Golden Valley Junior High School
NORA'S RAIDERS
Ecology Club
1970 - 1974
The Problem:
air POllution
"Smog," or air pollution, was not a recent phenomonen in the Southern California of the 1970s. The above photograph provides a hazy view of the Los Angeles City Hall from one of the newly constructed freeways in the 1940s. But in Inland Empire, smog had a very particular story.
Smog Reporting:
The San Bernardino Sun Telegram prior to August 1967 included information on smog conditions as part of the weather report, mostly as an advisory against burning brush etc. when smog conditions existed.
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During the summer of 1967 a new form of reporting began; a specific "Smog Report" that offered readings for two days of smog data. These readings concentrated on the amount of oxident levels detected, stating that "Oxidents are one of the chief ingredients in smog, and are chiefly responsible for the physical discomfort caused by smog, such as nose and throat irritations."
Additional information in the Smog Reports that was posted on occasion stated that "Readings of .15, defined by state health officials as the 'adverse' level, result in throat and eye irritation, damage to vegetation and reduced visibility."
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Below was a typical reading for the month of July, 1967:
Finally, sometime in 1970, a much more extensive report was printed, featuring readings of and details about ozone, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide:
Thursday, June 27, 1974 -
The Last Stage 3 Smog Alert
On Thursday the 27th of June, 1974, Southern California experienced a "smog siege" according to an article published by the South Coast Air Quality Management District in 1997.
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Stagnant air heated by temperatures above 100 degrees fahrenheit caused ozone levels to top .51 parts per million - creating literally hazardous air.
Outdoor sports events were moved indoors if possible, and public facilities such as pools were shut down until further notice (see photo above).
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Click here see more articles and information about this Stage 3 Smog Alert and the impact it had on the Inland Empire.
Facts about Smog:
Smog is:
- originally, a term made up to define a combination of smoke and fog.
- today, modern smog is a combination of vehicle fumes and industrial smoke combining with sunlight to create photochemical smog. Combine that with inversion, and you have a huge mess. Even worse, this all combines to produce a very harmful toxin known as ozone.
What is the Smog Alert System and its stages?
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"In Southern California, a smog alert is announced by the executive director of the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Smog alerts in other areas are similar to those used in Southern California. A stage 1 alert is the least severe and occurs when ground-level ozone levels in an area exceed 0.20 parts per million. A stage 2 alert is announced when ozone levels go above 0.35 ppm, while a stage 3 alert is announced at ozone levels greater than 0.50 ppm. Under these more severe alerts, children are advised not to go outside out of concern for their cardiovascular health."
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(From Seattle PI website.)