(ATLANTA, GA — 01.26.10)

The Clean Air Campaign closed out 2009 with the addition of 71 new Partners, bringing the total number of new partners in 2009 to 159. In the second half of last year, employers from Columbus to Rome made a commitment to improve traffic congestion and air quality in Georgia by implementing commute options programs that promote alternatives to driving alone like carpooling, vanpooling, transit, telework, bicycling and walking.

“With more than half of smog-forming emissions coming from tailpipes in many areas across Georgia, and EPA’s recent proposal to tighten air quality standards even further, these programs have never been more important,” said executive director Kevin Green. “And that’s in addition to the universal benefits of reduced commute costs, more productive employees and less traffic.”

New employer Partners in the 20-county metro Atlanta region in the second half of 2009:

• Cobb County – Electric Cities of Georgia; Gas South; Kawneer - An Alcoa Co.; ProSolution; Valassis Direct Mail; Veolia Transportation
• DeKalb County – AMEC, Power & Process; ASHRAE; Cintas; Columbia Theological Seminary; DeKalb Regional Youth Detention Center; First Realty Advisors; Galanti and Company, P.C.; Marriott Evergreen; Metro Regional Youth Detention Center; Soliant Health; TPA Realty, LLC; United Methodist Children’s Home
• Fulton County – ACS - Northridge; Axiom Meeting and Incentive Solutions, LLC; Chick-fil-A; Dept. of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities; Georgia Department of Labor - Courtland Street; Georgia Poison Center; Governor’s Office of Children and Families; ignition, inc.; Integrity 1 Contracting, Inc.; Levy Restaurants; Northside/Alpharetta Medical Campus; NSPI; PM Realty Group; RBS WorldPay; Ronald Blue & Co.; The Lovett School; Transwestern; U.S. Department of Commerce
• Gwinnett County – AE & E Von Roll, Inc.; Chico's FAS, Inc. - Contact Center; Chico's FAS, Inc. - Distribution Centers One and Two; Fiserv-Software; Grace Realty Professionals; Kawneer - An Alcoa Co.; Lund International; Medical Business Services; Nature’s Garden Delivered; Phoenix Metals; Unisource; United Way of Gwinnett; Yes Video
• Hall County – Milliken & Co. - New Holland Plant
• Newton County – General Mills
• Rockdale County – Dixie Graphics
• Walton County – City of Loganville

New employer Partners around the state in the second half of 2009:

• Athens-Clarke County – Bike Athens; Power Partners, Inc.
• Central Savannah River Area (Augusta) - Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations; DSM Chemicals; Energy Solutions/ESHQ/SWPF; Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC; SRARP; U.S. Department of Energy
• Chattahoochee Valley (Columbus) - Columbus Regional Healthcare System; Columbus Water Works; Enrichment Services Program, Inc.
• Coosa Valley (Rome) - Berry College; City of Rome; F & P Manufacturing of Georgia; Floyd Medical Center; Greater Rome Bank; Plant Hammond (Georgia Power)

The Clean Air Campaign’s employer services team provides on-site program development, worksite assessment, program support through no-cost transportation fairs, marketing tools, training seminars and networking programs.

Based on the elements of the employer’s program, each one earns a Partnership level of Community, Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum. The Clean Air Campaign’s employer services program is part of a multi-tiered effort to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality across the state of Georgia that also includes commuter incentives, no-idling programs and public education.