St. Louis Air Quality by St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership

CLEAN AIR PARTNERSHIP KICKS-OFF ANNUAL CAMPAIGN BY HIGHLIGHTING 10 EASY WAYS AREA RESIDENTS CAN DO THEIR SHARE FOR CLEANER AIR

May 18^th Clean Air Festival in Kiener Plaza will mark the official start of air quality forecasting for 2007

ST. LOUIS, MO., May 17, 2007

The recent release of the American Lung Association’s 2007 State of the Air report, which ranked St. Louis as the 10^th most polluted city in the country, has served as a reminder that the region’s air quality problems are far from over. With this news still fresh in the minds of area residents, The St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership (The Partnership) is encouraging individuals to transform their awareness of St. Louis’ air quality issues into action during 2007. And, to get them moving, the organization is highlighting 10 easy ways area residents can do their share to help reduce emissions and ensure that the region’s air quality stays at healthy levels:

Share the ride. Choose an alternative to driving alone by carpooling, vanpooling or riding the bus or MetroLink whenever possible. For help with carpooling alternatives, contact RideFinders at 1-800-VIP-RIDE or www.ridefinders.org; or get details on how you can try transit from Metro at www.metrostlouis.org, Citizens for Modern Transit’s at www.cmt-stl.org, or Madison County Transit at www.mct.org.
Plan your trips. Visit the Missouri Department of Transportation’s Gateway Guide website at www.gatewayguide.com, or call MoDOT’s new 511 travel information telephone number for real-time travel information that can help you avoid traffic tie-ups and highway construction zones. And, when possible, plan ahead and combine all of your errands into one trip, since cars that are started after sitting for more than an hour emit up to five times more pollution than those with warm engines.
Take advantage of flex-time and telecommuting options. Flex-time arrangements allow employees to change the starting and ending times of their workday to avoid idling in rush hour traffic congestion, while maintaining the same total work hours for the week. Telecommuting is a mobile work option that allows employees to be productive outside the traditional office setting, and can eliminate the work commute one or more days a week.
Aim for greater fuel efficiency. Make your next car a hybrid or other more fuel efficient vehicle, and keep your car well maintained. Cars that are tuned up regularly run more efficiently and pollute less. To increase your gas mileage, remove excess weight in your vehicle that can create drag and decrease your fuel efficiency.
Minimize emissions while on the road. Remember to avoid excessive idling of your vehicle, especially in drive-thru lanes. If you need to gas-up, wait until after dusk to refuel, wait three seconds after refueling before removing the nozzle, and never top off the tank, because any fuel that drips outside of the tank adds to ozone formation.
Conserve energy at home. Much of our electricity comes from burning coal which leads to air pollution, so be sure to adjust the thermostat, turn off the lights, choose energy efficient appliances, and turn off all appliances when they aren’t in use. You can also lower your air conditioning bills and absorb CO2 by planting shade trees, tall grasses and shrubs around your house.
Avoid using chemicals and equipment that contribute to emissions. Try not to use gas powered garden equipment, and if you have to, mow before 10 a.m. or after 7 p.m. to avoid peak ozone formation hours. When barbecuing, use an electric starter or charcoal chimney starter instead of charcoal lighting fluid. And, avoid using any chemicals around your home that contain volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), such as spray paint, paint thinners, pesticides, etc.
Walk to lunch. During work hours, walk to lunch rather than driving. Your car emits more pollution per mile during short trips.
Conserve energy at work. Turn off all lights that aren’t being used, pull down window shades before leaving the office to minimize heat/cold transfer, and utilize the energy saving mode on your computer or other office equipment.
Get your company involved in the regional clean air effort. Contact the American Lung Association at (314) 645-5505 or visit www.cleanair-stlouis.com to find out how you can join The Partnership.

“With lane closures tied to the I-64 reconstruction project likely to result in additional traffic ties ups in our central corridor, it’s critical for individuals to begin doing their share to help reduce emissions in the St. Louis area,” said Susannah Fuchs, spokesperson for The Partnership and Director of Environmental Health for the American Lung Association of the Central States. “We’ve spent the last several months reaching out to local employers, school districts and other organizations to get them involved in the clean air effort, and now we are focusing on area residents by providing them with 10 simple, everyday lifestyle changes that they can adopt now, which will go a long way towards improving the quality of the air we breathe for years to come.”

Area residents will have the chance to get additional information on alternative commuting options, and other ways they can do their share for cleaner air at The Partnership’s fourth-annual Clean Air Festival. Set for Friday, May 18^th, from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at Kiener Plaza in Downtown St. Louis, the event will serve as the official kick-off of summer air quality forecasting for 2007.

“When it comes to lung health, poor air quality conditions can affect us all, especially the more than 130,000 people with asthma in the St. Louis area, young children with their smaller air passageways and vulnerable older adults,” notes Fuchs. “Bad air can also impact our region’s economic development efforts, which in turn can affect our quality of life. Those are some important reasons to get involved in the clean air effort, and there’s no better time than now to get started.”

To learn more, sign up for daily air quality forecasts or to make arrangements for your business to become an official member of The Partnership so you can help your employees do their share for cleaner air, at work and on the road, log on to The Partnership’s website at www.cleanair-stlouis.com or call (314) 645-5505 ext. 1007.

The St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership was formed in 1995, led by the American Lung Association, St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association, East-West Gateway Coordinating Council, Washington University and others, to increase awareness of regional air quality issues and to encourage activities to reduce air pollution emissions.

Press Release

CLEAN AIR PARTNERSHIP KICKS-OFF ANNUAL CAMPAIGN BY HIGHLIGHTING 10 EASY WAYS AREA RESIDENTS CAN DO THEIR SHARE FOR CLEANER AIR

for more information, contact: