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Free air purifiers available for Boyle Heights and East LA residents

A major freeway intersection
The 60 and 710 Freeway intersection near 3rd Street in East Los Angeles.
(
Adrian Casillas-Sáenz.
/
Boyle Heights Beat
)

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Free in-home air purifiers are now available for qualifying Eastside residents as part of the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s residential air filtration program. The program is open to residents of Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles, Eastern Coachella Valley and some areas on the west side of Commerce.

Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

A map of the neighborhood boundaries for the program. The purple area denotes the community boundary while the shaded blue zone denotes the Emissions Study area.
Neighborhood boundaries for the program.
(
South Coast AQMD
)

The project’s aim is to reduce residential exposure to particulate matter (PM), defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets in the air so small they can be inhaled and cause serious health problems, in neighborhoods disproportionately affected by air pollution.

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The neighborhoods of East L.A., Boyle Heights and Commerce are impacted by rail yards, freight and freeway activities, as well as industrial activities at refining, rendering and processing facilities in the area, according to the California Air Resources Board.

Specific boundaries for these areas for the program are available here.

In order to qualify, applicants must submit the first page of a utility bill or property tax statement to verify residence in one of the four target areas. Interested applicants can find more information on the program and apply online here.

The following is a South Coast AQMD guide on how to apply:

A step-by-step guide on applying for the free air purifiers.
(
South Coast AQMD
)

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LAist
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