Spare The Air This Summer

The Spare the Air Program was established by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to educate residents about air pollution and to encourage them to change their behavior to improve air quality. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District hosts both summer and winter Spare the Air programs to curb air pollution on high pollution days and evenings. The 2012 summer program runs from May 2 through the end of September.  During these summer months when ground-level ozone, or "smog," becomes a pollution problem, the Air District issues Spare the Air Smog Alerts for days on which air quality is forecast to be unhealthy. On these Spare the Air days, we urge residents to cut back on any activities that cause pollution - such as driving, using oil-based paints, gasoline-powered lawn mowers, or household aerosol products like hair sprays.  People who are sensitive to unhealthy air are advised to limit their time outdoors, particularly in the afternoon hours. For more information, visit www.sparetheair.org or call 1-800-HELP-AIR (1-800-435-7247).