Press Release
2010 AIR QUALITY FORECASTING SEASON KICKS-OFF AMID NEWS OF YET ANOTHER YEAR OF FAILING GRADES FOR OZONE POLLUTION IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA
American Lung Association’s annual State of the Air report delivers more dreary news for the region, further demonstrating the ongoing need for area residents to take steps to clear the air
ST. LOUIS, MO., May 14, 2010... The St. Louis region’s struggle with poor air quality conditions is far from over, according to the American Lung Association’s latest State of the Air report, which gave the region more failing grades for ozone pollution and unsatisfactory marks for particle pollution. With the region preparing to settle into the summer months when air quality conditions are often at their worst, the St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership (The Partnership) is calling for area residents and businesses to step-up their voluntary efforts to help reduce the harmful emissions that lead to poor air quality.
“In terms of the St. Louis area’s ranking for overall air quality, this year’s State of the Air report indicates that the area fell to number 30 on the list, down from number 17 last year, but that definitely doesn’t mean that we are out of the woods,” said Susannah Fuchs, Senior Director of Environmental Health for the American Lung Association of the Central States and spokesperson for The Partnership. “At the end of the summer, the Environmental Protection Agency will be implementing new, stricter, standards for air quality, which means our region will see increasing numbers of orange and red air quality days. That’s why it’s important for area residents and business to remain steadfast in their efforts to reduce emissions, now, and in the years to come.”
As it celebrates its 15th anniversary this year, The Partnership is continuing its work to engage the public in the clean air effort by demonstrating how living greener can positively impact air quality. From carpooling and using mass transit to recycling and taking steps to conserve energy, the organization remains focused on demonstrating how the small, environmentally-friendly choices we make in our everyday lives can help the region breathe easier.
“Since The Partnership first got it start in 1995, there has been a growing environmental consciousness in the St. Louis area, and today, more residents than ever before are choosing to live greener,” noted Fuchs. “But in many cases, people don’t realize that the steps they are taking to go green can actually improve air quality. Simple actions such as taking MetroLink, turning off the lights when leaving the room, choosing to recycle drink containers or changing incandescent light bulbs to fluorescent ones all play an important role in clearing the air and improving lung health in the region, and we want area residents to know how easy it really is.”
The Partnership also encourages commuters to help curb emissions by planning their trips using the Missouri Department of Transportation’s (MoDOT) Gateway Guide website at www.gatewayguide.com or its 511 travel information telephone number. Both services provide real-time travel information designed to help commuters avoid traffic tie-ups, highway construction zones and the related unnecessary idling which results in the release of increased emissions into the air.
RideFinders’ new Rideshare for Clean Air promotion is another way area residents can help reduce pollution-causing emissions in the area this summer. Now through Labor Day, commuters who register a new or expanded carpool or vanpool with RideFinders as an alternative to the solo commute will automatically be entered into weekly drawings for $25 gas cards; monthly drawings for $50 gas cards; and a special grand prize drawing to win a night out in downtown St. Louis, featuring a night’s hotel stay, St. Louis Cardinals tickets, passes to the St. Louis Arch and more. The promotion is designed to reward commuters for carpooling and vanpooling during the summer months when air quality conditions are typically at their worst.
“With the St. Louis region earning failing grades for ozone for a second straight year, it’s clear that air pollution remains a critical concern and it truly is a problem that affects all of us, especially children, the elderly and the many individuals who suffer from respiratory disease,” said Fuchs. “This is why it’s more important than ever for the public to get involved in the clean air effort, and there is no better time than now to get started.”
To learn more, sign up for daily air quality forecasts or make arrangements for your business to become an official member of The Partnership so you can help your employees go green and do their share for cleaner air at home, at work and on the road, log on to www.cleanair-stlouis.com or call (314) 645-5505 ext. 1007. To access the American Lung Association’s 2010 State of the Air report visit www.stateoftheair.org.
The St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership was formed in 1995, led by the American Lung Association, St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association, East-West Gateway Coordinating Council, Washington University and others, to increase awareness of regional air quality issues and to encourage activities to reduce air pollution emissions.
