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Last updated 01/25/02

The Problem

Ground-level ozone is a reactive oxidant that is harmful to human health and plant life. Ozone forms in and near urban areas during hot, stagnant weather conditions when emissions from man-made and natural sources react in sunlight. The Sacramento, California metropolitan region is one of nine areas in the U.S. designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a severe non-attainment area for ozone.

The Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD) started the Spare The Air program to help reduce ozone-forming emissions. Daily ozone forecasts are used to issue Spare The Air advisories.  These advisories provide the public adequate time to reduce or avoid exposure to harmful ozone concentrations and to take voluntary action to reduce driving and other emission-producing activities on predicted poor air quality days.  On very high ozone days, the SMAQMD issues health advisories to alert the public about unhealthy air.

THE PROGRAM

Since 1996, Sonoma Technology, Inc. (STI) has provided ozone forecasts and related services to support the Spare The Air program. Ozone forecasts are issued for the current- and next-day’s maximum ozone concentration in the four air districts within the Sacramento region as well as two- to five-day regional ozone forecasts.