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Poor Air Quality Predicted for Portions of New England on Wednesday

Release Date: 07/14/1998
Contact Information: Peyton Fleming, Press Office (617-918-1008)

BOSTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today predicted unhealthy air quality with elevated levels of ground-level ozone for southern Connecticut, Rhode Island, central/eastern Massachusetts and coastal New Hampshire and Maine. Southwesterly winds combined with a high pressure system south of New England are expected to result in poor air quality Wednesday and potentially Thursday.

Air quality is considered to be unhealthy when it exceeds EPA's new and more-stringent standard of .08 parts per million averaged over an eight-hour period. New England has exceeded this standard nine days this spring and summer. The most recent exceedance occurred on Monday, with coastal Connecticut experiencing ozone levels above the standard. 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. At special risk are the elderly, asthmatics and children.

"The medical community speaks in unison on this issue - when ozone levels are up, kids as well as adults with respiratory problems need to take care. They should refrain from or reduce their strenuous outdoor activity," said John P. DeVillars, administrator of the EPA's New England Office. ANew Englanders can help curb ozone by letting their lawn grow for a couple of days or using a push mower, and leaving their 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 Wide Web information page on ozone and air pollution at www.epa.gov/region01/aqi.

New England citizens can help prevent poor air quality days through a variety of activities:

• Since exhaust from automobiles is a major contributor to ground-level ozone, use public transportation, bike or walk where possible
• When it's imperative to drive, car pool and plan trips carefully to avoid excess driving
• Refuel your vehicle at night to reduce the escape of gasoline vapors during the hottest times of the day
• Avoid the use of gasoline powered engines on predicted unhealthy air days