Statement by Secretary Kerry and
Administrator McCarthy
Air pollution is a serious and growing health
threat worldwide, yet in many areas, real-time air quality data is not
available. We are pleased to announce
that today we signed a statement of intent to launch a new
partnership between our agencies and our U.S. diplomatic missions
overseas. This partnership will enhance the availability
of outdoor air quality data and expertise at a number of U.S.
diplomatic missions. The U.S. Department of State has a keen interest
in providing sufficient air quality information to U.S. citizens and
government personnel overseas to empower them to make informed health
decisions.
One key feature of our partnership
is expanding EPA’s existing AirNow system to include
data from participating U.S. embassies overseas. AirNow publicly
shares air
quality data,enabling viewers to reduce their exposure
to poor quality air.
In the United States, we are
fortunate to have state and local officials with considerable experience
in developing and implementing programs to monitor, improve, and meet air
quality standards. A new fellowship program will
enable U.S. technical experts to
visit participating diplomatic missions to help transfer skills and
build capacity for air quality monitoring data analysis and maintenance.
These visits will also include the opportunity for training and exchanges
with the host governments and other participants.
This partnership reflects efficient use of
government resources and a whole-of-government approach to
diplomacy. It not only helps us better protect the
health of our personnel overseas,
but also contributes to the global
scientific community and President Obama’s Open
Government Initiative. We are very excited about this partnership
and look forward to our two agencies continuing to build this program.
For more information, please visit state.gov/green.