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POOR AIR QUALITY PREDICTED FOR TODAY IN CONNECTICUT AND RHODE ISLAND

Release Date: 06/26/1998
Contact Information: Peyton Fleming, Press Office (617) 918-1008

BOSTON - Due to warm weather conditions, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's New England Office is predicting unhealthy air quality with elevated levels of ground-level ozone today in Connecticut and Rhode Island. Unhealthy air quality levels were recorded yesterday along the Connecticut coastline and in western Rhode Island.

Under the EPA's new ozone standard, approved last year, air quality is is considered "unhealthful" when concentrations of ozone exceed the National Ambient Air Quality Standard of .08 parts per million averaged over an eight-hour period. In New England, ozone levels are generally highest from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. and lowest in the morning.

Exposure to ground-level ozone can cause coughing, headaches, nausea, irritation of the mucous membranes and may cause premature aging of the lungs. These effects occur in about one third of the population, especially those with pre-existing respiratory conditions.

"It's unfortunate that the balmy days of summer still bring unhealthy air quality," said John P. DeVillars, administrator of the EPA's New England Office. "When ozone levels are up, residents should refrain from strenuous outdoor activity, especially sensitive populations such as children and adults with respiratory problems."

To help reduce ozone-causing pollutants, DeVillars encouraged New Englanders to refrain from cutting their lawns for a few days and to leave the car in the garage in favor of public transportation.

In an effort to better inform New Englanders about "real-time" ozone levels, the EPA has expanded its computerized ozone mapping system, which shows real-time images of ground-level ozone levels throughout the Midwest and Northeast. The color ozone map is available on the EPA's World Wide Web information page on ozone and air pollution at www.epa.gov/region01/oms.