The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality issues an Ozone Action Day when weather conditions are expected to be favorable for producing high levels of ozone pollution.  This type of ozone could pose health hazards especially to young children, older adults, and people with chronic lung disease.

During Ozone Action Days, voluntary action is needed to help reduce air pollution emissions and to help prevent ozone formation.

To reduce ozone pollution, you are urged to:

• Limit Driving.  Try sharing a ride to work or school.  Walk or ride a bicycle.  Take your lunch to work or school.
• Pick one day a week to leave your car at home.  If only one percent of America's car owners did this, it would save millions of gallons of gasoline a year and keep a good deal of pollutants out of the atmosphere.
• Combine trips whenever possible.  Go from home, to the store, to the post office.  Stopping at home in between errands means more cold starts and more emissions.
• Avoid long periods of unnecessary idling.  Turn your engine off - you'll save fuel and keep the air cleaner.
• Try to wait until late in the day to refuel your vehicle.  The vapors that escape into the air bake in the heat and can add to ground-level ozone formation.
• Don't top off your gas tank when refueling.  Avoid spilling gas when you are at the fuel pump.
• When going on a trip, drive your newest car.  Chances are it is equipped with better emission controls than your older model.
• Keep your vehicle properly tuned to keep exhaust levels low.  Things to check in keeping your car maintained properly are:  dirty carburetors, clogged air filters, and worn points and plugs that waste gasoline.
• Keep your tires properly inflated.  A well-tuned car with properly inflated, balanced and rotated tires use less gasoline and emits fewer pollutants than the alternative.
• Avoid using gasoline powered lawn equipment until late in the day.  One hour of use produces as much ozone-creating emissions as eleven hours of driving a car.
• Enjoy summer barbecues,  but avoid using charcoal lighter fluid.
• Consider natural gas,  propane or electric grills as alternative next time you replace your backyard or patio barbecue.
• Consider manual or electric-powered  lawn and garden maintenance equipment when replacing your gasoline-powered polluters.
• Treat your personal watercraft and other leisure items just like your cars.  Perform proper maintenance and avoid long periods of idling. 

Click Here to View Today's Texas Air Quality Forecast

Additional Information:

State:
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)

Drive Clean Across Texas

Federal:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S.EPA.)

To be automatically notified by e-mail of upcoming Ozone Action Days or if you would like to receive notification by fax, please contact Kara Stevens, Public Information Planner, Transportation & Environmental Resources Division at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   or (409) 899-8444 ext. 6603.