Spare the Air Alert Wednesday

With temperatures in the 90s expected through Wednesday, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District is asking residents to spare the air.

Wednesday's smog alert is the tenth alert issued this year.

Tri-Valley temperatures Wednesday are expected to hit the lower 90s.

There is no free transit and no wood-burning ban. Such bans are common during winter Spare the Air alerts because of the particulate matter in wood smoke.

The air district monitors daily air-pollution levels and produces air-quality forecasts every day based on an index developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

When the index indicates unhealthy concentrations of ground-level ozone—commonly known as smog —the air district issues the Spare the Air alerts.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is a regional agency chartered with safeguarding air quality in the nine-county Bay Area.

For more information about the Spare the Air program, visit www.sparetheair.org.

Here are some tips on how you can help spare the air:

- Drive less by telecommuting, taking public transit or carpooling.

- Cook inside instead of outside on the grill.

- Avoid using aerosol spray cleaners, paints and hairspray.

Why you should:

The Air District issues Spare the Air advisories warn people of  unhealthy levels of smog that can cause throat irritation, congestion and chest pain. High levels of ozone pollution are particularly harmful for young children, seniors and people with respiratory and heart conditions.