Hot Weather Impacts Air Quality over the Weekend

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 6, 2014

Contact:
District Director Dave Van Mullem, 805-961-8853

Hot Weather Impacts Air Quality over the Weekend

Ozone Standards Exceeded in Santa Barbara County

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District announced today that air monitoring stations around the county recorded concentrations of ozone above health-based standards over the weekend. Ground-level ozone is a principal component of smog.

Stations in Carpinteria, El Capitan, Goleta, Las Flores Canyon (near Gaviota), and Santa Barbara recorded exceedances of the state and federal eight-hour ozone standard (based on an eight-hour average) on Sunday. All of these stations except Santa Barbara also recorded exceedances of the state one-hour ozone standard. In addition, the monitoring station near Nojoqui Summit recorded an exceedance of the state eight-hour standard on Sunday, and the station at Vandenberg Air Force Base recorded an exceedance of this standard on Saturday and Sunday.

Many of these stations are continuing to record somewhat elevated levels of ozone today. Everyone, and especially sensitive individuals, including children, older adults, and people with heart or lung conditions, should limit outdoor activities and avoid outdoor exercise in areas where ozone levels are high.

While the hot weather is expected to subside in the next few days, it may return next weekend. District Director Dave Van Mullem noted that periods of intense hot weather contribute to higher ozone levels, and commented, “It is not unusual for us to see ozone standards exceeded in September and October when we have the weather conditions we saw over the weekend.”

For more information about Santa Barbara County’s status relative to state and federal air quality standards, and to view ozone and particle levels updated hourly, see “Today’s Air Quality” on this page.