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To: Chas who wrote (21855)	5/11/1998 11:58:00 PM
From: mph	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 95453

Here's a Sign that Driving Season( and therefore increased oil usage) Must Be Here. It's Ozone Action Season: Monday May 11, 6:34 pm Eastern Time Company Press Release SOURCE: Peoples Gas Company The Kick-Off Event for the 1998 Ozone Action Season is May 14 PITTSBURGH, May 11 /PRNewswire/ -- The Southwest Pennsylvania Ozone Action Partnership -- a coalition of over 40 business, government and environmental groups -- kicks off the 1998 Ozone Action Season with a special event in the PPG Plaza on May 14, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ''Coach Ozone's Air Show'' is free and open to the public. The purpose of this event is to build awareness of the important ground-level ozone issue in southwest Pennsylvania (see following fact sheet for more information), and show how individuals can ''do their share for healthier air.'' Activities for all ages are planned to make this learning experience lots of fun. PPG Plaza will be filled with exhibits, and displays of information by members of the Partnership. Radio station 3WS will broadcast live, and ''Coach Ozone'' will pass out ozone coloring books for the kids. Spectators can learn about the impact of ground-level ozone and win a prize at the Frisbee Golf Hole. Peoples Gas, a founding member of the Partnership, is proud to be involved in this important community activity to benefit the environment. In the May 14th ozone action event, Peoples Gas will display the ''Natural Gasser II,'' a natural gas powered race car that has been in National Hot Rod Association competition since 1995. Peoples will also display information about family- oriented cars and trucks which run on natural gas and are now available to the public. Peoples Gas -- the Pennsylvania distribution utility of Consolidated Natural Gas Company (NYSE: CNG - news) -- provides natural gas service to over 348,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in 16 counties of southwestern Pennsylvania. Ground-Level Ozone Fact Sheet Where does ground-level ozone come from? Ground level ozone is formed when Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) react in the presence of heat and sunlight. Typically, ground-level ozone levels peak on hot, windless afternoons. VOCs and NOx come from many sources including power plants, factories, and many consumer products. But at least half of the ozone ingredients come from cars, buses, trucks, boats and lawnmowers. Why should we worry about ground-level ozone? Ozone in the upper atmosphere (stratosphere) occurs naturally when oxygen is exposed to sunlight. This stratospheric ozone protects life on earth by filtering out the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation. But ozone at ground- level can be a dangerous pollutant. It is the main component of smog, and is the major air pollution problem facing most large cities. Health issues related to ground-level ozone. Ozone is a severe irritant. It causes choking, coughing and stinging eyes. Ozone damages lung tissue, aggravates respiratory disease (such as asthma and emphysema), and makes people more susceptible to respiratory infections. Children are particularly impacted by the harmful effects of ground-level ozone. Ground-level ozone and the cost to business and consumers. In 1997 southwest Pennsylvania had 11 Ozone Action Days and 7 exceedances. Persistent violations of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) ground- level ozone standards can result in tougher permitting requirements for new or expanding industries, loss of Federal money, and government mandated programs such as centralized inspection and maintenance programs. These will increase the costs to businesses in southwest Pennsylvania, and ultimately to the consumers who buy those products and services. What is the Southwest Pennsylvania Ozone Action Partnership? The Southwest Pennsylvania Ozone Action Partnership is a coalition of over 40 business, government and environmental groups working together to prevent unhealthy ground-level ozone levels and keep southwestern Pennsylvania in compliance with EPA's clean air standards. What can we do to help the ground-level ozone problem? Meteorologists working in cooperation with the Partnership will be declaring Ozone Action Days when predicted weather conditions could result in ozone formation. The Partnership asks that businesses and individuals will make one or two small changes in their daily routine on Ozone Action Days. These kinds of changes are: carpooling or using public transportation; driving a well maintained car; filling gas tanks during the evening instead of during the heat of the day, postponing some activities such as mowing, painting with oil-based paint, and charcoal grilling. Peoples Gas supports many other environmental activities. Peoples Gas recognizes that safety, health and environmental protection is integral to its business purpose. The company is proud to support, and actively participate with, many other community programs that encourage environmental protection. Some of these include: Western Pennsylvania Conservancy; Audobon Society of Western Pennsylvania; Rachael Carson Homestead; and the Clean Cities Programs. Peoples Gas -- the Pennsylvania distribution utility of Consolidated Natural Gas Company -- provides natural gas service to over 348,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in 16 counties of southwestern Pennsylvania. SOURCE: Peoples Gas Company More Quotes and News: Consolidated Natural Gas Co (NYSE:CNG - news) Related News Categories: environmental, oil/energy, utilities Help Copyright c 1998 PRNewswire. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PRNewswire content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of PRNewswire. PRNewswire shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. See our Important Disclaimers and Legal Information. Questions or Comments?