Smog Siege to Remain Into Next Week, Air Official Says

Officials at the regional air quality agency in Diamond Bar on Thursday predicted unhealthful air through the weekend and warned residents to avoid strenuous outdoor activity and stay inside if they are sensitive to smog.

“We’re in for our first bona fide smog siege of the summer,” said James M. Lents, executive officer of the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

He said the particle-laden air could stay around into next week.

Lents said the smog season hit the Southland with a vengeance despite its unusually late arrival. The lag was primarily due to the cooling effects of last winter’s El Nino, air quality officials said.

“This is a reminder that while we have made progress in cleaning up the air, we still have a long way to go,” Lents said.

Ozone pollution stopped just short of Stage 1 levels on Monday and Tuesday, and topped the Stage 1 mark in several areas Wednesday. Stage 1 episodes were reached Thursday and are predicted today in all of the region’s inland valleys, and are likely to recur this weekend, Lents said. A Stage 1 episode is called when ozone levels reach .20 p.p.m.

Los Angeles-area residents have suffered far fewer Stage 1 episodes this year compared to the same date last year, and last year was one of the cleanest years on record, AQMD officials said.