Air quality forecast begins today.Byline: Scott Maben The Register-Guard You already know if it was smoky Smoky, river, c.250 mi (400 km) long, rising in Jasper National Park, W Alta., Canada, and flowing generally NE to the Peace River. It receives the Wapiti and Little Smoky rivers. It was explored (1792) by Alexander Mackenzie. outside yesterday. What you really want to know is how the sky will look today or tomorrow. Wonder no more. The Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority launches a daily air quality forecast today, the official start of the home wood heating season. The forecast, now available on LRAPA's Web site, is meant to help runners, people who work hard outside and anyone especially sensitive to air pollution plan their outdoor activities. The agency used to report only the previous day's air quality. "We thought it was more valuable for people to know what was going to be happening that day or the next day vs. what happened the day before," spokeswoman Kim Metzler said. The forecast will begin Monday on GuardLine, The Register-Guard's 24-hour news and information service. Starting Wednesday, the forecast will appear in the almanac almanac, originally, a calendar with notations of astronomical and other data. Almanacs have been known in simple form almost since the invention of writing, for they served to record religious feasts, seasonal changes, and the like. on The Register-Guard's weather page. The forecast covers the most prevalent pollutant pol·lut·ant n. Something that pollutes, especially a waste material that contaminates air, soil, or water. in the air for Eugene-Springfield and Oakridge, the local areas with the worst air quality problems. In the fall, winter and spring, the forecast usually will be for particulate matter particulate matter n. Abbr. PM Material suspended in the air in the form of minute solid particles or liquid droplets, especially when considered as an atmospheric pollutant. Noun 1. - the fine particles Fine particles are an air pollutant mainly produced by cars running on diesel. Other sources are the combustion of fossil fuels in power plants and various industrial processes. in wood smoke, dust and pollen. In warm weather, the prevalent pollutant can be low-level ozone from burned fossil fuels fossil fuel: see energy, sources of; fuel. fossil fuel Any of a class of materials of biologic origin occurring within the Earth's crust that can be used as a source of energy. Fossil fuels include coal, petroleum, and natural gas. . Occasionally, the dominant pollutant in the metro area This article is about the music production team. For the article about population centers, see metropolitan area. Metro Area are a Brooklyn-based dance music production team composed of Morgan Geist and Darshan Jesrani. could be carbon monoxide carbon monoxide, chemical compound, CO, a colorless, odorless, tasteless, extremely poisonous gas that is less dense than air under ordinary conditions. It is very slightly soluble in water and burns in air with a characteristic blue flame, producing carbon dioxide; , a gas left over when gasoline and wood aren't burned completely. LRAPA's forecast will use four colors to represent the quality of the air, from green (good) to red (bad). The prognosis is based on current air quality and weather forecasts. The color rating is similar to the agency's daily yellow-green-red wood burning advisory for Eugene-Springfield and Oakridge. That advisory starts today and runs through February. In Oakridge, residents now are required to comply with the daily wood burning advisory. The City Council adopted an ordinance last February making the program mandatory instead of voluntary. Although violators could face fines of up to $500 under the ordinance, enforcement for now will focus on instructing Oakridge residents about the change, Police Chief Louis Gomez said. "Our intent is not to be punitive here. It's education and compliance," Gomez said. "I believe for the most part people realize it's for their health and the benefit of the city." The mountains around Oakridge trap smoke in the city of 3,150. As a result, it gets closer to exceeding federal air quality standards than any other place in Oregon. Residents may apply at City Hall for exemptions from the ordinance if their homes are heated solely with wood or if they qualify for low-income energy assistance. In another change, new city and county ordinances prohibit burning garbage in wood stoves and fireplaces. The ban applies to residents of Eugene and Springfield and those living within the cities' urban growth boundaries "UGB" redirects here. UGB may also refer to Unión de Guerreros Blancos (White Warriors' Union), a death squad founded to repress leftist elements in El Salvador. An urban growth boundary, or UGB . Only clean, dry wood may be burned in the metro area. AIR QUALITY FORECAST For Eugene-Springfield and Oakridge: Green: Good Yellow: Moderate - especially sensitive people could have trouble breathing Orange: Unhealthy for sensitive groups; active children and adults and people with respiratory diseases Noun 1. respiratory disease - a disease affecting the respiratory system respiratory disorder, respiratory illness adult respiratory distress syndrome, ARDS, wet lung, white lung - acute lung injury characterized by coughing and rales; inflammation of the should limit prolonged outdoor exertion exertion, n vigorous action, a great effort, a strong influence. Red: Unhealthy - everyone should limit prolonged outdoor exertion WOOD BURNING ADVISORY For Eugene-Springfield and Oakridge: Green: Wood heating allowed Yellow: Air quality deteriorating; burn only if necessary Red: Do not burn On the Web: www.lrapa.org GuardLine: 485-2000 Ext. 4273 (updated Monday-Friday) |
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