Clean Air Counts

Since 2002 the Village has been a member of Clean Air Counts. Clean Air Counts is a northeastern Illinois regional initiative to reduce ozone-causing emissions, thereby improving air quality and enabling economic development.

It is a collaborative effort between the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, City of Chicago, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5, and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. This multi-year initiative seeks to achieve specific and significant reductions in targeted smog-forming pollutants and major reductions in energy consumption.

In February 2007, Village received the Platinum award from the Clean Air Counts program.

In receiving the award, program administrators pointed to the Village’s educational outreach efforts including the 2004 Village vehicle sticker that featured the Clean Air Counts logo. Other notable initiatives included specifying low VOC (volatile organic compound) products, use of energy efficient lighting and motion sensors, and several events – coordinated by the Public Works Department – that promote Clean Air like the lawncare buyback program and gas can exchange program. Through these efforts, the Village has a documented pollution reduction level of 1,467 pounds.