Friday, August 21, 2020 - AIR QUALITY ALERT – San Luis Obispo

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  August 21, 2020

Contact:      Meghan Field, 805-781-5912 - SLO County Air Pollution Control District 

                     Dr. Penny Borenstein, 805-781-5500 - SLO County Public Health Department

AIR QUALITY ALERT – DUE TO SMOKE APCD RECOMMENDS ALL NON-EMERGENCY OUTDOOR WORK IN NORTH COUNTY BE POSTPONED UNTIL AIR QUALITY CONDITIONS IMPROVE

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA, – As record-breaking levels of smoke continue to impact San Luis Obispo County, the San Luis Obispo (SLO) County Air Pollution Control District and Public Health Department are strongly recommending that all non-emergency outdoor work in the North County be postponed until air quality conditions improve.

Currently, the air quality in Paso Robles, Atascadero, and other North County locations is in the Hazardous range, and it is forecast to remain Hazardous today and to be Unhealthy tomorrow. The SLO County APCD does not have the authority to issue mandatory orders, but we strongly recommend that outdoor activities in these areas stop until air quality improves.

Outdoor work in any area where the Air Quality Index (AQI) exceeds 150 should stop. People can check the AQI at the District's website, https://www.slocleanair.org, or on https://www.airnow.gov. On the map at AirNow.gov, areas with AQI above 150 will be colored red, purple, or brown. Currently, this includes all of North County. In these areas, we strongly recommend that restaurants close or switch to take-out only, and that outdoor agricultural and construction work stop. Outdoor recreation should also be postponed until conditions improve. Outdoor work should be postponed until the AQI is 150 or less, which corresponds to Good, Moderate, or Unhealthy for Sensitive Group (Green, Yellow, or Orange on the Airnow.gov map.) 

CalOSHA regulation 5141.1 may apply to most workers exposed to wildfire smoke, including people working outdoors and those working indoors but with open doors, bays, or windows. Employers and employees are encouraged to check CalOSHA's website at https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/wildfire/Worker-Protection-from-Wildfire-Smoke.html for details. Note that this is not an APCD regulation and we do not have authority to enforce it.

For updates:

SLO County APCD and County officials will continue to closely monitor smoke impacts and air quality in San Luis Obispo County. By following the Air Quality Index, the public can also monitor real-time air quality throughout SLO County. The AQI focuses on health effects individuals may experience within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air. The current and forecasted AQI is available via the APCD website: slocleanair.org and you can also follow the SLO County APCD and Public Health Department Twitter feeds for the latest updates (@slocleanair and @SLOPublicHealth). You can also sign up for AirAware alerts right on your phone by visiting our website at SLOCleanAir.org.