What is the area covered by the Ozone
Alert Program?
I live in Owasso. Do I need to take
action on Ozone Alert! Days?
How can I find someone with whom to carpool?
What would it mean if we were to go on the
dirty air list?
What is the ozone standard?
How are we doing in meeting the
ozone standard?
What is the difference between
"exceeding" the ozone standard and "violating"
the ozone standard?
What is the Ozone Alert! Program?
Is ozone a health problem?
When is Ozone Alert! Season?
Who decides that it's an Ozone Alert!
Day?
What is the INCOG Air Quality
Committee?
What is reduced RVP gasoline?
Does mowing with a gasoline-powered mower
really hurt air quality?
Why is it important to wait until
evening hours on Ozone Alert! Days to do certain things?
Doesn't industry create most of the pollutants
in the Tulsa Area?
How can my actions on Ozone Alert! Days
help the air pollution problem?
Why is the Ozone Alert! Program necessary?
What can the public do?
What is the
area covered by the Ozone Alert! Program?
The area covered by an Ozone Alert! for Tulsa is the area
that would be designated non-attainment by the EPA if the
standard is violated. We consider that area to be our
'air shed'. It is, at minimum, Tulsa County and portions
of Creek, Osage, Rogers, and Wagoner Counties. We also
define this area as the Tulsa Transportation Management Area
- the regional transportation planning area. , however EPA
could expand or contract this area. The Clean Air Act
defines the potential non-attainment area to be all of Tulsa
County and six surrounding counties - the Tulsa Metropolitan
Statistical Area, however it also gives EPA authority to
expand or contract the designated area.
I live in
Owasso. Do I need to take action on Ozone Alert! Days?
Yes! Absolutely! Importantly! Owasso and the communities
surrounding Tulsa are considered the Tulsa area air shed.
Ozone Alert! Days are called to 'clear the air' and
hopefully continue to maintain the EPA ozone standard.
If we violate the standard, EPA would place us on the 'dirty
air list', officially termed in non-attainment.
Should any one of the five air shed monitors violate the EPA
ozone standard, the area designated non-attainment would be
at minimum all the metro area and communities
including Tulsa county and surrounding portions of Creek, Osage,
Rogers, and Wagoner Counties (Owasso and many more
communities surrounding Tulsa). The Clean Air Act, by
default language, gives EPA authority to designate
non-attainment the full Tulsa Metropolitan Statistical Area
--which is ALL 7 counties including and surrounding Tulsa
county.
How can I find
someone with whom to carpool?
Visit the Green Traveler website at
www.green-traveler.org.
What
would it mean to go on the dirty air list?
A non-attainment designation would mean that a plan to reduce
the emissions to an acceptable level would have to be made,
submitted to EPA for approval, then implemented. It is likely
that the cost of implementation and planning would be paid
by the citizens of the area and the state. Exactly who would
pay and how much would depend on the plan. More
specifically, it would depend on the degree (or how much) of
'dirty air' we have. It is safe to say
it would not be FREE to those of us who live here.
What is the ozone
standard?
EPA revised the national ozone standard in March of
2008. The new revised standard is an averaged standard and
is calculated by averaging data over a three year time
period. This average is taken from the fourth highest
(eight-hour average) at
each monitor. A violation occurs when the 3-year average
(of the 4th highest value) is greater than .075 ppm.
How are we doing in meeting the
ozone standard?
At this time, the Tulsa area is in compliance with the
Clean Air Act and we are not violating the ozone standard.
What
is the difference between "exceeding" the ozone
standard and "violating" the ozone standard?
The EPA's national ozone standard is considered to be "exceeded"
when any one monitor records an 8-hour ozone average greater
than .075 ppm. This corresponds to an Air Quality Index (AQI)
of higher than 100, which means unhealthy air. Exceedances
may occur throughout the ozone season, however an area is
not considered to have "violated" the ozone standard
unless/until the3-year average of ozone (specifically of
the 4th highest readings) is greater than.075 ppm (see the
Ozone Standard and the
Score
Card for more information.
What
is the Ozone Alert! Program?
Ozone Alert! is a voluntary emissions reduction initiative
that asks people to do what they can to reduce pollution on
the days it counts the most. Ozone Alert! tips keep tons of
ozone-forming pollutants out of the air we breathe and helps
to keep air cleaner. People in the Tulsa area have been taking
action on Ozone Alert! Days since 1991.
Is
Ozone a health problem?
It depends on where it is. At ground level, indeed it is.
Excess ozone is
a human health threat, causing lung problems and eye irritation.
Everybody is vulnerable to ozone's effects, but children,
the elderly, people with respiratory conditions, and those
who work, exercise, or play strenuously outdoors are particularly
at risk. In the stratosphere, however, the ozone layer acts
as a shield, protecting us from harmful ultraviolet rays.
The Ozone Alert! program addresses the importance of preventing
the formation of ground-level ozone and protecting public
health. One way to think of ozone is that is is "Good
Up High but Bad Nearby".
When is Ozone
Alert! season?
Ozone Alert! season for the Tulsa area runs May through September.
Who decides
that it's an Ozone Alert! Day?
The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality forecast
Ozone Alert! Days according to a number of factors that include
temperature, wind speed/direction, cloud cover, and the
build-up of emissions in the air. ODEQ also considers the likelihood of ozone transport
from other areas and expected emissions from regional sources.
What
is the INCOG Air Quality Committee?
The INCOG Air Quality Committee is a partnership among local
governments, business, industry, health and environmental
organizations.
What is reduced
RVP gasoline?
Fuel that has reduced RVP( which is short for Reid Vapor Pressure)
evaporates more slowly and emits fewer ozone-forming pollutants
in the atmosphere. Gasoline suppliers in the Tulsa Metro Area
voluntarily provide an averaged 7.8 lower evaporative and
cleaner burning gasoline from June 1st through September 15th
of each year.
Does mowing with
a gasoline-powered mower really hurt air quality?
Yes! Some studies suggest that mowing with a gasoline-powered
lawn mower for one hour produces as much ozone-causing hydrocarbons
as 10-hours of driving a late model car.
Why is it
important to wait until evening hours on OZONE ALERT! days
to do certain things?
When the sun sets, less solar energy is available to cause
the photochemical reaction that turns emissions into ozone.
More often, evening winds may increase as well, allowing
emissions to somewhat dissipate over night. It is also
important NOT to polluting activities (like mowing the lawn
or filling the car tank) in the early morning dawn hours on
Ozone Alert! Days. Those pre-dawn emissions would be
there as the sun rises, and would be prime for the
photochemical reaction that makes ground-level ozone.
Doesn't Industry
create most of the pollutants in the Tulsa Area?
No. Industry is well-regulated and has greatly reduced its
emissions. People, however, tend to live and pollute much
more freely. Studies show that the combined activities of
individuals regularly create nearly 50% of the pollutants
that cause ground-level ozone. It is not unheard of for exceedances
of the ozone standard to take place on Saturdays - when most
industrial emissions sources are shut down or operating at
reduced rates. This illustrates that the activities of individuals
are part of the problem, taking action on Ozone Alert! Days
makes it possible to be a part of the solution, as well.
How can my
actions on Ozone Alert! Days help the air pollution problem?
Ground-level ozone is one of the toughest pollution problems
to control because much of the problem is caused by weather.
Still, something must be done about it and since we can't
control the weather factors that contribute to ozone formation,
it is important to look at other things. Ground-level ozone
forms when weather conditions combine with pollutants. Many
of these pollutants are caused by industry and many are caused
by the daily activities of individuals. When we prevent pollution
by making slight modifications to our driving, refueling and
everyday activities, we can reduce ozone-forming pollution
significantly.
Why is the
Ozone Alert! Program necessary?
Clean air should be a continuing goal of everyone who lives
and works in the Tulsa area. By taking no cost or low cost
voluntary actions on certain days during the summer, individuals
and businesses choose clean air.
What can
the public do?
On Ozone Alert! Days, people can choose to reduce the emissions
that cause ground-level ozone. Following these tips - on Ozone
Alert! days or any day - means cleaner air for everyone.
Combine trips or consider car pools or public transit for
commuting or - even better - enjoy the day by choosing to
ride a bicycle or walk to various errands and activities.
Tulsa Area Green Traveler is a great place to get ideas and
find a carpool, bus information, trails, and much more!
www.Green-Traveler.org.
Refuel vehicles, lawn equipment, and gas cans carefully. Avoid
topping off the tank and be sure to lift the hose high to
avoid spilling gas when finished. There are two benefits,
"clearing the air" and getting very last drop in
the tank. When finished, be sure to tighten the gas cap. And,
of course, choose to refuel in the evening hours when the
air is cooler and ozone formation is less likely. Reduce automobile
use. Avoid excessive engine idling because excessive idling
emits more pollutants than restarting a warm motor. Check
traffic reports and find alternate routes to work when commuting
during rush-hour.
Take the lawn chair over the lawnmower. With limited emissions
controls, gasoline-powered lawn and garden maintenance equipment
pollutes, minute-by minute, significantly more than driving
a car. Try relaxing on Ozone Alert! Days and letting the grass
grow a little for a noble cause.
Stay informed. Ozone Alert! Days are announced during weather
reports on both television and radio and in the Tulsa World.
Finding out if today or tomorrow is an Ozone Alert! Day provides
opportunities for planning activities accordingly.
Share the knowledge. Every time the Ozone Alert! message is
multiplied, more people get involved "clearing the air"
in the Tulsa area. Individual behavior makes a clean air difference.
