East County Smog Prompts 1st Health Advisory of Year

Thick smog blanketed Simi Valley and Moorpark on Saturday afternoon, causing officials to issue the first health advisory this year in Ventura County.

Children and senior citizens were encouraged to stay indoors, and healthy adults were advised to reduce physical activity during the smoggiest period, which ended about 5 p.m., officials said.

Smog levels are expected to remain about the same or decrease slightly today, said Doug Tubbs, an official with the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District.

Officials say the dense fog that has been rolling in from the ocean at night has mixed with car exhaust and other pollutants trapped between the east hills of the county. Smog forms when the mixture is baked by sunlight.

On Saturday, ozone levels in Simi Valley and Moorpark reached 138 on the Pollutant Standard Index, prompting Tubbs to issue the warning.

Last year, state air officials instituted the health advisory alert, which occurs when the PSI reaches 138.

While Simi Valley and Moorpark residents choked through the haze, air quality was listed as moderate in other areas of Ventura County, Tubbs said.

So far this year, the smog levels in the county have been relatively low, Tubbs said.

“This is a late start,” he said.

Last year, he said, smog levels exceeded 138 five times, starting in June.

But this year, Tubbs said, the cloudy conditions have kept the air cleaner.

“We’ve had an overcast July,” Tubbs said. “When you don’t have the sunlight to help create the ozone, there’s going to be less smog. This has been an unusual year.”

But Tubbs said, “It’s starting to be a normal summer.”

Air Quality Report

This chart shows the ozone levels for Ventura County. Ozone is an invisible irritant that impairs breathing. When it reaches 138 on a federal index, healthy people are advised to reduce physical activity.

Pollutant Standard Index

0-50 Good

51-100 Moderate

101-199 Unhealthful

200-299 Very unhealthful

300-500 Hazardous

Today’s Area Saturday forecast Coastal 102 85 Inland Coastal 85 85 Conejo Valley 85 92 Ojai Valley 92 92 Simi Valley 138 127 Fillmore/Piru 108 108 Santa Paula 90 92

Source: Ventura County Air Pollution Control District