Month: October 2023

Headquartered in Lake Saint Louis, Mo., MTM is a medical and transportation management company whose mission is to partner with clients in developing innovative solutions for accessing healthcare, increasing independence, and connecting community resources in the most cost-effective manner. MTM demonstrates a strong commitment to sustainability and actively takes steps to reduce its carbon footprint and make a positive impact in the community. Last year, MTM earned the esteemed title of St. Louis Green Business Challenge Champion for completing work with the Leader scorecard and committing to continued implementation of deeper sustainability strategies.

“At MTM, initiatives related to sustainability and protecting our environment are the threads weaving our existence,” said Alaina Maciá, President and CEO of MTM. “We think carefully about our approach to sustainability, and we are proud to lead the transportation industry in mitigating the impacts of climate change through more sustainable transportation solutions. We have a long way to go, but we’re taking significant steps to reduce our carbon footprint and make a positive impact on our industry, and our Earth as a whole, as we seek to make transportation more sustainable for future generations.”

During the 2022 Challenge, MTM implemented a new transit per diem incentivizing staff to utilize public transportation or rideshare services as an alternative to car rental while traveling for business, which helps to reduce the number of vehicles on the road and largely benefits air quality. As an added bonus, the company offered a travel training program with partners like Metro Transit in St. Louis and other U.S. public transit agencies to educate riders on using these public services safely and effectively. MTM also conducted a social media and internal campaign to gain valuable insight on what employees love most about telecommuting and how it supports sustainability efforts.

Other noteworthy accomplishments include an update to the headquarters roof with a heat-reflecting, white silicone coating and installation of a higher efficiency air conditioning system. To further reduce waste and environmental impact, MTM introduced water bottle filling stations and provided employees with glass water bottles and reusable coffee mugs. Several staff members committed to practicing sustainability outside the workplace as well by participating in Earth Month activities and plastic-free challenges, eating more vegan meals, completing at-home energy and waste audits and more.

The Clean Air Partnership is pleased to recognize the efforts of businesses such as MTM, Inc. that continue to take action for cleaner air by channeling their time and energy towards practicing sustainability. For more information on the sustainable efforts underway by MTM and how your organization or municipality can get involved in the Challenge, subscribe to the bi-monthly E-Newsletter or visit stlouisgreenchallenge.com. To learn more about the link between sustainability and air quality, explore the Clean Air Partnership’s website, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @gatewaycleanair.

As the Clean Air Partnership continues to spotlight local municipalities utilizing innovative approaches to create environments with cleaner air and educate their residents on the importance of leading a greener lifestyle, this month we’re pleased to recognize the great work underway by the Village of Glen Carbon.

Located just 14 miles northeast of the City of St. Louis and home to nearly 14,000 residents, Glen Carbon continues to pursue various strategies to be a more sustainable community and uphold their rich tradition of being a great place to live, work and play. In 2022, the Village received the Award of Achievement in the Green Cities Challenge, where participants advance their green efforts by implementing a sustainability policy and practicing fundamentals, including addressing measures defined by OneSTL, the regional plan for sustainable development.

“The Green Cities Challenge has provided us with the opportunity and resources to enhance the environment and quality of life for the residents of Glen Carbon,” said John Slosar and Chris Krusa, co-chairs of the Glen Carbon Cool Cities Committee. “We are grateful to the organizers and co-participants in the Challenge for their help in making Glen Carbon a greener and healthier place to live.”

Among the many accomplishments that helped earn Glen Carbon recognition in the 2022 St. Louis Green Cities Challenge is the expansion of its community garden and Mayor Marcus’ Tree Giveaway that distributed 500 conservation-grade, bare-root native species trees to Glen Carbon residents and local elementary schools. The Village also received a Trees Forever grant to plant 14 new native trees in area parks, which significantly benefits outdoor air quality by releasing oxygen into the atmosphere.

Moreover, Glen Carbon worked to develop an ordinance requiring electric vehicle (EV) charging stations that not only help to reduce the dependency on fossil fuels but also reduce harmful carbon emissions. The Village’s five-person Cool Cities Committee meets once a month and promotes city-specific action plans such as this that are designed to reduce global warming pollution and improve quality of life for residents and the planet. Additionally, the Village began investigating the possibility of a prairie restoration at Greenspace East, which covers 80 acres between Old Troy Road and Route 159 with 9,500 feet of asphalt trails designed for air quality-friendly activities like walking, hiking and jogging.

For more information on the sustainable efforts underway by the Village of Glen Carbon and how your municipality can get involved in the Challenge, subscribe to the bi-monthly E-Newsletter or visit stlouisgreenchallenge.com. To learn more about the link between sustainability and air quality, explore the Clean Air Partnership’s website, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @gatewaycleanair.

Air quality forecasting was extended through the mid-point of this month after an abnormal summer. While the season began with news that the St. Louis region had once again escaped being ranked among the top 25 most-polluted U.S. cities, it’s still clear we struggle with unfavorable air quality here in the bi-state area. Despite the fact that air quality may not be top of mind when the temperature outside cools down and ozone pollution levels in the region drop, it remains extremely important to continue the fight for cleaner air all year-round.

A look back over the past several months reveals that our air quality took a hit earlier in the forecasting season than usual as we experienced a record-breaking heat wave with temperatures exceeding 100 degrees and the heat index topping 110+ degrees for six days in a row. That now ties the second-longest streak of extreme temperatures in the region’s history. Additionally, high ozone days and spikes in particle pollution due to Canadian wildfire smoke that caused some of the worst air quality ever in New York and other U.S. cities also negatively impacted St. Louis’ air quality several days this summer. These factors largely contributed to the 14 orange air quality days and singular red day in the region where conditions were unhealthy for sensitive populations, including children, older adults, people who work or exercise outdoors, and those with existing lung disease or cardiovascular disease.

From the beginning of May through Oct. 15, green was the dominant color with 77 days where the air quality was good, followed by 76 yellow or moderate air quality days. While this is positive news overall for the region, there is still much work to be done in the long-term quest for cleaner air to protect our local communities from the growing risks to public health resulting from increased levels of ozone and particle pollution. The Clean Air Partnership encourages area residents to remain steadfast in their efforts to take voluntary steps to reduce ozone-forming emissions 365 days a year, such as taking transit, carpooling, telecommuting, avoiding vehicle idling, not topping off your gas tank and combining errands into a single trip. Together, we can continue to make great strides in improving the quality of the air we all breathe!

Air quality forecasting will resume in May 2024. In advance of that, individuals can sign up to receive the color-coded daily forecasts if they are not already getting them via their email inboxes or text through the Environmental Protection Agency’s EnviroFlash air quality alert system at CleanAir-StLouis.com.

To learn more about the health effects of poor air quality and tips for doing your share for cleaner air, visit the Clean Air Partnership’s website, like us on Facebook or follow @gatewaycleanair on Twitter.