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Clean Air Partnership Warns of Potential for More Orange and Red Days This Summer

Article courtesy of the St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership

In March, the EPA revised the National Ambient Air Quality Standard resulting in tighter limits on ground-level ozone pollution and changes to the color-coded air quality index (AQI) designed to trigger air quality alerts at lower pollution thresholds.  With the new standards in place, The St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership (The Partnership) is reminding area residents and businesses to remain steadfast in their voluntary efforts to reduce emissions in order to avoid a summer plagued by orange and red air quality days.

“The tighter EPA standards mean that we could potentially have more orange and red days than ever before if we don’t take steps to keep our air quality at healthy levels,” said Susannah Fuchs, Director of Environmental Health for the American Lung Association of the Central States. “Based on the new ozone standards, we may also experience orange and red days much earlier in the season, so it’s critical for residents and businesses to begin taking steps to reduce emissions now, as opposed to waiting until midsummer when ozone levels are typically the worst.”

This year, The Partnership is working to engage the public in the clean air effort by demonstrating how “green” efforts such as carpooling, using mass transit, recycling and turning off appliances not in use can positively affect air quality. The organization is hopeful that alternative commuting options will be particularly appealing to individuals because, aside from playing a key role in reducing emissions, they can also be a great way to cut commuting costs during these times of record high gas prices.

The Partnership also encourages commuters to help curb emissions by planning their trips using MoDOT’s Gateway Guide website at www.gatewayguide.com or its 511 travel information telephone number. Another option involves a concept called carsharing which is now available in the St. Louis area through the new WeCar program. Carsharing can be a convenient option when taking transit, biking or walking to work as a way to get to and from midday errands or meetings. It provides commuters with a vehicle for a low hourly rate which includes gas, physical damage protection and maintenance.

“When it comes to lung health, poor air quality affects all us, especially children, older adults and the more than 140,000 area adults suffering with asthma,” noted Fuchs. “That alone is reason enough for each of us to take steps to improve our air quality. But, those health concerns coupled with the EPA’s stricter ozone standards, make it more important than ever to get involved in the clean air effort, and there’s no better time than now to get started.”

Individuals interested in learning more about how they can do their share for cleaner air can visit www.cleanair-stlouis.com or call the American Lung Association at (314) 645-5505, ext. 1007.

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for more information, contact:

Julie Hauser
The Hauser Group, Inc.
(314) 436-9090
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Susannah Fuchs
American Lung Association
(314) 645-5505