Spare the Air Alert issued for Saturday, June 8, 2013

Today the Bay Area Air Quality Management District issued the third Spare the Air Alert for smog in 2013. Air quality is forecast to be unhealthy again tomorrow, Saturday, June 8. High temperatures and low winds, paired with motor vehicle exhaust will continue to cause unhealthy ozone accumulation in the Bay Area. “Transportation continues to be our biggest source of air pollution in the summertime,” said Jack Broadbent, executive officer of the Air District. “The single most important thing we can do to improve air quality and public health is to rethink our commute by finding a better way to work.” Spare the Air Alerts are issued when ozone pollution is forecast to reach unhealthy levels. Ozone, or smog, can cause throat irritation, congestion, chest pain, trigger asthma, inflame the lining of the lungs and worsen bronchitis and emphysema. Long-term exposure to ozone can reduce lung function. Ozone pollution is particularly harmful for young children, seniors and those with respiratory and heart conditions. When a Spare the Air Alert is issued, outdoor exercise should be done only in the early morning hours when ozone concentrations are lower. To improve air quality, residents are encouraged to walk, bike, carpool, or take transit instead of driving alone, not just on Spare the Air days, but regularly. Residents can visit www.stacommutetips.org to find a list of commute programs and incentives available where they live and work. To find out when a Spare the Air Alert is in effect, residents can register for email AirAlerts at www.sparetheair.org, call 1(800) HELP-AIR, download the Spare the Air App or connect with Spare the Air on Facebook or Twitter. There is no free transit tomorrow and there is no wood burning ban in place. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (www.baaqmd.gov) is the regional agency responsible for protecting air quality in the nine-county Bay Area.