FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 18, 2012
FLORIDA CELEBRATES MAY AS CLEAN AIR MONTH
~Curbing air emissions with easy tips can make the air better for residents and visitors ~
 Florida recognizes May as Clean Air Month in order to bring awareness and tips to preserving Florida's air quality.
TALLAHASSEE – Governor Rick Scott has proclaimed May as Clean Air
Month in an effort to bring awareness to Floridians and encourage residents and
visitors to take steps that can improve Florida's air quality.
Florida exhibits some of the
nation's cleanest air, with all areas of the state complying with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ambient air quality standards for ground-level ozone and particle pollution.
“Clean Air
Month is an ideal time to recognize the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's efforts to improve Florida’s air quality, which protects people
from pollutants and irritants,” said Jeff Littlejohn, DEP Deputy Secretary for
Regulatory Programs. “Between monitoring air quality, administering pollution
controls, coordinating with local, state and federal clean air programs and
working with residents and visitors, we are committed to ensuring Florida’s air quality
remains among the cleanest in the nation.”
According to the 2012 State of the
Air report from the American Lung Association, Florida exhibited only one "red" day for ozone
pollution in a three-year period. According to the association's rankings,
Florida has seven cities among the cleanest nationwide for short-term particle
pollution and five in the top 25 cleanest cities for year-round particle pollution.
Florida boasts two of the cleanest cities for ozone pollution and one of the
five cleanest cities in the nation for both types of pollution.
DEP maintains an extensive network of air quality
monitoring stations around the state to analyze air for various
pollutants, including ozone and fine particles. DEP reports air quality
readings daily, which are available online on the DEP Division of Air Resource Management web site.
May historically brings peak levels
of ozone and fine particles because of hot and dry conditions throughout much
of Florida. Ozone is produced in the atmosphere by chemical reactions of
emissions from vehicles, gas stations, power plants and other sources, driven
by sunlight, which causes levels to rise during daylight hours. Sea breeze and
land breeze patterns can also affect the level of ozone in coastal areas of the state. Spring is also the peak wildfire season because of normally dry
conditions. So, it is especially important for everyone to take daily steps to
curb individual air emissions:
-Use public transportation
-Conserve electricity
-Use energy efficient products
-Maintain heating and air conditioning
units
-Maintain your vehicle
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