District ends 'Spare the Air' campaign, implements year-round push

The anti-pollution Spare the Air campaign is getting the ax.

Regional air quality officials Friday announced they will replace the program known for providing air quality alerts in summertime with a program focused on healthier lifestyles year-round.

The new Healthy Air Living program will launch next week, said Anthony Presto, spokesman for the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.

"We're focusing on getting everyone in the valley thinking about what they can do every day, not just in summer on days when air quality is at its worst," Presto said. "Just focusing on episodic events (when the pollution flares up) is not enough to clean the valley's air. It cleans it a little bit, but we really need a more comprehensive program that encourages people to incorporate practices into their everyday life."

He said Healthy Air Living will include all aspects of Spare the Air, including summertime advisories when conditions deteriorate. He also said the district will continue to work with schools to fly flags alerting students and parents to air quality levels.

In addition, Healthy Air Living is designed to encourage businesses to pursue creative ways to get workers to use their cars less, Presto said, from setting aside parking places for people who car pool and setting up van pools to selling food and stamps at work. Businesses can even have laundry delivery service so employees can drop off and pick up dry cleaning at work.

"Nobody has ever done anything like Healthy Air Living, so there are going to be a lot of new ideas," he said. "We're in new territory here."

As incentives, the district is offering companies recognition in print or online advertising and pollution-saver "toolboxes" with promotional pens and notepads for employees.

The district also provides grants to companies involved in sizable projects such as beginning a van pool. It might, for instance, provide part of the money to buy the van. It calculates grants based on the pounds of pollution a project would eliminate.

The district is planning a Healthy Air Living Week in July and contests with prizes including electric lawn mowers and a hybrid car. One of the contests will be to produce a video the district hopes to use for a commercial.

Most of the valley's pollution comes from driving, Presto said.

The district announced the program in its newsletter sent to 700 businesses and organizations that worked on Spare the Air. All will be asked to sign on to Healthy Air Living, Presto said.

The program will be formally introduced at summits in Ba- kersfield, Fresno and Modesto. The Modesto summit will be March 27 at the DoubleTree Hotel, 1150 Ninth St. The event is free, but participants must register. To register, see the air district's Web site at www.valleyair.org.

The district also is working on a Web site dedicated to Healthy Air Living at www.healthyairliving.com. It will include tips on how people can reduce pollution; games; and calculators so businesses can tally their emissions, Presto said.

In addition to the summit, the air district announced several upcoming local events:

April 12, Beyond Earth Day at Galaxy Theatres, 2525 Patterson Road.

April 19, Earth Day Festival at Graceada Park, Needham at Sycamore avenues.

May is Clean Air Month.

May 12-16, Bike to Work Week; May 15 is Bike to Work Day in Modesto at Tenth Street Place, 1010 Tenth St.

July 7-13, Healthy Air Living Week.

Bee staff writer Inga Miller can be reached at imiller@modbee.com

or 578-2324.