed the metropolitan Washington region on hot and humid summer days. The region has made tremendous progress in its air quality thanks to more than a decade of actions at the federal, state, and local government levels; however, there is still more work to be done to reduce pollution further.
COG, through the Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee (MWAQC), coordinates regional air quality planning activities, reviews policies, resolves policy differences, and adopts air quality plans for transmittal to the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. MWAQC members include area elected officials, environmental directors, and state air management and transportation officials. COG has also been providing regional air quality forecasts since the 1970s, and its Clean Air Partners program educates people on ways to reduce air pollution and protect their health.
Featured Content
Air Quality Progress Dashboard
Data showing region's progress in improving air quality.
What We Can Do to Improve Air Quality in the Metropolitan Washington Region
Report presenting a menu of options to help achieve no unhealthy air days in the region compiled by COG staff for the Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee and the Air and Climate Public Advisory Committee.
News & Multimedia
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News
May 23, 2013
Action by Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee final step in getting recognition from EPA of the region’s progress in cleaning up the air.
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News
April 29, 2013
Group holding regional events to spur public interest in air quality in time for 2013 ozone season.
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News
April 23, 2013
Diesel engines especially older ones generate a lot of pollutants. That black smoke you see pumping out of trucks buses and boats produces major negative...
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News
February 26, 2013
The annual process of updating the region's constrained long-range transportation plan, or CLRP, started last October when the Transportation Planning Board...
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News
February 19, 2013
In 2005 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said our region was not meeting its fine particle (PM 2.5) pollution standards. This meant pollution levels...