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Spare the Air Alert issued for Saturday, September 7, 2013

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                 CONTACT: Tom Flannigan

September 6, 2013                                                                415.749.4900

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Spare the Air Alert issued for Saturday, September 7, 2013

Find out what's happening in Los Gatoswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Smog expected to rise to unhealthy levels

 

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

 

Air quality is forecast to be unhealthy tomorrow, Saturday, September 7th. High temperatures and low winds, paired with motor vehicle exhaust are expected to cause unhealthy ozone accumulation in the Bay Area.

 

“Hot temperatures bring Bay Area residents outdoors, increase smog levels and unfortunately cause unhealthy air,” said Jack Broadbent, executive officer of the Air District. “Consider taking transit, walking or biking to weekend destinations instead of driving so we can all enjoy cleaner air.”

 

Motor vehicles are responsible for about half of all air pollution in the Bay Area. Motor vehicle exhaust and gasoline vapors contain volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides that combine with oxygen in the presence of heat and sunlight to form ground-level ozone. Breathing ozone can cause throat irritation, congestion and chest pain. It can trigger asthma, inflame the lining of the lungs and worsen bronchitis and emphysema.

 

Spare the Air Alerts are issued when ozone pollution is forecast to reach unhealthy levels. When a Spare the Air Alert is issued, outdoor exercise should be done only in the early morning hours when ozone concentrations are lower.

 

Residents can help Spare the Air everyday by carpooling, taking transit, biking or walking instead of driving alone. Visit sparetheair.org or 511.org for more information about commute alternatives.

 

Residents can check for Spare the Air Alerts by:

·        Visiting sparetheair.org

·        Calling the toll-free hotline 1-800-HELPAIR (435-7247)

·        Signing up for email AirAlerts at sparetheair.org

·        Downloading the Spare the Air iPhone or Android app

·        Connecting with Spare the Air on Facebook, Twitter or Google+

 

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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