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From YouTube: News Update - Ozone Kickoff 2015
Description
Every year the Land-of-Sky Regional Council holds an Ozone Kickoff event to let people know when ozone air quality forecasts begin, and the current state of air pollution in our region. This video is a news update featuring the speakers of this event, summarizing our current state of air quality in Western North Carolina.
To see the entire Ozone Kickoff Event, visit the following link:
http://youtu.be/B4YKygrWbsk
A
A
B
In
recent
years,
we've
been
concerned
with
ozone
or
ground-level
ozone,
as
it's
known
and
also
fine
particles,
and
due
to
all
the
reductions
in
the
pollution
from
our
cars
and
trucks
getting
cleaner
and
from
the
scrubbers
that
have
been
put
on
the
power
plants.
We've
seen
great
improvements
in
the
levels
of
fine
particles
and
ground-level
ozone,
they've
been
coming
down
quite
a
bit
over
time
and
that
actually
impacts
our
visibility
as
well,
because
these
fine
particles
are
mostly
sulfate
particles
that
come
from
combustion
of
coal
are
very
efficient
at
scattering
light.
B
That's
why,
in
the
summertime,
you
may
remember
seeing
hazy
views
of
the
mountains.
Sometimes
you
couldn't
even
see
Mount
Pisgah
from
downtown
Asheville,
but
in
recent
years
that
visibility
is
really
improved,
and
we
believe
that
is
due
to
these
scrubbers
that
have
been
put
on
the
power
plants.
We've.
C
Invested
over
three
hundred
million
dollars,
just
at
the
actual
plant
to
help
you
know,
meet
and
exceed
the
reduction
targets
of
the
2002
clean
smokestacks
act.
We
have
far
exceeded
what
those
what
those
reductions
were
targeted
as
and
we're
very
proud
of
those
accomplishments.
We
continue
to
look
at
ways
to
operate
the
system
as
efficiently
as
possible
as
well
as
you
know,
the
way
that
we're
able
to
serve
customers
with
electricity,
whether
it's
local
generation
or
whether
it's
importing
electricity
from
other
parts
of
the
state
or
other
states.
C
It
allows
us
to
continue
to
lower
emissions
by
relying
on
other
sources,
so
we
can
provide
customers
with
low-cost,
reliable
and
increasingly
cleaner
electricity
by
importing
both
natural
gas,
nuclear
and
other
things,
but
also
making
sure
that
we
operate
and
continue
to
achieve
the
efficiencies
of
operating
the
actual
plant
as
much
as
possible.
Today,.
D
Do
forecasting
for
both
ozone
and
fine
particles
and
for
ozone
I
would
like
to
add
that
we
do
forecasting
both
for
high
elevation
sites
and
for
Valley
sites.
So
if
you
would
like
to
know
about
Mount
Mitchell,
for
example,
or
you're
going
to
go
hiking
at
a
higher
elevation,
you
can
find
out
what
the
ozone
forecast
is
for
that
those
areas
the
following
day
and
if
you
have
any
breathing
difficulties,
emphysema
or
thing
like
that
by
checking
the
forecast,
you
may
be
able
to
plan
your
day
accordingly.
That
Oh
tomorrow
is
not
so
good.
E
C
E
Simple
steps
they
can
take
accessing
the
daily
air
quality
forecast
code.
Just
like
you
would
check
the
weather
if
you're
going
to
have
outdoor
activities,
go
ahead
and
check
the
code
the
day
before
and
see
what
it's
going
to
be.
So
you
know
what
time
or
whether
or
not
you
should
even
go
out
and
then
some
other
simple
steps
are
just
reducing
the
type
of
activity
on
a
high
air
pollution
day,
walking
instead
of
running
or
exercising
in
the
morning
the
evening
and
not
even
exercising
just
gardening
being
outside
for
a
long
period
of
time.
A
Thing
that
the
public
can
do
that,
we're
really
emphasizing
this
year
is
reduce
their
idling
in
their
vehicle,
there's
a
lot
of
pollution
being
created
by
idling
vehicles
and
specially
larger
trucks.
So,
if
you're
going
to
be
idling
for
over
ten
seconds,
it
pays
to
actually
cut
the
engine
off
and
go
into
the
restaurant
instead
of
sitting
through
a
drive-through.
You
know
45
minutes
and
knitting
pollution
or
trucks
that
are
making
deliveries
should
cut
off
their
engine
as
well,
especially
at
school.