Bay Area air district officials issued a third-straight Spare the Air Alert for today and expanded an air quality advisory for possible smoke drifting from Northern California wildfires.
A combination of light winds, high temperatures and vehicle exhaust will continue to cause elevated concentrations of ozone, or smog, Bay Area Air Quality District officials said.
Smoke, mostly at higher elevations, may drift to the region from the Walker Fire in Plumas County and other Northern California wildfires, the air district said.
Today’s alert is the 15th Spare the Air Alert this year. Alerts were also issued on Thursday and Friday.
While air quality is expected to exceed federal standards for ozone, the wildfire smoke in the region is not expected to exceed the federal standard for fine particulates, the air district said Friday.
“In the Bay Area, the best thing we can do to reduce harmful air pollution and greenhouse gases is to drive less,” said Jack Broadbent, executive officer of the Air District.
The alerts are issued when ozone pollution is forecast to reach unhealthy levels.
When an air alert is issued, outdoor exercise should be done only in the early morning hours when ozone concentrations are lower, according to the air district.
12 comments
smokin’ 4 racks of baby backs
You must be my neighbor foo! ;(
no ribs for U
Cough…cough…hack…hack.
Does anybody know how much this agency costs taxpayers? Have their “Spare the Air” days made a measurable improvement in air quality?
There is no verified data that I can find that “Their” efforts have improved anything, they will tell you different. Their budget is not an easy read, but appears to be” “…Consolidated Budget Expenditures for FYE2020 of $252.7 million…”
I’ve attached the budget link: is not an easy read///
http://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/files/finance/fye-2020-approved-budget-pdf.pdf?la=en
Huge improvement in my northeast Concord neighborhood. Huge upgrade in air quality, particularly in winter.
My neighbors too!! Except they don’t ever smoke ribs, they burn what smells like TRASH!
The BAAQMD is a costly and useless agency for repaying political favors.
Utter nonsense, you have zero idea. I’m sure there’s bogus patronage and waste to be found, but the program has made an enormous difference. You haven’t been around long enough to know and/or simply aren’t paying attention.
that’s funny Slappy… cause the American Lung Association 2019 State of the Air Report shows SF Bay Area air quality as the worst in the Country and is NOT improving, but getting worse.
That study includes all types of particulates and ozone, and sources like refineries, power generation, other industries, things that are not the focus of ” Spare the Air, ” which is designed to minimize smoke from BBQs, chimneys, trash burning, etc. Furthermore, if you examine the long term improvements noted for Contra Costa County, we are much better off than years ago. Many nights in winter my neighborhood was swathed in thick, choking, blue, smoke. I don’t mean it was kind of smokey, I mean you couldn’t walk down the block and back without choking – clothes smelled like you’d been sitting at a campfire all night. It is infinitely better now.
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