Clean-Air Action Day Called in Dane County for February 4th, 2010

The Dane County Clean Air Coalition (CAC) announced the first Clean Air Action Day of 2010 for Thursday, February 4th. The Clean Air Action Day was triggered by the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) issuance this afternoon of an Air Quality Watch for most Wisconsin counties, including Dane County. According to DNR meteorologists, continuing warm temperatures and light winds on Thursday will continue to create a temperature inversion formed by warm air rising over snow cover resulting in ideal conditions for trapping fine particles and allowing them to build to potentially unhealthy levels.

On February 3rd, Dane County has experienced a build-up of fine particle pollution levels that exceed the federal threshold for "unhealthy for sensitive groups" such as children, older adults, people with asthma or heart disease and adults engaged in vigorous outdoor activities. Similar conditions are expected all day tomorrow.
Dane County air quality currently meets state and federal standards. However, air pollution measurements taken during the past few years indicate that, especially as Dane County continues to grow, actions must be taken to ensure our air remains healthy into the future. By taking voluntary actions today, residents, businesses and local governments can help avoid the possibility of more drastic mandatory federal regulations costing consumers and businesses millions of dollars in the future.

“On fine particle Clean Air Action Days we ask residents, businesses, government agencies and institutions in the County to join us in taking some simple voluntary actions that will reduce fine particle emissions, protect the health of local residents and help ensure that Dane County continues to comply with all federal air quality standards,” said Lisa MacKinnon, Project Coordinator of the Clean Air Coalition.

Since the establishment in 2008 of a stricter federal health-based standard for fine particle pollution,

Dane County has come closer to the threshold for being declared a “non-attainment area” for fine particle air pollution. Fine particles are very small particles with diameters less than 2.5 microns (about 1/30th the diameter of a human hair).

Over half of Dane County’s air pollutants come from our cars and trucks, as well as other gasoline and diesel engines that power everything from construction equipment to leaf blowers. Due to their small size, fine particles are easily inhaled and are deeply deposited into the lungs, which can aggravate and even cause serious health problems such as heart and lung disease. On a Clean Air Action Day, residents are advised to monitor their health and to consult their physician if they have any health-related concerns.

For more information on Clean Air Action Days, visit the Dane County Clean Air Coalition website at www.healthyairdane.org. Air Quality Watches and Advisories will be posted on the main DNR internet page, http://dnr.wi.gov/, as soon as they are issued. The Air Quality Hotline is 1-866-DAILY AIR (1-866-324-5924) and will be updated when watches or advisories are issued. To sign up

for the DNR listserv and receive watches or advisories by e-mail, go to http://dnr.wi.gov/org/aw/air/health/listserv.html.