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POOR AIR QUALITY PREDICTED FOR TOMORROW IN PARTS OF MASSACHUSETTS AND CONNECTICUT

Release Date: 05/28/1998
Contact Information: Peyton Fleming, Press Office (617) 918-1008

BOSTON - With warm weather conditions predicted for Friday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's New England Office is predicting unhealthy air quality with elevated levels of ground- level ozone tomorrow in northwestern Connecticut, including Danbury and Hartford, and in western Massachusetts.

Under the EPA's new ozone standard, approved last year, air quality is is considered "unhealthful" when concentrations of ozone exceed the National Ambient Air Quality Standard of .08 parts per million averaged over an eight-hour period. In New England, ozone levels are generally highest from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. and lowest in the morning. Connecticut has already had two unhealthy ozone days this spring.

Exposure to ground-level ozone can cause coughing, headaches, nausea, irritation of the mucous membranes and may cause premature aging of the lungs. These effects occur in about one third of the population, especially those with pre-existing respiratory conditions. At special risk are the elderly, asthmatics and children.

"The medical community speaks loudly and clearly on this issue - when ozone levels are up, residents should refrain from strenuous outdoor activity, especially sensitive populations such as children and adults with respiratory problems," said John P. DeVillars, administrator of the EPA's New England Office.

In an effort to better inform New Englanders about "real-time" ozone levels, the EPA has expanded its computerized ozone mapping system, which shows real-time images of ground-level ozone levels throughout the Midwest and Northeast. The color ozone map is available on the EPA's World Wide Web information page on ozone and air pollution at www.epa.gov/region01/aqi/