SAN FRANCISCO – The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is issuing the first Spare the Air Alert of 2023 for smog on Thursday, April 27.
Air quality is forecast to be unhealthy Thursday, April 27. Light winds and hot temperatures, along with motor vehicle exhaust, will create elevated concentrations of ozone, or smog.
“As temperatures heat up and our roadways become increasingly crowded, air quality is expected to be unhealthy,” said Dr. Philip Fine, executive officer of the Air District. “This Spare the Air Alert highlights the need to reduce cars on our roadways and find alternatives to driving alone such as taking transit, working remotely, walking or biking.”
Spare the Air Alerts are issued when ozone pollution is forecast to reach unhealthy levels. Ozone can cause throat irritation, congestion and chest pain. It can trigger asthma, inflame the lining of the lungs and worsen bronchitis and emphysema. Long-term exposure can reduce lung function. Ozone pollution is particularly harmful for young children, seniors and those with respiratory and heart conditions. When a Spare the Air Alert is issued, outdoor exercise should be undertaken only in the early morning hours when ozone concentrations are lower.
To find out when a Spare the Air Alert is in effect, residents can register for email AirAlerts at www.sparetheair.org , call 1(800) HELP-AIR, download the Spare the Air App or connect with Spare the Air on Facebook or Twitter.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is the regional agency responsible for protecting air quality in the nine-county Bay Area. Connect with the Air District via Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. For more information about Spare the Air, visit www.sparetheair.org.
About
The California Legislature created the Air District in 1955 as the first regional air pollution control agency in the country. The Air District is tasked with regulating stationary sources of air pollution in the nine counties that surround San Francisco Bay: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, southwestern Solano, and southern Sonoma counties. It is governed by a 24-member Board of Directors composed of locally elected officials from each of the nine Bay Area counties, with the number of board members from each county being proportionate to its population.
The Board oversees policies and adopts regulations for the control of air pollution within the district. The Board also appoints the Air District’s Executive Officer/Air Pollution Control Officer, who implements these policies and gives direction to staff, as well as the District Counsel, who manages the legal affairs of the agency. The Air District consists of over 340 dedicated staff members, including engineers, inspectors, planners, scientists, and other professionals.
The Air District is assisted by an Advisory Council that provides input to the Board and the Executive Officer on air quality matters and a Hearing Board. The Hearing Board is an independent, five-member body that serves to adjudicate regulatory compliance issues that may arise between the Air District and local industries, and also hears appeals of permitting decisions made by the Executive Officer.