Air aware: County, state stride to reduce air pollution

  • County Commissioner Terry Cook, left, reads the proclamation to designate May 5 - 9 as Air Quality Awareness Week during the May 6 commissioners court meeting. Photo by Nalani Nuylan.
    County Commissioner Terry Cook, left, reads the proclamation to designate May 5 - 9 as Air Quality Awareness Week during the May 6 commissioners court meeting. Photo by Nalani Nuylan.

    Williamson County commissioners designated May 5-9 as Air Quality Awareness Week. 

    Air quality in the Austin Metropolitan Statistical Area was classified as “moderate or worse” for nearly half of the days in 2024, according to the Air Quality Index. 

    Air quality is affected by the amount of pollutants in the air, which can include ground-level ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide. Th…