NINE REGIONAL SCHOOLS TO UNDERGO OUTDOOR AIR TOXIC MONITORING

EPA announced that 62 schools in 22 states near industrial/urban areas will undergo outdoor air toxics monitoring by EPA, state, and local agencies to protect children from possible high levels of toxic air pollution in these areas. Nine of these are located in EPA's mid-Atlantic region:

1. Clairton Educational Center (Clairton, Va.)
2. Kreutz Creek Valley Elementary School (Hallam, Pa.)
3. Riverside Elementary School (Reading, Pa.)
4. Solid Rock Academy/Early Learning Center (Madison Heights, Pa.)
5. South Allegheny Middle/High School (McKeesport, Pa.)
6. Sto-Rox Elementary School (McKees Rocks, Pa.)
7. Cabell County Career Technology Center  (Huntington, W. Va.)
8. Follansbee Middle School (Follansbee, W. Va.)
9. Neale Elementary School (Vienna, W. Va.) 

Results will be made available to the public at http://www.epa.gov/schoolair. 

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APRIL 1 SIGNALS THE BEGINNING OF THE 2009 OZONE SEASON FOR THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION

April 1 was designated as the official start of the 2009 ozone season for Region 3 states (Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, W. Virginia) and Washington, D.C.  Ground-level ozone is formed when VOCs and NOx react in the presence of sunlight and hot temperatures during the warmer months of the year.  Exposure to unhealthy ground-level ozone conditions affects everyone, especially at-risk populations who have existing respiratory problems and are more susceptible to ground-level ozone exposure.  People (especially at-risk groups) interested in protecting themselves from over-exposure to ozone pollution, can access useful air quality information at the EPA AIRNow website.