[ADEQ Media] ADEQ Director Owens Announces Text-Message Alerts for High Pollution Advisories

[media@lists.azdeq.gov]

ADEQ Director Owens Announces Text-Message Alerts 
for High Pollution Advisories

PHOENIX (Nov. 20, 2007) - Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
(ADEQ) Director Steve Owens announced today that Valley residents can
now get the first word on ADEQ High Pollution Advisory (HPA) alerts with
the department's new text messaging service.

People who sign up for the service will receive a text message on their
cell phone or small message service (SMS) wireless device by
midafternoon the day before the HPA is issued. ADEQ charges no fee for
this service, but fees set under your cell phone or wireless device plan
will apply. People interested in receiving the text messages can sign up
for the service at http://www.azdeq.gov/sms.html.  

 "This will help us get the word out about HPAs much more quickly and to
a much wider group of people," Owens said. "This will be especially
helpful for people working in construction, landscaping and agriculture
that may not have e-mail access during the day and who will need to
adjust their work activities because of an HPA." 
 
Under legislation passed earlier this year -- during HPAs for
particulate matter --  most recreational off-road vehicle use,
residential wood burning and  outdoor fires are banned in vehicle
emission Area A (greater Phoenix). In addition, ADEQ asks that children
and adults with respiratory problems avoid outdoor activities and that
the general public limit outdoor activity throughout the day.  Employers
participating in the Valley's Trip Reduction Program should implement
their pollution reduction action plans and all Valley residents should
reduce emissions by taking steps such as car pooling and using mass
transit.

Owens also said that the new service will be a way to get information to
parents, teachers and school officials so that they can make decisions
about children's outdoor activities when an HPA has been announced.
"This is another tool we can use to keep our children safe and healthy,"
Owens said.

HPAs are also publicized through highway road signs in cooperation with
the Arizona Department of Transportation. ADEQ has also made e-mail
alerts available for several years.  Sign up for them at
http://www.azdeq.gov/subscribe.html.

The Phoenix area did not meet federal air quality health standards set
by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 2004-06 and a plan has
been developed to  reduce emissions by 5 percent each year to meet those
health standards by 2010.

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News media interested in additional information on this or any other
topic concerning the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality should
contact the Office of Communications at (602) 771-2215 or via email at
communications@azdeq.gov.

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