2003 another good year for clean air in Ventura County





Ventura County had another good year for clean air, according to the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District (APCD). Only two days exceeded the one-hour National Ambient Air Quality Standard for Ozone.


"Since the early 1970s when we averaged 122 bad air days, our air quality has improved to such a degree that we’ve only experienced one or two exceedance days each year for the past several years," said Michael Villegas, APCD officer. "If this trend continues, we should meet the one-hour ozone standard by our due date of November 2005, and that’s healthy news for Ventura County residents."


Ventura County is classified as a severe nonattainment area for ozone by the U.S. EPA. To reach attainment, air quality in the county must not exceed the federal one-hour ozone standard more than three times in three consecutive years. With an exceedance of only two days in 2003, and one day in 2002, Ventura County is on the right track for attainment.


Ventura County rarely experiences unhealthy air related to particulate pollution, which can cause harmful health effects, but during the week of the October wildfires, daily Air Quality Advisories were issued by APCD.


As the wildfires widened in the eastern part of the county, easterly Santa Ana winds spread the particulate pollution in the air throughout populated areas. And after the fires, periodic strong Santa Ana wind episodes caused dust and ash left from the fires to re-enter the air, again causing unhealthy levels of particulate pollution.


Despite the short-term occurrences of very elevated smog and fire-related particulates, and because of the continuing low number of days exceeding the federal one-hour ozone standard, the county continues to see better air.


"A 30-year trend analysis shows a steady decline in the number of days each year that Ventura County exceeds all of the state and federal ozone standards," said Doug Tubbs, the air monitoring manager for APCD. "There is a similar decline in the maximum measured levels of ozone on the worst days. So we are experiencing long-term, significant improvement in our air quality, both in the frequency and magnitude of the smoggiest days."


For additional air quality information and daily forecasts, visit the District’s Website at www.vcapcd.org. To request the District’s new publication, "7 Days to Cleaner Air," please call (805) 645-1482.



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