Friends of the Earth today called on the Government to take urgent action to prevent the continuing rise in ozone levels [1]. Over the last three days, ozone levels have exceeded international health guidelines [2] at 26 of the Government's 32 ozone monitoring sites [3]. With the hot weather set to continue, levels are expected to soar over the next few days.

Friends of the Earth is calling on the Government to use the powers it claims it has introduced under the Environment Act (1995) to reduce speed limits on motorways and restrain on-street parking in city centres in an attempt to lower emissions [4].

Roger Higman, Friends of the Earth's Air Pollution Campaigner, said:

"A blanket of toxic fumes is lying over Britain.The health of millions of people is at risk. Yet all the Government seems prepared to do is to plead with drivers to leave their cars at home. One need only look at our congested city streets to realize the Government's pleas are going unheeded".

Friends of the Earth also accused the Government of issuing misleading information. Its air quality bulletins have continued to describe air quality as "good" even when international health guidelines for ozone have been exceeded. Over the last three days, Government's bulletins only described as quality as "poor" at 6 sites, despite the fact that guidelines were exceeded at 26 [5].

Roger Higman continued:

"It is ironic that on the day the motor industry annually celebrates a boost in new car sales, Britain is finally becoming aware of the real cost of our Government's obsession with the motor car."

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] Ozone is formed by the interaction of nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons in sunlight. It irritates the mucous membrane of the respiratory system, causing coughing, choking and impaired lung function and exacerbating asthma symptoms. Other common symptoms include headaches, eye, nose and throat irritation and chest discomfort on deep breathing. The principal source of both nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons is road traffic.

[2] In 1987, the World Health Organisation (WHO) published guidelines for a range of pollutants to advise Governments on levels of pollution that are likely to affect health. The WHO published two guidelines for ozone - that levels should not average over 50 parts per billion for an eight hour period and that levels should not exceed 76 parts per billion in any one hour. It is the 8-hour guideline that has been widely exceeded, but at some monitoring sites the 1-hour guideline is now also being exceeded.

[3] Friends of the Earth obtains information about pollution levels through on-line access to the National Environmental Technology Centre (NETCEN) database at Culham, Oxfordshire, which lists the results of the Government's air quality monitoring.

The WHO eight-hour guideline was exceeded as follows:

Aston Hill (Powys) Sat Mon Bexley Sun Mon Birmingham Sun Mon Birmingham East Sat Sun Mon Bottesford (Notts) Sun Mon Bristol Mon Cardiff Mon Eskdalemuir (Borders) Sun Mon Glazebury (Cheshire) Sun Mon Great Dun Fell (Cumbria) Sun Mon Harwell (Oxon) Sat Sun Mon High Muffles (North Yorks) Sat Sun Mon Hull Sat Sun Ladybower (Derbyshire) Sat Sun Mon Leeds Mon Leicester Sun Mon Liverpool Mon London Bloomsbury Sun Mon Lullington Heath (Sussex) Sun Mon Middlesbrough Sun Newcastle Sun

Sibton (Suffolk) Sat Sun Mon Strath Vaich (North Scotland) Mon Swansea Mon Wharley Croft (Cumbria) Sun Mon Yarner Wood (Devon). Mon

[4] The Department of the Environment claimed, in June, that new clauses added to the Environment Bill gave Ministers "a wide regulation-making power" to restrict "the carrying on of prescribed activities or the access of prescribed vehicles or mobile equipment to prescribed areas" DoE News Release 284 13 June 1995 - Section 86 of the Environment Act 1995.

[5] The Department of the Environment's air quality advisers, the Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards (EPAQS) have recommended the WHO 50 ppb eight-hour guideline be used as an air quality standard for ozone in the UK. Yet the Government has put off approving the standard arguing that ozone is an international and transboundary problem, and that a European standard should be set instead. Its air quality bulletins do not describe ozone levels as "poor" until they exceed 90 parts per billion.

The monitoring sites where air quality was described as "poor" were

Aston Hill (Powys) Mon Harwell (Oxon) Sun Mon Ladybower (Derbys) Mon Lullington Heath (Sussex) Sun Mon Sibton (Suffolk) Sun Mon Swansea Mon