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PR Statement of U.S. EPA Administrator Carol M. Browner on Ozone Awareness Day May 21, 1998

Release Date: 05/21/98
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FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY, MAY 21, 1998
Statement of U.S. EPA Administrator Carol M. Browner
on Ozone Awareness Day
May 21, 1998

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Carol M. Browner today issued the following statement on national Ozone Awareness Day -- a day established by the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states to call attention to the beginning of the summer ozone season and inform the public about health impacts of ozone, and ways to minimize exposure and help reduce emissions:

“Today we take an important step forward in raising awareness about the dangers of ozone, or smog. Today marks the beginning of the summer ozone season, and the first national Ozone Awareness Day held in states across the nation. Ozone Awareness Day reminds Americans that, from May through September when smog levels are highest, we should pay attention to how air quality affects our health.

“On this day, to help protect public health, particularly the health of the nation’s children, EPA is launching a new ‘right-to-know’ tool to provide families with ‘real-time’ information about smog levels in their communities. The Ozone Mapping Project -- available on the Internet and distributed to local weather broadcasts -- contains important information on levels of smog in communities, its movement throughout the day, and forecast maps of the next day’s predicted smog levels. These ozone maps will help families make more informed decisions about their children’s health, particularly for children with asthma or respiratory ailments.

“I want to recognize the states for their hard work and effort in developing this important new tool. There is much we can accomplish for the American people when we work together -- federal and state governments and local communities -- to protect public health and the environment.”

R-67 ###