Spare the Air Alert issued for Saturday, June 29, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 28, 2013                                                       

CONTACT: Ralph Borrmann

                                                                                                     415.749.4900

Spare the Air Alert issued for Saturday, June 29, 2013

Smog expected to rise to unhealthy levels

SAN FRANCISCO - Today the Bay Area Air Quality Management District issued the fourth Spare the Air Alert for smog in 2013.

Air quality is forecast to be unhealthy tomorrow, Saturday, June 29. High temperatures and low winds, paired with motor vehicle exhaust are expected to cause unhealthy ozone accumulation in the Bay Area.

“The hot weather forecast for the Bay Area over the next several days is expected to cause unhealthy air quality so it’s critical that we all find ways to reduce air pollution by driving less,” said Jack Broadbent, executive officer of the Air District. “Taking transit, carpooling, biking and walking are great alternatives to driving alone and help keep smog-forming pollution from impacting our air.”

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 visitwww.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.  For more information about Spare the Air, visit

www.sparetheair.org.

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