FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 31, 2008
Ground level Ozone Awareness Week underway
COLUMBIA – Governor Mark Sanford has declared March 30-April 5 as Ground-level Ozone Awareness Week, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported today.
“During the summer months, ground-level ozone is the state’s most widespread air quality concern,” said Myra C. Reece, chief of DHEC’s Bureau of Air Quality. “High ground-level ozone concentrations generally occur on hot sunny days when the air is stagnant. Ground-level ozone is formed when nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compounds react chemically in sunlight. This can create breathing problems especially for children, people with asthma or other respiratory problems, and adults who work or exercise outdoors. Ground-level ozone can also cause tree and crop damage.”
Reece said April 1 marks the beginning of the forecasting service for ground-level ozone concentrations in South Carolina. DHEC’s Bureau of Air Quality is adding the Trident region of Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties to the other five regions in the ground-level ozone forecasts. The other five regions include the Central Midlands, Central Savannah River Area, Pee Dee, Catawba, and the Upstate. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently lowered the eight-hour ground-level ozone standard to 0.075 parts per million for the health based standard.
“We provide this forecast to heighten awareness of the effects of ground level ozone and assist the public to make informed decisions about their outdoor activities related to ground level ozone,” said Reece. “The forecast provides important air quality information such as ground-level ozone forecasts and action days. On days when the ground-level ozone forecast is anticipated to be high, called an ozone action day, citizens should try to reduce their exertion level in the outdoors and persons with respiratory conditions such as asthma may want to limit outdoor activities.”
Reece said the ground-level ozone forecast is available to citizens via the EPA’s EnviroFlash webpage. The forecast can be sent through EnviroFlash to a person’s email address or a pager as soon as the ground level forecast is made. Subscribers can select from the Central Midlands, Central Savannah River Area, Pee Dee, Catawba, Upstate and now, the Trident forecast areas. To sign up, go to: http://www.enviroflash.info/. DHEC will post the ground-level ozone forecast on the internet at: www.scdhec.gov/ozone and provide the forecast via a toll-free telephone number: 1-866-238-4973.
“DHEC encourages the public to use mass transit, carpool and make one trip to run all errands during ground-level ozone season,” Reece said. “Vehicles, trucks and gas powered engines are primary sources of nitrogen oxides which contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone.”
Reece said groups or organizations interested in participating in the “Take a Break from the Exhaust,” a program to help encourage the use of alternative commuting options, can contact Jack Porter at 803-898-3829.
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For more information:
Michael Monroe (803) 898-3261
E-mail -- monroemc@dhec.sc.gov
Thom Berry (803) 898-3885
E-mail -- berrytw@dhec.sc.gov
BNR1842
NOTE TO EDITORS:
A copy of the Governor’s proclamation is available on DHEC’s Web site at : http://www.scdhec.gov/environment/baq/