San Rafael Residents Again Asked to 'Spare the Air' Saturday

BAY AREA, CA- For the third straight day, Bay Area residents are being asked to "spare the air" in the region, in an effort to help improve air quality.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District issued the alert for Saturday— after having issued the same such alerts for Thursday and Friday of this week, as well. Officials say an unhealthy amount of ozone accumulation is again expected because of forecasted hot weather with low winds.

"A strong high pressure system is still in place and high temperatures and low winds will continue in the Bay Area through Saturday," air quality control officials said in a news release. "These conditions combined with motor vehicle exhaust from traffic will generate unhealthy ozone accumulation in the region."

On hot-weather Spare the Air days, community members are asked to do things like avoiding driving alone and instead take public transit, carpool, walk or bike to get around.

“To reduce exposure to harmful smog, Bay Area residents should avoid outdoor activities during the hottest part ofthe day,” said Jack Broadbent, executive officer of the Air District. “Carpooling or taking transit to weekend activities, instead of driving alone, will help reduce air pollution and protect the health of Bay Area residents.”

Here's more from the District:

The single most effective way for residents to reduce smog is to drive less. Air District survey results find that Bay Area employees are more likely to adopt alternatives to driving alone when encouraged to do so by their employer. Bay Area employers with 50 or more full-time employees are now required to offer commuter benefits to their employees. For more information about the Commuter Benefits Program, visit 511.org and click on Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program.

Spare the Air Alerts are issued when ozone pollution is forecast to reach unhealthy levels. Ozone, or smog, can cause throat irritation, congestion, chest pain, trigger asthma, inflame the lining of the lungs and worsen bronchitis and emphysema. Long-term exposure to ozone 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 done only in the early morning hours when ozone concentrations are lower.

To improve air quality, residents are encouraged to walk, bike, carpool or take transit instead of driving alone, not just on Spare the Air days, but every day. Residents can visit www.stacommutetips.org to find a list of commute programs and incentives available where they live and work.

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.

There is no free transit [SATURDAY] and there is no wood burning ban in place.

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(Patch file photo by Renee Schiavone)