With Third Ozone Alert of 2004, CFE calls for cleaner cars and trucks

Air quality forecasters with the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection and the EPA said Connecticut residents would be breathing unhealthy air today and Wednesday.

(PRWEB) June 10, 2004 -- According to the DEP, Anyone can be affected by ozone, but groups particularly sensitive include children and adults who are active outdoors, and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma. ... even the healthiest people may find it difficult to breathe when ozone levels are very high."

Unhealthy air contains elevated concentrations of ground-level ozone, or smog, as well as unhealthy levels of particulate matter -- soot particles emitted primarily from the combustion of diesel engines.

Roger Reynolds, staff attorney with Connecticut Fund for the Environment, said the solution to our air quality problems, and a way to deal with rising gas prices, is to shift to smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles like hybrids and address diesel emissions.

As we enter the summer season, this problem is likely to become even worse," Reynolds said. Now that weve tackled pollution from passenger vehicles by adopting the strongest clean cars statute in the country outside of California, we should turn our attention to large diesel engines."

Tractor-trailer trucks and construction vehicles emit soot that causes increased asthma attacks, heart disease and lung disease in Connecticut. Diesel exhaust has also been classified as a likely carcinogen. Until Connecticut implements meaningful measures to reduce harmful emissions from diesel trucks like it did for passenger cars this year, everyone can reduce the effects of smog by considering the following:
    
- Avoid the use of gasoline-powered lawn equipment on unhealthy air days

- Reduce auto emissions by utilizing public transportation and carpooling
    
- Turn off air conditioners, computer screens and lights when not in use
    
- Go to the gas station at night-thus cutting down on gasoline vapors that produce smog when they react with sunlight.

For more information on the Air Quality Index in Connecticut towns, visit http://dep.state.ct.us/updates/oz/aqi.asp.