Local News in Brief : Smog District Cuts Workweek to 4 Days

Following its own mandate to major employers, the El Monte-based South Coast Air Quality Management District has launched a four-day workweek for its employees in an effort to cut air pollution by reducing the number of cars on the road.

Under the 5-week-old program, known as “4/10,” AQMD employees work four 10-hour days a week--meaning that, on any given day, about 20% of the district’s 850 employees do not have to commute to work. “We estimated that it will reduce 190 tons of pollutants a year from cars driven to and from the district,” AQMD spokesman Bill Kelly said.

The 18-month pilot program is part of the district’s overall ride reduction program, which includes van and car pools, public transportation subsidies and cash incentives for those who share rides, bicycle or walk to work.

The district, which regulates air quality standards in Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties and the non-desert portion of San Bernardino County, has set standards designed to reduce commuting for about 8,500 other employers in the region.