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Only 4 of 45 DFW School
Districts
Have A Smog Plan
On the heels of the California study linking smog to child onset asthma
comes a local study of what Dallas-Ft. Worth area school districts are
doing, or not doing, about protecting students, and student athletes from
smog. It's written by Katy Hubener, for the new Blue Skies Alliance, a clean
air umbrella group in DFW, of which Down-winders At Risk is a founding
member.
According to the report, entitled "Flunking Recess," only four of
45 school districts even have a smog response plan for days when the air is
unhealthy to breathe.
Among the recommendations are:
1) A SCHOOL NOTIFICATION & SCHOOL PLAN. There is a need for
infrastructure within the school districts themselves to respond to poor air
quality and protect students during ozone season when heat and pollution can
combine with fatal results.
2) STRENGTHENING AIR QUALITY STANDARD AND REDUCING POLLUTION. PTAs have
been on the cutting edge of seeking cleaner air. Now it’s time for school
boards and administrators to join the fight.
3) NATIONAL HEALTH TRACKING Of CHRONIC HEALTH PROBLEMS AND DISEASE.
4) LOCAL OZONE TRACKING BY TV STATIONS. Local TV stations should track
ozone plumes using real time EPA or TNRCC ozone maps and issue bad air
warnings similar to thunderstorm warnings.
Find the entire report on the web at
www.blueskiesalliance.org |
