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EPA UNVEILS NEW REAL-TIME OZONE MAP ON INTERNET

Release Date: 7/17/2000
Contact Information: Wendy L. Chavez, U.S, EPA, (415) 744-1588

     San Diego Residents Can Access Web for Local, National Smog 'Movies'

     SAN FRANCISCO - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has completed an Internet project that displays real-time images and daily forecasts of ground- level ozone (smog) in the San Diego area.  This completes the coverage of real-time smog conditions for all of California's urban ozone problem areas.  

     The daily ozone forecast, which is available on the EPA's web page at www.epa.gov/airnow, allows San Diego residents to plan their outdoor activities based on the projected air quality.  At this site, a color map is posted showing the current air quality rating - "good," "moderate," or "unhealthy" for the San Diego area.  The maps are updated hourly, seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

     "This Internet site puts information at the fingertips of the public and is a great way for people to find out about ozone levels so they can plan outdoor activities, " said Deborah Jordan, acting air director of the EPA's Pacific Southwest office.  "Although we've made great strides combating smog, there will inevitably be unhealthy ozone days and when those days occur, people can now look to cyber space to plan ahead."

     "A picture's worth a thousand words and this really gives people an appreciation of how good the air is in San Diego County and a perspective of what the air quality is like on a day to day basis," stated Bill Brick, senior meteorologist of the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District.

Why the Focus on Ozone?

     Smog is formed when volatile organic compounds and oxides of nitrogen interact in the presence of sunlight. Cars, trucks and buses are the main source of the pollutants that make smog.  Fossil fuel burning at electric power plants, gas stations, print shops, household products like paints and cleaners, as well as lawn and garden equipment, also contribute to smog formation.
                               
     Ground-level ozone, the main ingredient of smog, is unhealthy when average concentrations go above 0.08 parts per million over an eight-hour period.  Ground-level ozone irritates your nose, throat and lungs and it can also damage lung tissue and make it harder to breathe.  Additionally, it may cause coughing, headaches, nausea, as well as, premature aging of lung tissue.

     Poor air quality impacts everyone, but some people are particularly affected, including children who are active outdoors, outdoor workers, and people with respiratory diseases such as asthma.

     The ozone mapping project is part of a larger national EPA program   Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking (EMPACT) that provides understandable, timely environmental information to local residents so that they can make informed, day-to-day decisions about their activities. Current smog conditions can be found on line for the San Francisco Bay Area, the Los Angeles region, Ventura County, Sacramento, the San Joaquin Valley and San Diego.


Top 5 Things People Can Do to Help Lower Ozone

-- use public transportation, bike or walk whenever possible;

-- if you must drive, carpool and combine trips;

-- go to the gas station at night to cut down on gasoline vapors getting into the air during day light hours when the sun can cook the vapors and form ozone;

-- use less electricity - turn air conditioning to a higher temperature, turn out lights and computer screens when you're not using them;

-- avoid using gasoline powered engines, such as lawn mowers, chain saws and leaf blowers on unhealthy air days.