SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency next week will honor the partners behind the Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies project — which reduced ship speeds in the Santa Barbara Channel to cut air pollution and protect endangered whale species — with a national Clean Air Excellence Award. The Clean Air Excellence Awards recognize outstanding efforts to achieve cleaner air. The agencies and organizations who collaborated on this project are one of only a select number of honorees this year.

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Hundreds of local business and community leaders and educators helped celebrate the teachers who earned this year’s Care for Our Earth Grants, as part of the annual Santa Barbara County Education Office (SBCEO) Teachers Network annual Education Celebration held at the Santa Ynez Valley Marriott on Thursday, May 26. Thirty-eight teachers — spanning 26 Santa Barbara County schools — won the 2015-2016 grants, awarded by the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District, Santa Barbara County Education Office, Santa Barbara County Water Agency, Pacific Gas & Electric Company, and Southern California Gas Company.

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — The Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District and Community Environmental Council — along with dozens of supporters and 10 hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles of different makes and models — celebrated the opening of True Zero’s Santa Barbara hydrogen fueling station on Friday, May 13. Supporters include True Zero, California Air Resources Board, California Energy Commission, California Fuel Cell Partnership, Central Coast Clean Cities Coalition, California Governor’s Office, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, and Conserv Fuel.

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — The Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District and Community Environmental Council, along with other supporters and vehicle owners, will celebrate the opening of True Zero’s Santa Barbara hydrogen fueling station on Friday, May 13. Supporters include the California Air Resources Board, California Energy Commission, California Governor’s Office, Central Coast Clean Cities Coalition, and California Fuel Cell Partnership.

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Air Quality Awareness Week starts today, and the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District has clean-air tips to share. Cars and trucks are a major source of smog-forming emissions in our county. “The biggest thing we can do to help reduce smog is to drive less. When we can walk, bike, or take the bus instead of driving, that can make a big difference for air quality,” said Aeron Arlin Genet, District Director and Air Pollution Control Officer. “When we do need to use our cars, there are steps we can take to ensure that our cars are polluting less.”