BY WILLIAM A. WEATHERS
The Cincinnati Enquirer
With continued hot and dry weather in the forecast, the Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services has declared a smog alert for today for Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky. The weather is expected to produce unhealthy smog levels.
The National Weather Service forecast for today and Wednesday calls for partly cloudly skies and highs in the upper 80s with a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms.
The pattern should remain the same for the rest of the week, said meteorologist Ryan Sandler, with highs near 90.
Smog is formed on hot days when sunlight reacts with pollutants from vehicles, lawn mowers, factories and other sources. The sun "bakes" the pollutants, turning them into smog.
The American Lung Association recommends that children, people with asthma, and senior citizens stay indoors -- preferably in air conditioning -- during the smog alert.
To help minimize pollution, the public is asked to:
Drive less. Automobiles account for 45 percent of the smog produced in the area.
Postpone lawn maintenance until after 6 p.m. A gasoline-powered lawn mower used for an hour puts out as much pollution as 11 cars used for the same amount of time.
Trimmers and chain saws create even more pollution.
Drivers can have their gas caps checked free at any BP Procare station. If it is leaking they will receive a certificate for a free replacement cap from any participating NAPA Auto Parts store. Fumes from leaking gas caps contribute approximately 18 tons of air pollution daily.
