St. Louis Air Quality by St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership

RESULTS OF 2006 REGIONAL AIR QUALITY SURVEY SHOW CONSISTENT LEVELS OF PUBLIC AWARENESS OF REGIONAL AIR QUALITY ISSUES

ST. LOUIS, MO, December 14, 2006

According to a recent survey conducted during October 2006 on behalf of the American Lung Association (ALA) and the St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership (The Partnership), there has been little change in public attitudes about and awareness of air quality issues in the St. Louis area over the past two years. The survey was conducted through interviews of residents from eight counties in the Bi-state region who were asked their opinions on a variety of air quality- related topics, including awareness of poor air quality days, knowledge and sources of air quality information and methods of improving air quality.

The survey concluded that concern over the environment has remained fairly steady since 1998, when the ALA and The Partnership began conducting the regional surveys. Poor air quality continues to top the list of the most serious environmental issues facing our area. In terms of air quality information, nearly 70% of those surveyed noted that they were “very or somewhat” familiar with daily air quality information, and that number has remained consistent since 1998. Nearly half of respondents also noted that they are “always” or “usually” aware when a red or orange day is declared in the area, signaling consistent familiarity with these conditions since the most recent survey was conducted in 2004, even though there have been a limited number of red and orange days during the same timeframe.

With regards to improving air quality, more than 40% of respondents noted that they believe carpooling to work would help improve air quality the most. A nearly equal amount of individuals claimed that they change their behavior “a lot” or “some” based on air quality information, and this number has remained steady since the release of the 2004 survey.

“We’re pleased that public awareness is holding steady over a period when the region has experienced consecutive years of moderate or good air quality, but those conditions themselves could, over time, lead to complacency on this issue, making it critical that we continue our efforts to keep promoting air quality concerns and encouraging those behaviors that will reduce emissions,” said Susannah Fuchs, Director of Environmental Health for the American Lung Association and spokesperson for The St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership. “The results of this survey will guide us in the coming months to pinpoint areas where additional outreach work can be done, so we can help to ensure that people and businesses in our region remain engaged in this issue and willing to do their part to help clean the air.”

For more information on the 2006 American Lung Association Regional Air Quality Survey, call Susannah Fuchs at (314) 645-5505, ext. 1007.

The St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership was formed in 1995, led by the American Lung Association of Missouri, St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association, East-West Gateway Council of Governments, Washington University and others, to increase awareness of regional air quality issues and to encourage activities to reduce air pollution emissions. To learn more about The Partnership call the American Lung Association of Missouri at 1-800-LUNG-USA.

Press Release

RESULTS OF 2006 REGIONAL AIR QUALITY SURVEY SHOW CONSISTENT LEVELS OF PUBLIC AWARENESS OF REGIONAL AIR QUALITY ISSUES

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