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News Release

For immediate release
June 23, 2003

Notice of Expanded Smog Advisory

The Ministry of the Environment is expanding its existing Smog Advisory to include the following additional forecast regions for June 24, 2003:

A Smog Advisory remains in effect for:

The Smog Advisory for all the above regions will be in effect until further notice.

A Smog Advisory is issued when there is a high probability for elevated smog levels.

Hot temperatures, sunshine and light winds are expected to continue on Tuesday. Pollutants from sources in the U.S. and Ontario will accumulate and react under sunlight to form smog.

Smog is a hazy mix of pollutants made up of ground-level ozone, fine particulate matter and other pollutants. During the summer months, more-than half of Ontario’s smog-causing pollution originates in the United States. In cooler months, domestic sources can be significant contributors to the formation of fine particulate matter.

Ontario has one of Canada’s best air quality monitoring systems. The ministry issues Smog Advisory and Smog Watch notices in order to provide the people of Ontario with the information they need to protect themselves from the potential health effects of smog.

The Web site www.airqualityontario.com contains a list of “spare the air” actions to combat smog and minimize its effect on sensitive populations. If you want to learn more about air quality, visit the Ministry of the Environment’s Web site at www.ene.gov.on.ca.

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Contact:
John Steele
Communications Branch
Ministry of the Environment
(416) 314-6666