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Hot forecast puts spotlight on air quality By PAUL FATTIG A Clean Air Action Day is more than a lot of hot air, says John Becker. The critical component in making the volunteer effort successful is getting people to reduce smog-causing activities on hot days when there is little wind, explained the air quality manager for the state Department of Environmental Quality in Southwest Oregon. "In Portland, where this volunteer program started, it has been wildly successful," he said during a press conference Friday. "They�ve seen reductions in traffic on those days. "They�ve really bought into it," he added. "Even activities around the house that emit gasses into the air � aerosol sprays, spray painting, use of two-cycle motors � have all been reduced." The problem is the unhealthy buildup of ozone and other pollutants at the ground level, creating smog. Thanks to a relatively mild summer, no Clean Air Action Days were called in the Rogue Valley in 1999. But the valley probably won�t be as fortunate this summer, said Brad Hicks, executive director of the Medford-Jackson County Chamber of Commerce. "Climatologists are predicting a sizzling summer," he said. "So it�s important that everyone do their part to help promote clean air." A day prior to the Clean Air Action Day, the chamber will notify local businesses who will then ask employees to restrict activities that increase pollution problems. In addition to protecting individual health, participating in the Clean Air Action Day will help prevent mandatory regulations should the ozone standards be exceeded, added Bill Anderberg of Answer Page, Inc. "Those could not only be imposing but very costly to our area," he said. Participating in the program will literally give others life, said Wally Skyrman, a member of the steering committee for the Coalition to Improve Air Quality and a member of the American Lung Association of Oregon. "When you can�t breathe, nothing else matters," he said, quoting the American Lung Association slogan. The program fits well into the Rogue Valley Transportation District�s mission of providing an alternative to driving a car, observed Sharon Coleman, general manager of RVTD. The district plans to offer free passes on Clean Air Action Days, she said. "We want to eliminate any barriers there might be to using the transit system on these days," she said. The district currently has 10 buses powered by natural gas and plans to purchase another 10, she said. Although the valley hasn�t had ozone levels which exceeded standards since the mid-1980s, an increased population with increased pollution potential will undoubtedly cause future air quality problems, Becker said. "I hear constantly from people who say they come here for the livability," he said. "I�ve never heard anyone say, �We came here so we could enjoy the same pollution that we enjoyed in our old home�." The Clean Air Action Days program covers the entire Rogue Valley, from Ashland to Grants Pass, from Eagle Point to Jacksonville, Becker said. "Ozone is one of those pollutants that travels around," he said. "As we get the prevailing westerly winds through Medford, the ozone buildup tends to end up at the south end of the valley in Ashland." Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA