Politics & Government

Thursday Marks Third Straight Spare the Air Day

Bay Area air district announced new alert.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has declared Thursday a Spare the Air day, the third in a row and fourth of the spring and summer season.

The district issued a statement that air quality in the Bay Area is "forecast to be unhealthy again" on Thursday.

While there is no wood burning ban in place the district recommends that people avoid outdoor activities during the hottest part of the day.

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“Multiple Spare the Air alerts are a wakeup call that we must do more to reduce air pollution and protect the health of Bay Area residents,” said Jack Broadbent, executive officer of the Air District. “It’s vitally important for us all to drive less and reduce the overall amount of air pollution to avoid unhealthy air during high heat days.”

The district encourages the use of public transit and carpooling, as well as tele-commuting or biking to work.

Find out what's happening in Pinole-Herculeswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Excessive smog concentrations can cause "throat irritation, congestion, chest pain, trigger asthma, inflame the lining of the lungs and worsen bronchitis and emphysema," according to the statement.

Visit sparetheair.org or 511.org for more information about commute alternatives.

Residents can check for Spare the Air Alerts by:

• Visiting sparetheair.org
• Calling the toll-free hotline 1-800-HELPAIR (435-7247)
• Signing up for email AirAlerts at sparetheair.org
• Downloading the Spare the Air iPhone or Android app
• Connecting with Spare the Air on Facebook, Twitter or Google+

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (www.baaqmd.gov) is the regional agency responsible for protecting air quality in the nine-county Bay Area. For more information about Spare the Air, visit www.sparetheair.org.


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